Arima Boys' RC champions Peace is Power

School principal Navin Harry, together with staff and pupils of Arima Boys' RC School, applauded as white pigeons were released into the air as part of their Peace is Power event.

Posters depicting images of love, peace and harmony covered almost all the walls of the school's upstairs and downstairs areas.

A white banner draped a railing upstairs, and another with the words, Peace is Powerful, greeted visitors on September 30.

It was the end of the Peace is Power awareness campaign partnership between the school and alderman Irene Medina of the Arima Borough Corporation, who had launched an initiative to raise greater peace awareness in the eastern borough, a media release said.

"Truly believe that peace is power," Harry told the pupils at the start of the event. He said he was happy to be a part of the campaign and pointed to the enthusiasm from the pupils and staff, who were said to have really performed well in their depictions of what they think peace looks like.

One teacher pointed to an image of Jesus Christ wedged between the national flag and the school flag, saying he was the ultimate peacemaker, while another read a story about peace and love.

Medina thanked the school and all the boys who participated in the poster awareness campaign, saying she was particularly amazed by the number of entries and the wonderful themes of handshakes, white doves, messages or love and harmony they painted.

She said in the release, "I urge you to continue to live your lives in a peaceful way, in your homes, in your communities and in your school. Remember to show kindness and care and to exercise discipline in all that you do."

She also presented a collection of books to the school's library. Among them were the story of the late Nelson Mandela, an icon of peace; freedom fighter Martin Luther King Jr; and several books on the First Peoples of North America.

The books were donated by MP for D'Abadie/O'Meara and Minister in the Ministry of Education Lisa Morris-Julian.

Medina also presented copies of her own children's books and promised to pursue further partnerships with the school.

On August 28, the Arima Borough Council unanimously approved a motion to launch a peace awareness initiative which Medina piloted at its monthly statutory meeting, the release said.

In moving the motion, Medina told members the campaign was absolutely necessary, since local government reform speaks to boroughs and corporations having to ensure greater economic independence for their own development, and to achieve this, boroughs and corporations must create safer environments for sustainable development.