Community Involvement in Promoting Peace in Cameroon

CONCEPT NOTE

Cameroon is at a crossroads in its history. For nearly a decade, the country, once described as a haven of peace in Africa, has been sinking into a spiral of conflict. Institutional solutions have been initiated to ensure a favourable response to the end of the crisis. There is an urgent need to adopt contemporary approaches to democracy that emphasize the importance of citizen participation as vectors of political legitimacy in the development of public policies and laws. In principle, from a democratic point of view, it would seem that we should always advocate for greater participation of citizens in the search for solutions.

The objective of this event is to propose community solutions through which Cameroon can accelerate its progress towards   resolution of current conflicts. This event is in line with the mission of the Nkafu Policy Institute, a think tank (research centre) of the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation to catalyse the economic transformation of African countries by focusing on social entrepreneurship, science and technology, health and the implementation of development policies that create economic opportunities for all.

This event will bring together 60 participants from the public, private and civil society sectors, including journalists, researchers, displaced persons, traditionalist representatives, and students who have the potential to propose  solutions to the current crises in Cameroon. This conclave will provide an opportunity for dialogue between the public and private sectors and between government officials and civil society.

During the event, there will be presentations on key facts about the current crises in Cameroon. The event will consist of a round table of 4 or 5 panelists lasting 90 minutes. The following questions will be addressed during the event.

1. Overview of current conflicts in Cameroon.
2. Citizen solutions to the current conflicts in Cameroon.