At the 2025 UN Assembly of Peoples and the Perugia-Assisi March for Peace and Fraternity in Perugia, Italy, Omam Esther, Executive Director of Reach Out Cameroon and renowned Global Peace Advocate, delivered an emotionally charged and visionary speech that left the audience deeply moved.
Speaking before thousands of peacebuilders, activists, and world leaders, she called for a renewed global conscience, one in which peace is not just a slogan, but a lived reality.
Standing before a hall filled with representatives from war-torn and peaceful nations alike, Omam began with a sobering reflection: “From Gaza to Ukraine, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Cameroon, from forgotten villages in the Sahel to refugee camps in the Middle East, our world bleeds… When will peace be more than a dream?”
Her words set the tone for a stirring address that wove personal experience, humanitarian resilience, and a bold vision for collective action.
A Witness to Shared Wounds
Omam Esther, who has spent over two decades championing peace and human rights in Cameroon’s conflict-hit regions, reminded the world that peace is “not a privilege for some, but a birthright for every human being.”
She spoke movingly about the tragedy that has gripped Cameroon’s North West and South West Regions since 2016, describing communities where “peace is a shattered dream waiting to be pieced back together.”
“We have lived through war without declaration, displacement without dignity, and death without justice,” she said, recounting scenes of women mediating under trees and youth defying fear to build hope from ashes.
Her testimony resonated across borders as she drew parallels between Cameroonian communities and those suffering in Ukraine, Gaza, and the DRC: “We are one thread in a torn human fabric and together, we must mend it.”
Building Peace Where There Is No Road
Omam highlighted the unrelenting work of Reach Out Cameroon, the grassroots organization she leads. Operating in areas where infrastructure and security are scarce, the organization has become a lifeline for millions.
“No road? We walk. No network? We write letters by hand. No peace? We bring it in whispers, one community at a time,” she declared.
Through mobile clinics, trauma-healing sessions, and empowerment programs for women and girls, Reach Out Cameroon has reached over 2.8 million people across five regions in just one year, often without external funding, powered solely by faith and community resilience.
The Power of “We”
Omam’s advocacy has long centred on collective action and the leadership of women in peace processes. She underscored that peacebuilding “is never a solo act, it is a chorus, and every voice matters.”
She credited women’s networks such as the South West/North West Women's Task Force and Community Women Mediators Networks, which have become pivotal in conflict resolution and humanitarian work.
“You cannot talk about peace with women in the waiting room,” she told global leaders. “Now, they are at the table in deradicalization efforts, councils, parliament, and village squares.”
Peace Comes at a Cost
In perhaps the most emotional moment of her address, Omam shared the personal toll her peace work has exacted. She recalled being threatened, attacked, and forced to relocate after her humanitarian car was burned and her organization, Reach Out Cameroon, was suspended. Even more harrowing when two of her children were abducted and staff members have been kidnapped several times during field missions.
“These were not just attacks on me,” she said quietly. “They were attacks on peace, on hope, on a vision that dared to say: ‘We can still heal.’”
Despite these trials, she and her team refused to abandon their mission. “Our commitment is not for applause, it is for the people,” she affirmed.
A Call to Global Leaders and Youth
Omam Esther’s message was both moral and political, a call to courage and conscience. She outlined eight urgent global actions needed to make peace possible, including:
Prioritizing dialogue over violence and revenge.
Protecting peacebuilders and human rights defenders.
Establishing a global solidarity fund for frontline peace actors.
Investing in youth education and civic leadership.
Amplifying women’s voices in all peace processes.
To young people, she delivered a stirring appeal:
“You are not too young to be a bridge. Peace is not a policy, it is a principle.”
“We Walk Because Our Footsteps Carry Hope”
Concluding her address, Omam reminded participants that the PerugiAssisi March for Peace is more than symbolic, it is a statement of humanity’s shared responsibility.
“We do not walk for show,” she said. “We walk for the mother seeking her child, for the refugee dreaming of home, for the peacemaker whose only weapon is her truth.”
As the crowd rose in a standing ovation, she smiled and added a touch of humility and humour: “My luggage may have been delayed, but my message of peace arrived right on time.”
With her words still echoing through the historic halls of Perugia, Omam Esther left a message the world could not ignore:
Even when peace hurts, we choose it. Even when justice delays, we demand it. Even when the world forgets, we remember.
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