By Guy Feugap, World BEYOND War, September 9, 2024
Cameroon: World BEYOND War trained over 150 youth in 2024 on visual communication to promote peace
Since the beginning of 2024, the Cameroon chapter of World BEYOND War has been training young web influencers for peace in various parts of the country, in its capacity as a partner of WILPF Cameroon in running the project “Fostering social cohesion among youth to prevent hate speech and political violence in Cameroon”. The project aims to promote factors of peace and social cohesion through web influencers, digital campaigns and educating youth in community activism.
Cameroon has been facing a number of internal conflicts in recent years, exacerbated by an unprecedented deterioration in the social climate. Relations between citizens are increasingly characterized by verbal and sometimes physical violence. Improved access to the Internet and digital communication tools have encouraged the proliferation of hate speech. Mindful of these issues, WILPF Cameroon, with the collaboration of Cameroon for a World BEYOND War and other peace organizations such as Youth for Peace, Women’s Peace Initiatives, Femmes pour la promotion du Leadership moral and Action de Solidarité pour la démocratie et les droits de l’homme, have trained young ‘Influencers for Peace’ among their peers in particular and among users of social networks in general. The first workshop in 2021 trained 40 young people, and a hundred more were trained in 2022 and 2023, among students and members of civil society organizations.
The first training workshop of 2024 was held in Yaoundé on 1 February. The others followed in the localities: Douala, 27 July; Buea, 9 August; Bertoua, 13 August and Mokolo, 29 August. During these training sessions, World BEYOND War led the module on visual communication for the promotion of peace. Drawing on World Beyond War’s training sessions on graphic design and the principles of visual communication, the Africa Organizer, Guy Feugap, is training young people in the use of this communication to enhance the impact of peace education campaigns.
Why are these training activities needed in Cameroon now?
Web influencers have an important role to play in promoting peace and social stability in Cameroon, in a context where a presidential election with huge potential is scheduled for 2025. They can raise awareness of the issues of peace, non-violence and peaceful conflict resolution. Their ability to spread positive and constructive messages can help to promote a climate of tolerance and mutual understanding. Their role is crucial, as web influencers are able to deconstruct hate speech by promoting intercultural dialogue. By speaking out against misinformation, stigmatization and division, they help to ease tensions and promote a climate of respect and inclusion. As a concrete example of their civic commitment, they ran a campaign in August to encourage citizens to exercise their right to vote in a responsible manner and to play an active part in the democratic process, in particular by registering to vote. The emergence of social media influencers in Cameroon represents a new social and cultural reality. These influencers use digital platforms to share content and influence their followers. Some have a wide reach and reach a large audience on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok or YouTube.
Burundi: favoriser la paix au sein des communautés à la santé / fostering peace in our communities through health
French:
Le 6 septembre 2024, Club Vision Santé et le chapitre burundais de WBW ont organisé une session sur la communication non violente (CNV), axée sur les interactions médecin-patient. Cette initiative visait à relever les défis communs auxquels font face les professionnels de la santé pour obtenir une communication claire et empathique, ce qui conduit souvent à des malentendus.
Le professeur Adolphe Sururu, un expert en CNV, a animé la session, démontrant à quel point l’écoute active, l’expression bienveillante des besoins et l’empathie peuvent améliorer la qualité des soins de santé. Ses idées ont mis en évidence comment ces pratiques peuvent transformer les interactions médicales, les rendant plus humaines et respectueuses.
L’événement a attiré plus de 50 participants, dont des jeunes et des étudiants en médecine, désireux d’explorer cette approche innovante.
Un médecin chevronné a partagé les défis de la pratique clinique quotidienne, ajoutant de la profondeur aux discussions. Un témoignage particulièrement percutant est venu d’un stagiaire en médecine : « Cette formation m’a montré l’importance de l’écoute active et de l’empathie non seulement en tant que compétences professionnelles, mais aussi en tant qu’outil important pour gérer les émotions, améliorer la qualité des soins ».
La session s’est terminée par un représentant de World BEYOND War Burundi, qui a souligné le lien entre santé et paix : « La promotion de la paix et de la santé sont liés. En favorisant une communication empathique, nous construisons un système de santé qui favorise la paix au sein de nos communautés ».
English:
On September 6, 2024, Club Vision Santé and the Burundian chapter of WBW hosted a session on Nonviolent Communication (NVC), concentrating on doctor-patient interactions. This initiative aimed to address the common challenges healthcare professionals face in achieving clear and empathetic communication, which often leads to misunderstandings.
Professor Adolphe Sururu, an expert in NVC, led the session, demonstrating how active listening, compassionate expression of needs, and empathy can enhance healthcare quality. His insights highlighted how these practices can transform medical interactions, making them more human and respectful.
The event attracted over 50 participants, including young people and medical students, keen to explore this innovative approach. A seasoned physician shared practical challenges from daily clinical practice, adding depth to the discussions. A particularly impactful testimonial came from a medical intern: “This training showed me the importance of active listening and empathy not just as professional skills but as crucial tools for building patient trust. Managing emotions has become a priority, improving the quality of care.”
The session concluded with a representative from World BEYOND War Burundi emphasizing the connection between health and peace: “Promoting peace and health are intertwined. By fostering empathetic communication, we build a healthcare system that promotes peace within our communities.”
Côte D’Ivoire: Le chapitre de Côte d’Ivoire for a World BEYOND War, pour la paix et le progrès social / Côte d’Ivoire for a World BEYOND War, for peace and social progress
French:
Le Coordonnateur du chapitre a pris part à une rencontre avec les organisations locales de philanthropie, qui s’inscrit dans son objectif de favoriser la paix et le progrès social. La réunion était organisée par TrustAfrica et WINGS. Elle a permis d’engager les réseaux locaux et régionaux de philanthropie, des organisations de soutien, des bailleurs de fonds et d’autres parties prenantes pertinentes d’Afrique de l’Ouest dans un processus participatif.
Il s’agit d’un processus pour mieux comprendre le paysage local des parties prenantes et leurs relations mutuelles, identifier les défis et les possibilités de renforcer le secteur, et élaborer une feuille de route pour un développement autonome et durable de la philanthropie régionale, en consolidant son écosystème de soutien. Ce processus est opportun dans un contexte où les organisations philanthropiques ont une capacité réduite à mobiliser des ressources, l’accent ayant été mis récemment sur la lutte contre le terrorisme, le blanchiment d’argent et le trafic transfrontalier par de nombreux gouvernements d’Afrique de l’Ouest.
English:
The chapter Coordinator took part in a meeting with local philanthropy organizations as part of its aim to promote peace and social progress. The meeting was organized by TrustAfrica and WINGS. It engaged local and regional philanthropy networks, support organizations, donors and other relevant stakeholders in West Africa in a participatory process.
It is a process to better understand the local stakeholder landscape and their mutual relationships, identify challenges and opportunities to strengthen the sector, and develop a roadmap for the autonomous and sustainable development of regional philanthropy, by strengthening its supportive ecosystem. This process is timely in a context where philanthropic organizations have a reduced capacity to mobilize resources, with the recent focus on the fight against terrorism, money laundering and cross-border trafficking by many West African governments.
