Youth, women, administrative, traditional, and religious authorities gathered around a table in the locality of Mokolo for an Intergenerational dialogue under the theme “Supporting Young Men and Women to Lead Moral, Civic, and Entrepreneurial Rearmament”. This activity carried out under the UN Peacebuilding Fund’s PBF PRONEC REAMORSE project with support from UNFPA Cameroon, implemented by Local Youth Corner Cameroon in collaboration with MINJEC, featured fruitful and enriching exchanges that enabled these different social groups to discuss moral, civic, and entrepreneurial issues as foundations for building an environment of peace, social cohesion, and sustainable development.
During the dialogue, young people expressed their desire for more opportunities and resources to develop their entrepreneurial skills, while women emphasized the importance of gender equality and empowerment. The administrative authorities, on their part, highlighted the need for legislation and implementation strategies that support youth engagement and participation in decision-making processes. Additionally, the traditional and religious authorities cautioned young people about moral values and how upholding these values can contribute to fostering a peaceful and cohesive society.
As discussions unfolded, focus was directed towards a lack of morals and responsibilities, which are currently invading our society and creating a sense of chaos and division. It was emphasized that promoting gender equality and empowerment can serve as a catalyst for addressing these issues, as it encourages individuals to take on their roles and responsibilities in a more inclusive and respectful manner. Furthermore, it was acknowledged that by involving young people in decision-making processes, we can harness their energy and innovative ideas to create sustainable solutions for our society’s challenges.
The religious leaders present took on the responsibility of not ceasing to convey messages in places of worship and of accompanying young people and women to take the lead in moral, civic, and entrepreneurial redevelopment. Communicating a change in behavior and making young people aware of the need to take advice from their elders, who are sufficiently experienced and are the guides, the “wise men” as they like to be called in the villages, are just some of the points on which the administrative, traditional and religious authorities shared their experience and gave advice. They also emphasized the importance of creating educational programs and platforms that can effectively engage and empower young people to make informed decisions and contribute to societal development. Additionally, they highlighted the significance of fostering an inclusive and tolerant environment where individuals from different backgrounds can come together to exchange ideas and work towards common goals.
Around the discussions, responsibilities were shared in view of the lack of morals characterizing our society. Religious leaders took on the responsibility of not ceasing to convey messages in places of worship, and of accompanying young people and women to take the lead in moral, civic and entrepreneurial redevelopment. The Ministry of Youth and Civic Education, through its representatives, promised to continue its effective accompaniment and support to better promote civic and moral values, as well as entrepreneurial development.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry for the Promotion of Women and the Family were also present, and promised to take their responsibilities into account. The working session ended with each stakeholder sharing their responsibilities and awareness raised.
Overall, the dialogue served as a platform for diverse voices to come together and explore ways to collectively work towards a better future.