Some peace crusaders drawn from Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Liberia and DR Congo, have converge on Buea to share experiences, challenges, approaches, and strategies in a bit to reinforce their capacities, as well as strengthen social cohesion in their respective countries.
The Civil Peace Service (CPS), a German-based institution that promotes peace, mobilised the 16 peace organisations to seek ways of countering the narrative of hate, conflicts, social malice, etc, to peace and love, through the exchange of best practices peculiar to each country participating.
“We invited partners from DR Congo, Liberia and Sierra Leone, to come share their experiences with us. We all know that these countries have a bitter past like Cameroon, and somehow, they survived the difficult moments. It will be of our interest to get their survival tactics, and improvise adaptation mechanisms so the issue of peace and social cohesion can be a reality in Cameroon,” says Ntui Oben, CPS National Coordinator, Cameroon.
Opening the three-day forum, the Synod Clerk of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, Rev Miki Hans Abia, challenged the peace crusaders to translate all they learn from the forum, into concrete realities.
“This workshop cannot make any meaning if these peace advocates don’t integrate all they learn here into their respective policies, and breaking them down to practical tools which can augment social cohesion in Cameroon,” he added.
Meanwhile, the partner organisations are already devising new mechanisms of strengthening the Peace drive and promoting Social Cohesion.
“We shall translate the teachings from here into texts, audio and videos messages which we would share with our partner media organs to be used to sensitise and educate the public on the importance of social cohesion,” says Rosaline Obah, CCMN National Coordinator.
The forum that started on Tuesday, July 27, wraps up this Thursday, July 29, 2021 with all partners combining efforts in the production of blueprint on social cohesion in Cameroon.
The 16 organisations include, the PCC Peace Office, REDHAC, CCMN, Doual’Art, DMJ, COMINSUD, amongst others.