The Community Initiative for Sustainable Development (COMINSUD) is stepping up efforts to promote peace education among young people in Cameroon as part of a wider campaign involving 16 civil society organizations and Protestant churches.
The initiative, known as “Advocacy for Peace Education in Youth Settings in Cameroon,” is being implemented under the slogan “Let’s talk peace education!” and is expected to run through 2028.
COMINSUD is an active member of the consortium behind the campaign, which is seeking to equip young Cameroonians with practical skills to manage conflicts peacefully, promote tolerance and take part in civic leadership.
The campaign comes against the backdrop of security, social and humanitarian challenges affecting communities across the country, with young people among those directly exposed to their effects.
According to the consortium, the 2026 phase of the campaign is focusing on the Adamawa and Littoral Regions, following activities carried out between 2024 and 2025 in the North West, Far North, South West, East and West Regions.
In Adamawa, the campaign is focusing particularly on the university environment and intercultural dialogue. In the Littoral Region, attention is being placed on issues including anti-social behaviour in schools, urban tribalism and cyber-violence.
More than 500 youth leaders trained
One of the major achievements recorded so far is the training of more than 500 youth leaders across five regions. The young people have participated in regional forums, developed advocacy messages, engaged with authorities and initiated peace-related activities in their communities.
The consortium says some of the trained youths are now serving as mediators and peace ambassadors in their localities.
The campaign is targeting young people from different backgrounds rather than limiting its activities to students. Its target groups include secondary and university students, vocational trainees, motorcycle taxi drivers, young traders, out-of-school youth, members of youth associations, religious youth groups and young people involved in political and civic structures.
The initiative also includes young leaders of women’s organizations, internally displaced youths and refugees living in Cameroon.
COMINSUD-backed campaign promotes practical peace skills
The project aims to help develop a generation of young Cameroonians equipped to contribute to peaceful coexistence and resolve disagreements without violence.
To achieve this, the campaign includes local training sessions and workshops covering non-violent communication, active listening, conflict de-escalation and peer mediation.
The consortium is also establishing peace clubs and listening spaces in schools, universities, training centres and community settings.
Another component focuses on engagement with national institutions, including parliamentarians and government ministries responsible for youth, secondary education and higher education.
The campaign also has a digital component designed to promote peaceful interaction online under the hashtag #EducationALaPaixParlonsEn.
Push for peace education in schools
Beyond community activities, the consortium is calling for peace education to become part of Cameroon’s formal education system. It wants practical lessons on active listening, conflict de-escalation, non-violent communication and civic ethics to be integrated into secondary, higher and vocational education programs.
It is also calling for peace education modules to be included in the initial and continuing training of teachers at institutions such as ENS, ENSET and ENIEG.
The consortium further wants greater transparency in youth employment and socio-professional integration programs, arguing that unequal access to economic opportunities can contribute to frustration and social conflict.
Traditional, religious and community leaders are also being encouraged to use existing cultural and spiritual platforms to promote reconciliation and social cohesion.
At the same time, media organizations and journalists are being asked to provide space for public-interest peace messages and adopt conflict-sensitive reporting that avoids deepening identity-based divisions.
Campaign targets all 10 regions
The initiative is being implemented progressively across Cameroon. After the first phase in five regions, the campaign is concentrating on Adamawa and Littoral in 2026.
The organizers plan to extend activities to the South, North and Centre Regions in 2027, with the goal of achieving coverage of all 10 regions before the project’s major concluding event in 2028.
The 2028 phase is expected to culminate in a National Conference for Peace Education, bringing together young people and peace ambassadors from across the country. The conference is expected to produce a white paper outlining the views of Cameroonian youth on building a culture of peace.
It will also provide an opportunity to present the results of the campaign’s advocacy for peace education, teacher training and transparent youth employment programmes to national authorities. A national youth pact for peaceful coexistence and social cohesion is also planned.
A peace lesson from Bamenda
The consortium has also documented an example of how peace education can influence events at community level. A young motorcycle taxi driver who participated in the 2024 campaign in Bamenda described how training in dialogue and conflict de-escalation influenced his response to tensions involving motorcycle taxi drivers and police officers.
According to the testimony, drivers were preparing for a strike over alleged daily extortion. Rather than allowing the situation to escalate into confrontation, the trained participant and other representatives opted for dialogue.
They wrote to the Sub-divisional Officer of Bamenda and followed up on the matter. The authorities subsequently met with the motorcycle taxi drivers and police officers to discuss the concerns.
The participant said the situation later improved and that the training helped prevent what could have developed into a violent confrontation.
Looking beyond 2028
For COMINSUD and its partners, the campaign is intended to go beyond individual workshops. The broader objective is to make peace education part of everyday life for young Cameroonians by connecting schools, communities, religious institutions, civil society organizations and public authorities.
With 16 civil society and Protestant ecclesial institutions working through a common secretariat, the campaign aims to reach all 10 regions by 2027, build on the more than 500 youth leaders already trained and use the 2028 National Conference to consolidate the lessons and proposals emerging from the regional activities.
COMINSUD says the campaign places young people at the centre of efforts to strengthen peaceful coexistence, tolerance and responsible citizenship in Cameroon.
#Laarry Times
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