By Thomas mokum
some 30 press men and woman drawn from some radio station, news paper representatives, Tv stations and bloggers, took part in a one day workshop that held at the Catholic university of bamenda campus CATUC. These men and women of the press, were schooled on the culture of tolerance, the spirit of positivity and non violence.
organised by the community initiative for sustainable development (COMINSUD), this training was aimed at building the culture of tolerance to those in the northwest and southwest regions who are their fans , readers and viewers this because after the out break of the socio political crisis rocking these two regions that broke out in 2016, there has been a lot of cultural intolerance. The cultural consequences of this 3 and counting years crisis in the two English speaking regions, are wide including distrust of other cultures ,anger ,frustration,drug addiction, increase in crimes against some cultural practices like the recent coronation of a separatist leader as king in lebielam SW region of Cameroon and even total withdrawals in participating in other's cultural activities.
Intolerance which is the inability to accept people's culture, religion, ideas, ways and practice is caused by lack of communication, inferiority complex . This intolerance can be passive this kind is not in words or actions but from inside or active tolerance that is in words and action.
To solve this culture of intolerance people should be encouraged in the building process of the society that is a peaceful society through dialogue, negotiation, and compromise non violent communication method that is making each and everyone see that they can offer to a better society and when you see people presium good about them until they prove you otherwise because you will never know who has the key to success.
The strategies adopted by the 30 press men and women to communicate towards achieving a halt and start reversing the growing trend of negativity intolerance and violence as well as promote the value of positivity ,tolerance and non violence where through radio spots, special programs,news ,editorials all the above mentioned are for radio station and for the news papers through editorial write up and special stories for Tv through tv dramas and Tv documentaries. For bloggers through special writeup and the use of # tags display pictures (DP) on whatsapp.
These journalists were to monitor the record feedback of their audience through call in programs ,editorial meetings, discussion in drinking spots (mbu bar) for radio.
Letters of approciation to desk editors for news papers. Number of views ,like ,shares for bloggers.
The workshop organized by COMINSUD in partnership with Civil peace service(cps) a vast program of the German government saw participants as well as representatives of religious, educational, legal, and socio-cultural and civil society organizations.
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