What We Do

1. Capacity and Resilience Building

Our capacity-building approach is tailored to the specific needs and realities of our target groups. We design modules that equip participants with the skills, tools, and knowledge necessary to advance their goals through inclusive, non-adversarial, and collaborative means.

These modules focus on leadership, personality development, and entrepreneurship, promoting non-violent problem-solving and constructive engagement in complex environments.

While our trainings primarily target young people, LOYOC also delivers youth-led capacity-building sessions for diverse stakeholders across different age groups and genders.

Between 2015 and 2020, we organized over 50 training events reaching more than 1,000 participants (male and female).
A flagship example is the National Symposium for Youth Participation in Peacebuilding, which mobilized young peacebuilders from conflict-affected regions and led to the creation of the Cameroon Youth Mediators Network.

2. Transformative Dialogue and Engagement

LOYOC’s transformative dialogue and engagement model is particularly impactful in active or potential conflict zones.

Our trained facilitators bring together diverse groups — youth leaders, religious and traditional authorities, community representatives, government, and security actors — to foster understanding, empathy, and cooperation.

We intentionally include divided or opposing groups to rebuild relationships, correct misinformation, and restore trust between communities and authorities.

This approach promotes collaboration based on shared interests, helping stakeholders find win-win solutions to mutual challenges.

From 2015 to 2020, LOYOC implemented over 40 initiatives fostering intercultural, interreligious, intergenerational, and community-government dialogues across Cameroon.

3. Mobilizing Media for Change

LOYOC is a pioneer in using media and technology to catalyze social change, strengthen access to information, and promote inclusion.

Between 2015 and 2020, our media work focused on combating hate speech, fake news, and misinformation, while amplifying positive youth voices.

Through radio, television, and social media campaigns, we deliver edutainment content that promotes peace, tolerance, and social cohesion.

An example of this effort is the “Peace and COVID-19” animated video, which promoted unity during the pandemic and reached thousands on social media platforms.

Our future strategy builds on these efforts by developing even more engaging digital and mass media content for social behavior change communication.

4. Transforming Violent Extremism

LOYOC defines violent extremism as the use of extreme violence to express real or perceived grievances rooted in exclusionary ideologies.

Our strategy to prevent and transform violent extremism is based on four key pillars:

Disengagement through vocational and professional skills training
Constructive counter-narratives that challenge extremist ideologies
Rehabilitation and reintegration programs for offenders
Mainstreaming CVE principles in peacebuilding initiatives

A flagship project — the Creative Skills for Peace (CSP) Project — transformed eight prisons and correctional facilities into centers for education and reintegration.

Through vocational programs such as shoemaking, tailoring, hairdressing, and greenhouse farming, the initiative helped three former inmates become entrepreneurs upon release.

5. Evidence-Based Research Approach

LOYOC’s work is grounded in rigorous, data-driven research that informs interventions and influences policy at local and national levels.

Our research tools include conflict scans, barrier analyses, stakeholder mapping, perception surveys, and conflict assessments — all designed to track dynamics in conflict-prone environments and identify actionable solutions.

We also promote participatory, youth-led research, enabling young people to contribute directly to knowledge production and advocacy.

LOYOC’s publications, such as “Hate Speech and Violent Conflict in Cameroon,” continue to inform the wider peacebuilding community and shape national discourse.

6. Community Entry and Engagement Strategy

LOYOC’s community engagement is anchored on the principles of “Do No Harm” and “Do Peacefully.”

Our approach is context-sensitive, culturally grounded, and neutral, helping build trust and local ownership of interventions.

LOYOC treats stakeholders — including government, security, civil society, and community leaders — as partners rather than beneficiaries. They are involved throughout the project lifecycle: from design and implementation to monitoring and evaluation.

This inclusive model ensures sustainability, community buy-in, and shared accountability for results.

7. Advocacy and Sensitization

LOYOC’s advocacy work is evidence-based and geared toward changing narratives, influencing policy, and mobilizing collaboration for peace.

We use data-driven communication to correct misconceptions about the roles of youth and women in peacebuilding and governance.

One of our flagship initiatives, “Building Peace with Young People,” trained 600 youth advocates to strengthen civic engagement, promote dialogue, and support community resilience across Cameroon.

Our advocacy continues to encourage stakeholder collaboration, policy reform, and inclusive action for peace and security.