Conflict Resolution: CCMN/PCC Practice What they Preach

Conflict Resolution: CCMN/PCC Practice What they Preach

Ties that existed  between the Cameroon Community Media Network (CCMN) and the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) have been strengthened  with a firm commitment by both parties to fully engage into the second phase of the Peace Journalism and Conflict Transformation project. 

Network Members Attentively Listening to the PCC National Peace Coordinator

The first phase of the project started in April 2018 and ended in March 2020. For two years CCMN as a beneficiary  executed it via peace journalism and conflict transformation training workshops, audiovisual, print and online productions, all in a bid to deescalate the ongoing armed conflict rocking the two English speaking regions of Cameroon in particular and rebuild peace in the entire nation that's from time to time hit by conflicts here and there.

Rev Nta William Nche, the National Coordinator of the PCC Peace Office has been touring the various chapters of CCMN nationwide to launch the second phase of the project. On Friday July 24th 2020, he was at Church Centre, Bamenda to meet with members of the NW Chapter. 

L-R: Ntui Oben, Kyeng Juliette, Rev. Nta William, Obah Rose

For hours, deliberations centred on doing a situational analysis of the project with focus on strengths and weaknesses. It was observed that through the project, the coming into existence and sustenance of the network, the various capacity building workshops, the positive  contributions of the network in deescalating the ongoing conflict through peace journalism centred productions and the popularity CMMN has gained within and without Cameroon were justifiable reasons for the second phase of the project to be engaged.

However, note was also taken that it's not been all rosy as members still felt dissatisfied with logistical provisions, misinformation, laxity, insecurity, late coming at meetings, non respect of deadlines in productions just to name these few. 

As to the autonomy of both entities, the peace broker cum activist, Rev. Nta William said "PCC has the project, CCMN has the execution platform, so the two must work together" He added that though CCMN is an independent body, the project the PCC used it to implement is still ongoing reason why the church will always step in to regulate when need be. Apart from CCMN, the project has also given birth to another partner, Peace Builder's Union (PBU).

Family Photo

Akah Roseline Obah is the national and regional coordinator of CCMN for the North West. She believes that with CCMN engaging in this second phase, it means something close to perfection was realised in the first phase. She said "The second phase is coming to fine tune our strategies so that we continue to aim towards that one direction of ensuring a peaceful society. I'm believing that with this second phase, members with already advanced knowledge in productions, in writing their reports and in shifting the narratives are just going to factor in the humanitarian aspect and God willing, I know how professional they've been and I believe that they're very ready to deliver the results"

As to how the next phase will unfold, Kyeng Juliette, the NW regional Peace Coordinator said For efficiency and professionalism, she disclosed that the project has made available equipments like a camera and recorders for members to borrow and use when gathering data from the field.

Projection 

It is expected that at the end of the project, according to Rev. Nta William, "They'll be a better outcome and the impact felt within the society so that Cameroonians can start building peace and accept that they can be change without necessarily using violence, that they can be peace when people speak in love and become transformers without using destructive language and that they can be change even in the way journalists report"

He added that this time around, there shall be a shift from peace to hope journalism which goes with building humanity in people like IDPs and PWDs. Thus, humanitarian reporting will be the major focus of this second phase.