A ceremonial tree planting at Monaghan Peace Campus marked the official launch of The People’s Peace Forest (PPF)—Ireland’s contribution to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Peace Forest Initiative – a global programme that links land restoration with peacebuilding.
Timed to honour the 50th anniversary of Project Children, the event celebrated a legacy of reconciliation, friendship, and environmental stewardship. The planting of Sweet William heritage apple trees—a once-lost Irish variety—symbolised resilience, remembrance, and renewal.
Held at the Monaghan Peace Campus, the launch could not have taken place in a more fitting location. The building itself stands as a testament to the power of shared spaces to heal division and foster understanding.
As Mr. Utchang Kang of the UNCCD shared:
“The living web of greeneries and trees we are creating today is a foundation for connectivity, cohesion and coexistence of people and environment.”
This is just the beginning. The People’s Peace Forest will grow into a cross-border, cross-community network of ecological restoration—rooted in memory, reaching toward a peaceful future.