Engaging Youths for Sustainable Peace in Cameroon 2019

INTRODUCTION

This project was geared towards educating the community that is the youths on the need for peace in the communities and the world at large. The rate of population growth has increased pressure on natural resources leading to the increasing demand of these resources and thus conflict for its existence. In Cameroon, the sociopolitical crisis is a need be for peace and as such engaging the youths on peace projects and messages we seek to educate as well as create  a better environment. More so, the need to control and acquire resources for economic development and other Purposes by nations and individuals stands today as one of the most important Source of conflict all over world. Also, cultural and religious differences have been a contributory factor towards conflict generation. These have led to the numerous conflicts between people, nations as well as between continents. As a backdrop from these, there was therefore the need to sensitize the population on peace if world peace has to be achieved.

What is peace crane project?

The peace crane project is an effective way to educate children through arts, promote peace understanding of one another and connecting students worldwide. One thing about this project is not only the fact that students share their messages of peace to their various peers but they through global peace crane exchange learn from each other. Despite coming from an undesirable background, the kids are eager to better themselves as well as their community and Country. This project was carried out in Limbe the south west region of Cameroon at HARPAWISE Technical School made up of 150 students and staff representatives. The students were richly impacted and saw the need for peace, videos and pictures were taken in other to fully enlighten the public on the importance of peace.

PROMOTING PEACE BUILDING THROUGH YOUTHS

Youths are one of the most energetic age groups with better skills and good ideas that can change the world to a better place for everyone. Youths with competence of developing local and or international projects to promote peace against violence

and discrimination, they are conceptualized and studied as agents of positive peace, also by recognizing youths in non-violent politics and from a wider perspective, the enablement of their political agency in a more positive and peace oriented.

Also, if youths are not recognized as political actors, their trajectories in peace building would likely be ignored, wasted and underutilized. It is important to provide youths with training opportunities to take an active part in peace building with youthful energy and capabilities. With peace building, ASCOA wishes to continue with the peace crane project, Peace crane is the act of teaching youths about peace through arts, and exchanging this peace cranes with other schools.

This project has had a positive impact on not only the students but also the teachers. Our organization will not soon forget their mission to spread peace and hope to others, to live with a heart filled with love, or their passion to impact change.

Also by participating in the project the youths have the opportunity to be in contact with children from countries they didn’t even know existed. This opens their minds and helps them understand that there are people who live so far away from us and they also care about Peace. With this project, many youths and students learned to respect and accept the differences between people.

ASCOA has carried out many activities on peace in local communities, such activities were carried out for sustainable peace, and they include the recent peace crane project in a school in Limbe SWR of Cameroon march 2019, a conference of peace on the occasion of World peace Day 2017 and many others, sensitization of community.

STRATEGIES

This project used mainly demonstrations, discussions, teachings and  presentations by students and some ASCOA members were there to teach them how to properly fold a peace crane. The major objective of this project was to create awareness on the need for peace within our communities, schools, institutions, the general public and world.
The project was achieved from these objectives,

• Educate and promote peace understanding through the folding of peace cranes.
• Exchange of peace messages from international schools.
• The need for peace and its benefits were emphasized by the ASCOA team. Love for one another encouraged.
• The entire event was covered, videos and pictures as a medium to spread the importance of peace.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x99SEtod3xU&list=PLDDclCOExFV45jJ6N8ze2BF9KAqCRjWll&index=6&t=1155s