The Executive Director of the Cameroon Association of Media Professionals (CAMP) and Publisher of The Advocate Newspaper, Tarhyang Enowbikah Tabe Tabe, has called on Cameroonians to make peace an everyday responsibility by investing in dialogue, responsible communication, youth empowerment and stronger community relationships.
Tarhyang made the call on Sunday, September 27, 2026, during a Peace Brunch organized as part of the Peace Hub Project at the CBS Buea Radio Station Conference Hall.
Speaking on the topic “Investing in Peace,” Tarhyang used the 2026 International Day of Peace theme, “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,” to encourage participants to look at peace as something that requires continuous effort rather than an idea reserved for times of crisis.
He said investment in peace should not be measured only in financial terms. According to him, people invest in peace through their time, words, relationships and everyday efforts to promote understanding, justice, education, inclusion and opportunity. “Peace also requires investment,” he said.
Tarhyang stressed that peace means more than simply stopping violence or preventing war. He said it also involves creating an environment where people can live safely, enjoy dignity, pursue opportunities and work together despite their differences.
He challenged the idea that peacebuilding should be left entirely to governments, politicians, diplomats, security forces or international organizations. “Peace does not begin only in presidential palaces or at international conferences. Peace begins where people live,” he said.
According to him, homes, schools, workplaces, churches and neighbourhoods are all places where peace can either be strengthened or weakened. He also identified social media as an important area of peacebuilding, particularly because of the speed at which information now travels.
A single message posted on Facebook, WhatsApp or TikTok, he noted, can reach thousands of people within minutes. This, he said, gives social media users significant power but also places a responsibility on them to communicate carefully. “One of the cheapest things we can invest in is also one of the most powerful: our words,” Tarhyang said.
He pointed out that words can calm tensions, encourage people and repair broken relationships, but they can also cause harm by provoking, insulting, humiliating or dividing people. He therefore urged participants to pause before publishing or forwarding information and consider whether it is accurate, necessary and unlikely to create unnecessary fear, anger or hatred.
For journalists and media practitioners, the CAMP Executive Director said, this responsibility is even greater because of their influence on public opinion and the role they play in shaping conversations within society.
Dialogue Despite Differences
Tarhyang also called for greater use of dialogue as a way of addressing disagreements and preventing conflicts from escalating. He said building peace does not require everyone to hold the same opinions. “We cannot build peace if we only talk to people who agree with us,” he said.
He explained that meaningful dialogue requires people to listen to opposing views and accept disagreement without turning differences into hostility. “It means that we can say: ‘I disagree with you, but I will still respect you,’” he added.
Tarhyang said creating spaces where people can speak openly, listen to each other and seek understanding can help reduce tensions and build trust. He described the Peace Brunch as an example of such a space, noting that the gathering was not only an opportunity to discuss peace but also a way of bringing people together around a common commitment to peaceful coexistence.
Young People at the Centre
The CAMP boss placed particular emphasis on young people, describing them as central to any effort to build lasting peace. “If we want peace tomorrow, we must invest in young people today,” he said.
He argued that young people need more than messages encouraging them to be peaceful. They also need practical opportunities that give them hope for the future.
He identified education, skills development, entrepreneurship, sports, creativity, journalism, community participation and leadership opportunities as areas where greater support for young people could contribute to peace.
“A young person who believes that his or her future is possible has something to protect and build,” he said.
Tarhyang also stressed that peace must be inclusive. He said women, young people, persons with disabilities, minority groups, vulnerable communities and people from different political, cultural, religious and social backgrounds must all have a place in peacebuilding efforts. “Peace must include those with whom we disagree,” he said.
He argued that peace cannot be sustainable if it is only enjoyed or promoted by people who think alike.
As Message for Cameroon
Turning to Cameroon, particularly the North-West and South-West Regions, Tarhyang challenged participants to think about the practical steps they could take to reduce tensions in their own communities.
He said peacebuilding does not always require major interventions. It can begin with helping a young person access an opportunity, refusing to circulate inflammatory information, helping people settle disagreements, listening to communities whose concerns have been ignored or reporting events responsibly.
“It may mean speaking against violence while also creating room for dialogue,” he said.
He also reminded participants that they do not need to occupy positions of authority before they can contribute to peace. “We may not have the power to negotiate an international peace agreement. But every one of us has the power to influence the environment immediately around us,” he said.
Tarhyang returned to the word “every day” in the 2026 International Day of Peace theme, stressing that peace should not become a concern only when violence breaks out. Instead, he said, efforts to prevent conflict must begin long before tensions reach crisis levels. “Peace requires prevention. It requires patience. It requires listening. It requires courage,” he said.
He encouraged participants to adopt simple approaches to everyday disagreements: talk before fighting, verify information before sharing it, seek understanding before condemning others and pursue reconciliation before anger and resentment grow.
“These are small actions, but collectively they can create a culture of peace,” he said.
Building Peace Through Everyday Actions
As he concluded his presentation, Tarhyang asked participants to make personal commitments to using their words, relationships and platforms to promote peace. He encouraged them to support young people, create opportunities for dialogue and place greater value on verified information rather than rumours.
The peace and conflict transformation expert and trainer also challenged participants to ask themselves a simple question whenever they are confronted with a dispute: “What can we do to reduce the tension rather than increase it?”
For Tarhyang, peace comes with a cost. That cost may involve time, resources, patience, responsible speech and, sometimes, the willingness to put aside personal pride. “Peace is not free. It requires investment,” he said.
He warned that the failure to make that investment can have serious consequences, with violence claiming lives, conflict destroying opportunities and division weakening trust between people and communities. By contrast, he said, peace creates the conditions people need to live, work, learn, create and pursue their dreams.
Tarhyang ended his presentation by calling on participants to embrace the message of the 2026 International Day of Peace and become “everyday architects of peace.” “Let us invest in peace in our homes. Let us invest in peace in our communities. Let us invest in peace through our words and our actions,” he said.
He said the broader objective should be to build a Cameroon, particularly the North-West and South-West Regions, where differences do not automatically lead to division, disagreements do not turn into violence, and people can live with dignity, safety and hope. “Peace is not merely something we wish for. Peace is something we build. Peace is something we invest in. And the investment begins with us,” Tarhyang concluded.
#Laarry Times
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