Peace Blossoms as 300 Citizens of Lusaka Come Together to Clean Up the Environment

 

 

On March 1st, the HWPL Zambia Branch held the ‘Clean Up, Crime Down: Peace Street Volunteer Activity’ on Lumumba Road in Lusaka. Over 300 citizens came together to take part in an activity aimed at creating a cleaner environment, improving public safety, and building a more peaceful city.

The event was attended by Gabriel Pollen, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, along with members of parliament, local government officials, international religious leaders, and peace activists. The visit by Miss Earth Zambia 2023 also drew more public attention and support, eventually leading to the participation of the rapper, Be Flow, alongside numerous youth groups from the region.

 

 

Inspired by the ‘Broken Window Theory,’ this initiative aimed to highlight the positive impact that clean streets and a well-kept environment can have on reducing crime. This was an important first step toward strengthening community awareness through environmental cleanliness and ultimately delivering the message of moving toward a peaceful city without crime. This event also served as an opportunity for HWPL and Zambia to reaffirm their shared vision of spreading a culture of peace and bringing about lasting change in the community.

Starting at 9 a.m., the participants were briefed on the purpose of the event and then headed out to the street with their cleaning gear. Afterwards, a ceremony was held to put up the peace sign, which marked a meaningful moment for everyone involved to commit to maintaining peace.

 

 

“This project essentially is part of the broader transformation, essentially, that the government endeavors. So, mindset shift is essential in order to ensure that we inculcate and entrench values of cleanliness in our society,” said Gabriel Pollen, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. “And as we begin to entrench those values, people will realize and recognize cleanliness is their personal responsibility. And as they recognize that it’s their personal responsibility, they will take action to keep their cities clean. And as they take that action, together as a society, we will see that we will live together in harmony and reduce our crime rates.”

Pollen also stressed that the event could make a practical contribution to creating a safer and cleaner environment.

 

 

In an interview, Miss Earth Zambia 2023 expressed her deep support for the “Clean Up, Crime Down” Peace Street volunteer initiative.

“What I specialize in is peace and conflict analysis. That’s my specialty. So, knowing how much the environment and peace are related? This is a very good cause; this is what people need to know, you know, in an area where it is dating, in an area that attracts a lot of crime,” Miss Earth Zambia said.

“Hence, we need to start with cleaning up certain places in order to create a conducive environment for everyone to be here. I’ll give an example: when I was coming here, parking was an issue. I was parking with a lot of mixed feelings, you know, because I know well that crime is everywhere. Anyone can barge into my phone and grab it. But there it is, clean, and it was really welcoming. Right now, like, I’m at peace because of how clean it is.”

 

 

During the event, six peace ambassadors of Zambia were appointed, and a signboard was put up that read, ‘The 10th Article of the DPCW: Spreading the Culture of Peace.’ This is believed to lay the foundation for Lusaka to grow into a true city of peace. The event was covered by the state-run broadcaster (ZNBC) along with other media outlets, and the footage was played over 4,500 times through various news reports.

HWPL aims to further strengthen its cooperation with the city of Lusaka and continue driving efforts to clean up the environment, branching out to develop Peace Street and help prevent crime.

HWPL also plans to roll out events to introduce peace education in public schools and carry out awareness-raising activities to boost civic consciousness. These efforts aim to draw in local residents and look for practical ways to promote sustainable urban development.