Peace must be built daily- CAMP Executive Director

Participants at a Peace Brunch meeting of the Peace Hub Project in Buea have been challenged to make peace a daily commitment with a call for greater investment in dialogue, responsible communication, youth empowerment and social cohesion.

The call was made by The Executive Director Of The Cameroon Association of Media Professionals, who doubles as Publisher of The Advocate Newspaper, Tarhyang Enowbikah Tabe Tabe

Tarhyang made the call while delivering a presentation on “Investing In Peace” during a Peace Brunch held at the CBS Buea Radio Station Conference Hall on Sunday, September 27, 2026 as paert of the activities in the Peace Hub Project

The presentation focused on the theme of the 2026 International Day of Peace, “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,” with Tarhyang stressing that investment in peace should not be understood only in financial terms.

“Peace also requires investment,” Tarhyang told participants, explaining that people invest in peace through their time, words, relationships and efforts to promote education, dialogue, justice, inclusion and opportunity.

He said peace goes beyond the absence of war, noting that it also involves safety, dignity, opportunity and cooperation in people's daily lives.

According to Tarhyang, peace should not be viewed solely as the responsibility of governments, presidents, diplomats, soldiers or international organisations. “Peace does not begin only in presidential palaces or at international conferences,” he said. “Peace begins where people live.”

He identified homes, schools, workplaces, churches and communities as important spaces where peaceful relationships can be built, while stressing that social media has increasingly become another important arena for peacebuilding.

The Media Professional noted that the ability of social media platforms to spread information rapidly gives users both power and responsibility.

“One of the cheapest things we can invest in is also one of the most powerful: our words,” he said.

He cautioned that words can calm situations, encourage people and reconcile relationships, but can also humiliate, provoke, insult and divide.

He therefore urged participants to think carefully before forwarding or publishing information, asking whether it is true, necessary and whether it could create unnecessary fear or hatred.

Tarhyang’s presentation placed particular emphasis on responsible communication at a time when a single message on platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp or TikTok can reach thousands of people within minutes.

He encouraged participants to consider whether they were helping to resolve problems or contributing to making them worse. “Investing in peace therefore means becoming more responsible with our communication,” he said.

The message was also particularly relevant to journalists and media practitioners, given their role in informing the public and shaping public conversations.

He further called for greater emphasis on dialogue, stressing that peaceful coexistence does not require people to agree on everything.

“We cannot build peace if we only talk to people who agree with us,” he said.

He explained that dialogue requires a willingness to listen and accept disagreement without turning it into hostility. “It means that we can say: ‘I disagree with you, but I will still respect you,’” he said.

According to him, creating safe spaces where people can speak, listen and understand one another can sometimes be the first step towards peace.

He cited the Peace Brunch itself as an example of such a space, saying the gathering was not only about talking about peace but also about bringing people together around the idea of peace.

The presentation also highlighted the importance of young people in sustainable peacebuilding.

“If we want peace tomorrow, we must invest in young people today,” Tarhyang said.

He argued that young people need more than speeches about peace, pointing to education, skills, opportunities, participation and hope as essential investments.

He said support for education, entrepreneurship, sports, creativity, journalism, community engagement and leadership opportunities for young people should be seen not only as development initiatives but also as investments in peace. “A young person who believes that his or her future is possible has something to protect and build,” he said.

The Executive Director and Publisher also drew attention to the inclusive nature of the 2026 International Day of Peace theme.

He said peace must include women, young people, persons with disabilities, minority and vulnerable communities and people from different political, cultural, religious and social backgrounds.

“Peace must include those with whom we disagree,” he stressed, adding that peace cannot be sustainable if it belongs only to people who share the same views.

Turning to the situation in Cameroon, particularly the North-West and South-West Regions, he challenged participants to consider what they could personally do to reduce tension and strengthen social cohesion.

He said investing in peace could take many forms, including helping a young person find an opportunity, refusing to spread inflammatory information, helping people resolve disagreements, listening to communities whose concerns have not been heard and reporting responsibly. “It may mean speaking against violence while also creating room for dialogue,” he said.

Tarhyang also stressed that individuals do not necessarily need to hold powerful positions to contribute to peace.

“We may not have the power to negotiate an international peace agreement. But every one of us has the power to influence the environment immediately around us,” he said.

The speaker placed particular emphasis on the word “every day” in this year's peace theme.

He said peace should not become a priority only on the International Day of Peace or when violence has already started. “Peace requires prevention. It requires patience. It requires listening. It requires courage,” Tarhyang said.

He encouraged participants to embrace simple approaches such as talking before fighting, verifying information before sharing it, seeking understanding before condemnation and pursuing reconciliation before resentment develops into violence.“These are small actions, but collectively they can create a culture of peace,” he said.

As he concluded his presentation, Tarhyang invited participants to make personal commitments to investing their words, platforms and relationships in peace, supporting young people, promoting dialogue and seeking truth rather than rumours.

The peace and Conflict Transformation expert and trainer also urged them to ask themselves a simple question whenever they encounter conflict:

“What can we do to reduce the tension rather than increase it?”

Tarhyang said peace requires investment in the form of time, resources, voices, patience and sometimes the willingness to put aside personal pride.“Peace is not free. It requires investment,” he said.

Tarhyang warned that the consequences of failing to invest in peace can be costly, noting that violence destroys lives, conflict destroys opportunities and division destroys trust.

“Peace creates space for people to live, work, learn, create and dream,” he said.

He ended by urging participants to embrace the 2026 International Day of Peace message and become “the everyday architects of peace.”

“Let us invest in peace in our homes. Let us invest in peace in our communities. Let us invest in peace through our words and our actions,” he said.

He added that the goal should be to build a Cameroon, particularly the North-West and South-West, “where differences do not have to become divisions, where disagreements do not have to become violence, and where every person has the opportunity to live with dignity, safety and hope.”

“Peace is not merely something we wish for. Peace is something we build. Peace is something we invest in. And the investment begins with us,” Tarhyang closed.

By DIFFO Iness

Contact KNews for support news coverage and support on ( +237) 651252410