St Joseph’s College (Marist Brothers) in Lotopa will host a Twinning Ceremony on Wednesday, 23rd October, where the first Peace Football Pitch in the Pacific will be established. The event coincides with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024 in Samoa.
The Children’s Football Alliance (CFA) and the Commonwealth Bond Charitable Trust organised the ceremony to formalize the partnership between St Joseph’s College and the International Peace Football Pitch in Messines, Belgium. This initiative is inspired by the Christmas Truce of 1914 during World War I, where soldiers on opposing sides came together in no-man’s-land to play football during a brief truce. Today, Peace Football promotes unity and understanding through sport, transcending borders and conflicts.
During the ceremony, a Commonwealth Peace Flag will be raised. The college will receive a Peace Plaque and certificate from the CFA, while students will be presented with sports kits donated by Brighton Hove Albion Premier League Club. Additionally, the college will receive an ‘indestructible’ football designed by artist and musician Sting.
St Joseph’s College becomes the first school in Samoa to be linked with this international peace initiative. The school has a long history of contributing to sports and education in the country, being the first secondary school to open in Samoa in 1950.
The CFA works globally to engage children and schools in football as a means to promote peace. Today, more than 70 schools and sports organizations around the world are part of this growing network.
The event will bring together representatives from the CFA, the Commonwealth Bond Charitable Trust, and local education leaders. It provides students of St Joseph’s College a chance to connect with an international community, all united under the mission of peace through sport.
