The Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA), in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth & Information (MOEYI) invites all schools to participate in the 2021 Trees for Peace Competition. This year’s campaign follows on Peace Day’s theme of “Let Us Shape Peace Together”. The competition seeks to highlight that by working collectively there are opportunities to achieve the goal of peace in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through the planting of trees, school communities will to learn to live in a more harmonious way while enhancing environmental and global education. With ongoing uncertainties related to the pandemic, both organizations will plan accordingly to consider a dual approach to the campaign (physical and/or virtual). The probable approaches at this time are:

i) Creation of peace gardens at school, in the event of face-to-face learning
ii) Creation of peace gardens at students’ homes, whilst representing their school
Social Media campaigns and competitions will be used to demonstrate the efforts of Trees for Peace; Government of Jamaica COVID-19 protocols are to be observed.

The Forestry Department is to facilitate the collection of seedlings for interested schools. Information on this will be communicated after registration.

Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, in addition Parish Prizes are to be awarded after judging by an inter-agency group. Judging will take place between June and July 2021, with awards ceremony to be held on International Peace Day on September 21, 2021.

The Trees for Peace Competition will officially launch on Monday, March 15, 2021.

Registration closes on April 16, 2021.

If you experience difficulties with online registration, please send an email to Trees for Peace Project Coordinator, Jonelle Llewellyn at treesforpeaceja@gmail.com | www.vpajamaica.org | 876-702-2079