COMINSUD curing session of Peace Education with Youths at holiday campThe Community Initiative for Sustainable Development (COMINSUD) is intensifying efforts to promote peace education among young people in Cameroon through a nationwide campaign involving 16 civil society organisations and Protestant ecclesial institutions.
The initiative, dubbed “Advocacy for Peace Education in Youth Settings in Cameroon,” is being implemented under the slogan “Let’s Talk Peace Education!” and is scheduled to run through 2028.
COMINSUD is a key member of the consortium implementing the campaign, which seeks to equip young Cameroonians with practical skills to manage conflicts peacefully, promote tolerance and participate meaningfully in civic life and leadership.
COMINSUD Coordinator During Launch of the Peace Education Campaign in the NW Region
The campaign comes amid persistent security, social and humanitarian challenges affecting communities across Cameroon, with young people among those directly impacted.
According to the consortium, the 2026 phase of the initiative is focusing on the Adamawa and Littoral Regions, following activities conducted between 2024 and 2025 in the North West, Far North, South West, East and West Regions.
In Adamawa, the campaign is focusing on university environments and intercultural dialogue, while in the Littoral Region, activities are addressing issues such as antisocial behaviour in schools, urban tribalism and cyber-violence.
More than 500 youth leaders have so far been trained across five regions as part of the campaign.
The beneficiaries have participated in regional forums, developed advocacy messages, engaged public authorities and initiated peace-building activities within their communities.
According to the consortium, some of those trained are now serving as mediators and peace ambassadors in their respective localities.
The campaign is designed to reach young people from diverse backgrounds and extends beyond the formal school environment. 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.
Young leaders of women’s organisations, internally displaced youths and refugees living in Cameroon are also among the targeted groups.
The COMINSUD-backed initiative seeks to help nurture a generation of young Cameroonians capable of contributing to peaceful coexistence and resolving disagreements without resorting to violence.
PROJECT COORDINATOR Makarius Ngantchui Fandio in Bamenda during the opening
The campaign therefore includes training sessions and workshops on 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 to create opportunities for young people to discuss conflicts and explore peaceful solutions.
Another component involves engagement with national institutions, including parliamentarians and government ministries responsible for youth affairs, secondary education and higher education.
The campaign also has a digital component aimed at encouraging peaceful interactions online under the hashtag #EducationALaPaixParlonsEn.
Beyond community-level activities, the consortium is advocating for peace education to be incorporated into Cameroon’s formal education system.
It is calling for practical lessons on active listening, conflict de-escalation, non-violent communication and civic ethics to be integrated into secondary, higher and vocational education programmes.
The consortium is also advocating for peace education modules to be incorporated into both initial and continuing teacher-training programmes at institutions such as ENS, ENSET and ENIEG.
It further calls for greater transparency in youth employment and socio-professional integration programmes, arguing that unequal access to economic opportunities can contribute to frustration and social tensions.
Traditional, religious and community leaders are being encouraged to use existing cultural and spiritual platforms to promote reconciliation, dialogue and social cohesion.
Media organisations and journalists are also being encouraged to create space for public-interest peace messages and adopt conflict-sensitive reporting practices that do not deepen identity-based divisions.
The initiative is being rolled out progressively across Cameroon.
Following its initial implementation in five regions, activities are focusing on Adamawa and Littoral in 2026. The organisers plan to extend the campaign to the South, North and Centre Regions in 2027, with the broader objective of achieving nationwide coverage.
The campaign is expected to culminate in a National Conference for Peace Education in 2028, bringing together young people and peace ambassadors from across the country.
The conference is expected to produce a white paper documenting the perspectives and proposals of Cameroonian youth on building a culture of peace.
It will also provide an opportunity to present the outcomes of the campaign’s advocacy on 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.
The consortium has documented a community-level example of how peace education can influence the way young people respond to conflict.
A young motorcycle taxi driver who participated in the campaign in Bamenda in 2024 recounted how training in dialogue and conflict de-escalation shaped his response to tensions involving motorcycle taxi drivers and police officers.
According to the testimony, motorcycle taxi drivers were preparing to embark on a strike over alleged daily extortion. Rather than allowing the situation to escalate, the trained participant and other representatives chose dialogue.
They wrote to the Sub-divisional Officer of Bamenda and followed up on the matter. Authorities subsequently brought motorcycle taxi drivers and police officers together to discuss the concerns.
The participant said the situation later improved and that the training had helped prevent the dispute from developing into a violent confrontation.
For COMINSUD and its partners, the campaign goes beyond individual workshops and training sessions. Its broader objective is to integrate peace education into the everyday lives of young Cameroonians by strengthening connections between schools, communities, religious institutions, civil society organisations and public authorities.
With 16 civil society and Protestant ecclesial institutions working through a common secretariat, the campaign seeks to expand its reach across all 10 regions, build on the more than 500 youth leaders already trained and use the 2028 National Conference to consolidate lessons and proposals emerging from the regional activities.
Through the initiative, COMINSUD and its partners are placing young people at the centre of efforts to promote peaceful coexistence, tolerance, dialogue and responsible citizenship in Cameroon.
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