Fight for Peace doesn’t teach children to fight. It uses combat sports as a way to channel their energies, to instill discipline and values; and help them escape the violence in their communities. To do so effectively – to do so safely – it’s vital that when a child enters the programme, they have a clear understanding what it is… Read more →←
Author: Ross Sheil
Teaching youths to take a step back, to step away from violent situations is what ‘Psychological first aid’ (PFA) is about. It’s part of what our partners at Fight for Peace are using to help inner city youths here in Kingston. Johannesburg, South Africa, is a city where youth face similar challenges. Visiting from that city… Read more →←
I have a really busy workday. I’m often on the phone WhatsApping colleagues, checking emails and making sure I respond on time. When I need a distraction, I’ll check the news or social media to see what people are posting. I do sometimes get stuck peering into my phone. Mostly it’s because I want to be efficient and fear not being… Read more →←
We sat down with Giovanni Dennis, the newest winner of UNICEF’s annual Award for Reporting on Children’s Rights, presented at the Press Association of Jamaica’s awards show, to get his thoughts on the alarming prevalence of bullying. Giovanni’s winning entry about this issue was inspired by the first report of its kind on… Read more →←
The biggest reward for retired social worker June Torey-Scott is the possibility of saving a young life. “Mrs. Scott, if I hadn’t come for counseling then I would have killed myself,” is a phrase she’s heard many times. For the past 15 years, June has been volunteering her skills for the Peace Management Initiative (PMI), a local… Read more →←
Ahead of Human Rights Day on December 10, we visited Kingston’s Holy Trinity High School, which is working hard to make education more child-friendly, to hear from children and teachers alike… I feel that my students are most deprived of freedom of speech and freedom of movement. We live in communities where young people are… Read more →←
There’s lots of whooping sounds coming from this school on a hot St. Thomas day. But it’s not all coming from the children, and not even from the teachers – today the parents are sharing in the fun and learning. We were visiting Lyssons School for Special Education on ‘Crazy Day’, the final day of Parents Month. During the… Read more →←
When the result came back and it was positive, I looked at it but couldn’t cry – as my mother was right there; and I couldn’t tell her. Instead, I later told my big sister, she cried and I cried. When you get a result like that you don’t forget because at that time all you can think about is dying. It was 2015 when I got sick: no… Read more →←
I’m going to be honest. When I was at school, I would jeer people with special needs. Even though I consider myself as someone who doesn’t look down on anyone, like the others, I would find fun in mimicking or jeering these people. Joining the Special Olympics movement has made me look back and regret that. It has been a… Read more →←
My job is not an easy one! But I try. Many of my clients are in their early teenage years. Some of them are very withdrawn – after being told they are HIV positive they can feel helpless, like they’re stuck in a shell. When they first come to Eve for Life, many don’t want to associate with anyone; and others are angry. After a… Read more →←
