UB student government’s March for Peace

Douglas Usher

John Lennon once said Imagine all the people living life in peace. And though you may say he was a dreamer, the former Beatles Icon is not the only one who hoped for a society void of guns, violence and illicit drugs. The nation is on edge with the uncontrollable violence and this Thursday the University of Belize student government is organizing a march for peace at nine in Belize City. A student government representative says that they have invited several other tertiary level institutions to partake in the peace walk.

Douglas Usher, Secretary of Sports, UB Student Government

“It’s the University of Belize as well as invited guests such as S.J.C.J.C., Wesley Junior College, Galen University. We are just doing a peace march to stand out and voice our opinions and probably even ways forward on how to address the crime situation in our country. It is affecting everyone; not just people out there but even our classmates and students.”

Jose Sanchez

“What has the response been from other schools? Thursday is a regular school day.”

Douglas Usher

“Well from St John’s, they have given that they are trying to gather as much people as they could to come out. Wesley, due to the fact that they are a night division junior college, they are trying their best to see what people can come out, but they said that the student government will try to make it. Galen as well is trying to see how much of their student body can attend. Currently we are rallying as much students as we can from the University of Belize, Belmopan as well as Belize City Campus.”

Jose Sanchez

“Why this march? What has prompted you to have this initiative?”

Douglas Usher

“Well the fact that the whole crime situation seems to be just growing rather than falling and that it’s affecting our students at the university and the thing is the society has now come to a point where we’re now excited to the fact that where as we turn on the radio or the TV, we come to see who is the next person dead on the news. Which is not something that we would like to see our country move forward with.”

Jose Sanchez

“What streets are you going through?”

Douglas Usher

“We’ll be starting at the University of Belize, Business Campus making our way on to Princess Margaret Drive, on to Central American Boulevard, on to Cemetery Road, Orange Street and stopping on Albert Street at the Battle Field Park.”

Jose Sanchez

“It is symbolic gesture, but how do you propose that change be made from this march?”

Douglas Usher

“This is just one of several initiatives that University is just trying to come up with. This one is just ways that the university could propose of how—the university as well as the other universities taking part—how they could come up with ways to assist the government as well as the country in moving forward.”

U.B. students countrywide are advised that there will be no classes on Thursday morning, but they are required to participate in the march.