CPS Cameroon Annual 2021 Meeting – Partners Ready To Engage Major Joint Advocacy Projects

Over 17 organisations under the Civil Peace Service (CPS) Cameroon have resolved to collectively engage two major advocacy projects: Advocacy for the introduction of Peace Education Amongst Youth and Advocacy for the development of a civic consciousness in diversity based on common history and national unity values and symbols in Cameroon for 2022.  This was one of the major realisations during the 3 day meeting that held in Ngaoundere from the 12th to the 14th of September, 2021.

Opening the annual meeting for the year with inspiration from Psalms 146, the Secretary General of  the Council of Protestant Churches in Cameroon (CEPCA), the Rev NGANDO MBENDE Paul and Mme BABA Francoise, President of AFFADA, in meditation and prayers, urged participants to put God at the centre of their actions, because he is the creator and giver of life noting that,  «having as common objective, to developing an advocacy, they are commanded by the Lord to take action for He is giving  them the privilege to be active mediators like Moses, who was chosen by God to liberate the people of Israel. Like Moses, we have to endeavour to accomplish our mission for the glory of God and not for personal agrandissement », the Rev NGANDO intimated.

Present to give a push during the annual meeting, was the Bread for the World (BftW) team that joined online led by the Regional Officer in-charge of programmes and support staff in Central Africa, Anke TAÜBERT. She expressed joy in seeing partner organizations come together again; especially partners from far regions and crises zones in the country. She congratulated Mr NTUI OBEN for being selected as one of the National Coordinators and Mme Florentine NEKDEM FANDIO for her renewed mandate as National Coordinator. Anke reaffirmed her confidence in the work that is being done by the national coordinators. She remained hopeful that the objectives of the meeting be attained and much impact created in society in shifting the narratives for a peaceful Cameroon in the days ahead.

In order to enable the over 40 members of the 17 partner organisations map out a feasible action plan and advocacy strategy for 2022, an in-depth context analysis was done to evaluate the stakes in Cameroon especially with regards to the current crises affecting some key regions in Cameroon – NW, SW, East and Far North that have directly or indirectly affected the entire country in different dimensions. The peace and development actors settled on how the context changed since November 2020, the challenges faced by the local population and the effects on the implementation of the objectives of the CPS programme.

To ensure that the right skills and strategies are affected in the two major upcoming advocacies projects, two partners of the network shared best practices on previous advocacy actions on the field which generated the right results. CIPCRE and COMINSUD spurred the members in a practical exercise to reformulate their actions towards advocacy actions and objectives using the different steps in advocacy.

Member organisations used the annual meeting to evaluate the situation, established the goals and developed strategies towards the advocacy actions for 2022.

Various exchanges were carried out during the meeting as well, to examine the needs of the organisations on the field, with supports from Dr Rolf GRAFE, Christian KUIJSTERMANS, members of the CPS/BftW Support Team and the BftW team that gave the opportunity for member organisations to have a way forward on various key challenges faced on their works and implementation of actions and projects.

It is hoped that, within the next one year, the CPS family via the various partner organisations are going to engage joint advocacy actions that will ameliorate the situation of the Youth in Cameroon facing myriads of challenges ; Peace Education introduced in school curricula with the text of application ; tone down on violence, radicalisation and extremism in schools ; advocate for the development of a citizen conscience in diversity; reconcile Cameroonians with their true history to help fight against hate speech – promote the adoption of a document to this regard in educational systems in Cameroon and a host of related actions.

Also present during this year’s annual meeting was Paul BEITZER of the Diocessan Commission for Justice and Peace in Ngaoundéré, representative of AGIAMONDO.

By
Rosaline AKAH OBAH & Gilbert NYONGAMSEN NDASI