HUNDREDS OF students representing secondary and tertiary institutions across the island joined in solidarity on Wednesday to denounce violence and promote peace in a march that lasted for two hours.
The peace march was organised by the National Centre for Youth Development (NCYD) to coincide with International Students' Day and Youth Month, under the theme 'I Pledge My Heart'.
Armed with placards promoting peace, love and unity, the students danced and shouted for peace while they marched from the Liguanea Post Office, along Hope Road, St. Andrew, held a demonstration in Papine Square and then marched to the Students' Union on the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies, where a rally was held.
Layne Robinson, Youth Month coordinator for NYCD, told The Gleaner that the march was organised because, "Students are taking a stand against crime and violence in Jamaica and they believe that a march would be an important thing for them to take a stand."
REFORMED
According to Mr. Robinson, "Today is a call to recommit our young persons to Jamaica in respect to peace and justice, what they can do to help and what is their voice against those who are trying to pull our country down."
Dwayne Stewart and Andrew Rowe, delinquent students who were reformed through the juvenile justice system, encouraged students to stay in school and stay on the straight path.
Mr. Stewart, who was involved in a gang while at school, said he got a wake-up call after three of his friends were murdered. He went to camp where he was reformed and went back to school where he was one of two students to pass his external arts examination.
The presidents of the Jamaica Union of Tertiary Students and the National Secondary Students' Council were inducted at the rally.
