Members of the Peace Management Initiative (PMI), along with councillor Kevin Taylor (fourth from left), acting president of the Duhaney Park Peace and Development Committee Earle Roberts, and president of the Duhaney Park Citizens' Association Laurel Roberts lead a march to mark four years of peace between Brook Valley and Sherlock Crescent on Saturday. (Photo: Karl McLarty)

Maintaining peace, not making peace. That is how Earle Roberts explains the four-year break in violence between the historically rival communities of Brook Valley and Sherlock Crescent in Duhaney Park, St Andrew.

Roberts, the acting president of the Duhaney Park Peace and Development Committee, walked through the communities yesterday along with a marching band to mark the peace anniversary.

The march, staged in collaboration with the Peace Management Initiative (PMI), was to be followed by a peace concert and is one of several yearly events Roberts feels has kept the peace going.

"[By] constantly using all these calendar events as a symbol [of peace]," Roberts said, "we maintain peace, we don't make peace around here. I believe if you maintain peace it endures."

The other events are an Easter fiesta, a health fair and dances to celebrate Christmas and the New Year.

But those events are not the only factors. With the absence a public address system and speaking mainly to people perched over their balconies or who were watching the marching band from the street side, Roberts credited, too, the youths.

"Give thanks to di youths dem who hol' di peace," he said. "We lose some along di way, and we hope we won't lose anymore on di way," he said.

President of the Duhaney Park Citizens' Association Laurel Roberts agreed that if the people did not want peace, there would be none.

"I endorse it because it is 50 avenues (in Duhaney Park) and when these two erupt in violence, it affects the other 48," she said. "In order for this community to move forward, we have to stop this segregation," said Roberts, who has lived in Duhaney Park all her life. She also commended the PMI and the communities for having sustained the peace.

One youngster, Rickardo Lewis, who lives in Brook Valley, said the peace is the natural order.

"Everyting jus' right," Lewis said. "No violence, a suh it fi guh."

An older woman, Tonia Harris, who watched the march outside her gate, said members from the communities now attended events Roberts spoke about, with ease.

"We and di neighbouring community, a jus' peace," Harris said.