OJ SLIM MEDIA

  Hopes for lasting peace in Cameroon are soaring. Few days back, a Tweet from @canadaCameroon raised the hopes of many Cameroonians especially those living the war-torn areas of the North-West and South-West Regions. In Wum like in Gayama, Bamunka. Bali, Alou, Eyoumodjock and Lebialem, just to name these few areas, the population on Ground Zero heaved a deep sigh of relief and can only pray hard for the success of this Canadian move. The Tweet that raised hopes. This Canadian move offers an ambitious approach to negotiating with armed groups, coming out with a blueprint of peace accords, and pursuing national unity amid debilitating socio-political polarization. The protagonists are standing before an undeniable opportunity to lay the foundation to end the six-years conflict, even if subsequent governments will have to sustain these efforts to truly reap the long-term benefits. The Canadian move will seek to lay the foundation for bringing the Cameroon’s six years Anglophone long ...

  Everything is energy. Energy is powerful enough to create your success or promote your demise. Everything you involve yourself in is a result of the energy you contribute.  How you contribute to your professional environment is as important as what you contribute.  You may have the experience, knowledge, skill, and a long history of success; however, if you approach a new project, a meeting, a new job, an employee, your boss, or a customer with infected/negative energy, you should also be prepared to take responsibility for the consequences. Developing and maintaining positive energy involves more than merely thinking happy thoughts. It is the anticipation of good (i.e. happiness, health and success) and it is the belief that all things — situations, obstacles and difficulties — will work out favorably in the end. As a leader, your energy can determine the success of a meeting, a workday or even your overall company.  If you have an employee or co-worker who is s...

For the first time in its history, Cameroon has equipped itself with a national plan of action for the implementation of Resolution 1325 of the United Nations Security Council on Women, Peace and Security, and Companion Resolutions, mainly 1820, 1888, 1989, 1960, 2106, 3122, 2248, 2278. The said plan of action aims at translating into facts the relevant provisions of these international legal instruments whose objectives are to improve the participation of women in the prevention and Resolution of conflicts and to take the necessary measures for the protection of women and girls before, during and after conflicts. When it is time to tackle the conflict itself, women reveal themselves as active peace builders. They often work on their own or lead informal peace initiatives behind the scenes in order to try to restore the social fabric of their communities. As mediators, in the broad sense of bridge-builders between parties, women identify early warning signs of deterioration, document h...

  Women are often the main victims of conflicts, as they suffer both physical and sexual violence. These must be recognized during peace negotiations by including programmes that deal with them.  In essence, however, “women's participation in mediation is simply a question of equality and fairness.”-Hannah Tetteh  Women make up more than half of a community. Their voices should be heard. Post-conflict societies must give women the opportunity to fulfill their dreams and achieve their potential. That is why we need female mediators who make sure the peace process takes into account women's aspirations and engage women from these communities in conflict in the negotiations. Only in this way will it be possible to reach balanced agreements that also take into account women’s needs. Communication is about giving a voice to people. Women are generally less violent. If more spaces such as media, leadership and politics, are given to women, they will general promote a nonviolent agend...

As we pursue our collective goal of global peace, we must keep these two principles always in mind, seeking not only to eradicate conflict, but also to establish a more trusting and inclusive world community, in which each and every individual is valued and respected. Inclusive peace processes are key to ending violent conflict. At the same time, peace processes can be critically undermined by societal fragmentation, and the perceived or actual exclusion of certain groups from peace negotiations. On the other hand, a seemingly precarious peace agreement may be fundamentally strengthened by attempts to “knit together” the “frayed fabric” of a society damaged by internal or external conflict. The task of maintaining peace falls, ultimately, to the young, and therefore the young and old, men and women, must be included in the process of establishing peace. All peace processes would do well to ensuring that no voices are marginalized  in the gradual movement towards a more harmonious, tole...