Activists hope a “peace tree” can be planted near where two young men lost their lives in July.

A joint statement said it was hoped that the cedar tree, which was given to the Department of Parks this week, will be planted at Fort Scaur in the new year.

The group, which includes members of the Legislature and community campaigners, chose the location in Sandys for two reasons.

One was in recognition of Razi Garland, 18, and Amon Robinson, 19, who were fatally shot in the area on July 10.

The other was to mark negotiations that eventually ended violence in Apartheid South Africa, which took place at the nearby Lantana Guest Cottages in 1990.

The group said: “This dualism speaks to ancient Chinese wisdom: ‘Crisis harbours both dangers and opportunity’.”

The peace tree campaign began after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 as a response to a cycle of violence and the first tree was planted at Government House.

The group explained: “Since that start, there have been ebbs and flows to the local cycle of murders.

“Over the past 14 months we have seen sustained levels of plausible genocide in Gaza, unprecedented murderous violence shown worldwide via social media.”

Signatories of the statement, who included Joan Dillas-Wight, the President of the Senate, Dennis Lister, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Roy Wright, a former Dean of Bermuda College, and lawyer and activist Aaron Crichlow, urged the community to reflect on peace on earth and fast for at least one meal any day between December 24 and January 2.