On September 21, 2026, Cameroon joined the global community in marking the 45th International Day of Peace. The Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, Mounouna Foutsou, coordinated activities in Yaounde, bringing together institutional leaders, civil society actors, and youth movements. The event, held at the National Episcopal Conference Hall in Mvolye, aimed to address internal security, social, and digital challenges. The theme of the day, "Investing in Peace for Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day," guided the discussions.
The commemoration was organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education (MINJEC) and featured cabinet ministers, representatives of the United Nations system, faith-based leaders, and civil society organizations. The goal was to translate international peacebuilding frameworks into tangible, grassroots civic action. This year's celebration takes place against a backdrop of complex humanitarian pressures, resource-based inter-community friction, and a surge in social ills, including online hate speech, Gender-Based Violence, femicide, and infanticide.
Minister Mounouna Foutsou emphasized that durable stability cannot be achieved solely through high-level diplomatic protocols but must be built incrementally within families, educational institutions, and digital spaces. He highlighted the double-edged nature of modern communication technologies and warned against the unchecked spread of online manipulation, tribalism, and intolerance. The Minister stressed the need for youth to be better equipped to distinguish information from manipulation and debate from hate speech.
The Minister also condemned domestic atrocities that undermine local communities, calling for an urgent moral rearmament across homes and neighborhoods. He noted that there can be no lasting peace in a society where violence settles into homes, women lose their lives, and human life loses its value. Minister Mounouna Foutsou's address set the tone for the discussions, emphasizing the need for collective action to address these challenges.
Minister of Social Affairs, Pauline Irène Nguene, addressed the gathering on behalf of the social protection sector, detailing a tripartite institutional framework centered on prevention, protection, and community vigilance. She urged citizens to abandon indifference and break the silence surrounding domestic abuse and child vulnerability. Minister Nguene emphasized that peace is not simply the silence of arms but a behavior, a choice built through the protection of human dignity, social justice, solidarity, and the inclusion of all citizens.
The commemoration also featured the presentation of resolutions adopted during the preliminary Conference on Peace and Family, alongside the official Youth Declaration delivered by the President of the Cameroon National Youth Council (CNYC), Fadimatou Iyawa Ousmanou. The CNYC President recalled the nationwide campaign launched on September 10, 2026, against social scourges, femicide, and digital radicalization. The assembly made a collective pledge, declaring "No" to drugs, alcohol in schools, hate speech, and violent extremism, and "Yes" to education, discipline, solidarity, and social protection.
Civil society delegates presented a strategic five-point resolution, complementing the youth declaration. The resolutions aimed to address the evolving spectrum of internal security, social, and digital challenges facing the country. The 45th International Day of Peace celebration in Cameroon demonstrated the country's commitment to prioritizing grassroots youth peace initiatives and promoting a culture of peace and stability.
Key points
- The Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education emphasized the need for youth to be better equipped to distinguish information from manipulation and debate from hate speech.
- The commemoration featured a nationwide campaign against social scourges, femicide, and digital radicalization.
- A strategic five-point resolution was presented by civil society delegates to address internal security, social, and digital challenges.
