The Community Initiative for Sustainable Development (COMINSUD) has intensified efforts to promote peacebuilding and social transformation in Cameroon’s Northwest Region through a media engagement workshop aimed at strengthening responsible journalism in conflict-sensitive communities.
Held at the COMINSUD Peace Hall in Nchoubou, Bamenda, the workshop brought together journalists from six radio stations and representatives of three social media platforms to discuss the role of the media in behaviour change communication, peace promotion, and the protection of vulnerable persons.
The event, organized under the theme of media partnership for peace and social transformation, was spearheaded by COMINSUD Coordinator Fon Nsoh Michael, supported financially by the Civil Peace Service program, and refreshed by Bread for the World.
Speaking during the workshop, Fon Nsoh Michael said the gathering was intended to create a stronger collaboration between media practitioners and peacebuilding actors in a region affected by years of socio-political tensions. “We had a media peace and social promotion engagement workshop, and the focus was to exchange with journalists on how we can better engage the media to play an active role in communication for behaviour change within a context of conflict,” he said.
According to him, the media remains a powerful tool for promoting the values of a just and peaceful society, while also encouraging citizens to make use of available social and protection services, especially those targeting vulnerable populations.
Fon Nsoh noted that each participating media house was encouraged to send three representatives, including a station manager, a programs director, and a pidgin news broadcaster, in order to ensure that editorial decision-makers were directly involved in the discussions. “Social media is also a very active space used by young people, so we use all these avenues to communicate and share information that will help to edify and change behaviour and attitudes,” he added.
The COMINSUD Coordinator explained that the workshop builds on previous engagements with the media. He recalled that in December 2025, the organization hosted a smaller youth-media engagement involving only three radio stations. “We have widened it up now,” he said, adding that mass communication has always remained central to COMINSUD’s strategy for community outreach and peace advocacy.
Also speaking during the workshop was Ntui Oben Obi Agbor, National Coordinator of Civil Peace Service (CPS) under Bread for the World (BFTW), who stressed the importance of Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) in community transformation.
He said journalists must carefully evaluate the impact of the content they produce, particularly in conflict-affected communities. “We were looking at how journalists can create a role in transforming the community, what they should do and what they should not do, and what are the things that, if they do, are going to affect community peacebuilding,” he said.
Agbor emphasized that journalism should go beyond entertainment and instead contribute positively to peace education and social cohesion. “Behaviour change is not easy. Changing mindset is not something that you can do in a day; it takes time,” he stated. “If you don’t plan it well and if you don’t have good programs, it will be difficult to change people’s mindset from negative to positive.”
He revealed that COMINSUD is one of 16 strategic partners working with the Civil Peace Service programme in Cameroon. The programme is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and supports advocacy initiatives in peace education, identity promotion, and women’s empowerment.
For participants, the workshop served as both a refresher course and a platform for professional reflection. Ndi Tsembom Elvis, publisher of the online news platform Observer237 welcomed the initiative and described it as an opportunity for journalists to sharpen their advocacy role within society. “Some of us left school a very long time ago. Having such an opportunity to go back to the classroom is very nice and welcoming,” he said.
He further noted that modern journalism increasingly requires practitioners to champion specific social causes. “I think that if we continually meet like this, we will become advocates for behaviour change in society,” he added.
Similarly, Amamboh Carrey Pride, Chief of Programs at Ndefcam Radio, praised COMINSUD for the inclusive approach adopted throughout the peacebuilding activities. She highlighted the importance of engaging young people, community leaders, and journalists within the same process. “It was beautiful that you sat down and thought about that,” she said, while encouraging communities in Bamenda to become more open to media engagement.
“People are afraid of the media. It is very difficult sometimes to get someone to speak about an issue,” she explained. “There are lots of things happening in our community, and it’s a good thing that you brought those people so that when we go knocking on their door to spotlight those issues, they will be able to open up and speak to us.”
The workshop ended with renewed calls for stronger collaboration between media practitioners and peacebuilding organizations in promoting dialogue, social cohesion, and community resilience across the Northwest Region.
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