Using Sports as a Platform for Peace, Unity, and Youth Empowerment in Cameroon

The NA WE WE Sports Jamboree is a flagship peacebuilding initiative of Local Youth Corner Cameroon (LOYOC), designed to harness the unifying power of sports to promote social cohesion, dialogue, and peaceful coexistence among young people in conflict-affected and diverse communities across Cameroon.

Derived from the expression “Na We We” meaning “We Are One”, the initiative brings together young people from different cultural, linguistic, and social backgrounds to engage in competitive and collaborative sporting activities. Through football, volleyball, athletics, and cultural games, the jamboree creates safe and inclusive spaces where youth interact beyond divisions, build trust, and foster a shared sense of identity and purpose.

Beyond sports, the NA WE WE Sports Jamboree integrates peace education, leadership development, and community engagement. Participants are exposed to messages on tolerance, non-violence, gender equality, and civic responsibility through interactive workshops, dialogue sessions, and creative performances. These activities strengthen young people’s capacity to become ambassadors of peace and positive change within their communities.

The initiative has proven particularly impactful in communities affected by social tensions, displacement, and conflict. By transforming sports fields into platforms for dialogue and reconciliation, the NA WE WE Sports Jamboree contributes to reducing stereotypes, encouraging collaboration among youth groups, and strengthening relationships between communities. It also provides opportunities for young people to develop teamwork, discipline, and leadership skills that extend beyond the sporting arena.

The NA WE WE Sports Jamboree further serves as a platform for community mobilization, bringing together youth leaders, local authorities, civil society organizations, and community members around a shared vision of peace and inclusion. This multi-stakeholder engagement reinforces the role of youth as central actors in peacebuilding and community development.

As LOYOC continues to expand the NA WE WE Sports Jamboree, the initiative stands as a powerful example of how sports can be leveraged not only for recreation, but as a strategic tool for peacebuilding, social transformation, and sustainable development. Through this initiative, LOYOC reaffirms its commitment to building a generation of young people united by values of peace, solidarity, and collective responsibility.