Pan African Youth Development Network Take the ‘Voice of Peace’ to Mankon People

Abdou Karim

Traditional Councilors of the Fondom of Mankon have been urged to resort to peace as a means to solve the ongoing crises that have rocked the North West and South West regions.

This was during a “peace gathering” at the Mankon Fon’s Palace Courtyard, on Tuesday October 31, 2017 organized by the Pan African Youth Development Network, an apolitical non-governmental organization.

Opening the gathering, Bih Mande Basame, National Coordinator of the Pan African Youth Development Network-Cameroon said the gathering is aimed at introducing the voice of peace to the hearts of “our people in the face of evident turmoil”.

“We seek to warm the hearts of fellow Cameroonians by showing them that the voice of peace is the voice of reason. We are strongly positive that adding your voice to this noble course will enhance our desire for a better Cameroon” she observed.

Bih Mande Basame, National enjoined those present to first believe in themselves, believe in peace and then they can transport and carry it to others adding that the gathering which has started in Mankon will taken to other Fondoms in the Northwest and palaces in the Southwest Regions.

One of the high points of this gathering was a peace presentation delivered by Abdou Karim, a peace crusader and researcher in comparative religious studies. With inspiration from peace related passages in the Holy Bible and Quaran, Abdou Karim demystified the concept of peace and most especially how it can be achieved.

He described peace as not the absence of war or threats but the presence of justice in society observing that extremism and terrorism are products of injustice which is threat to peace.

Abdou Karim added that when injustice, corruption, nepotism, self-centeredness, favoritism and hate takes is prioritized in society, the end product is resistance, social strife, and anarchy noting that “You cannot be at peace when your neighbour is in pain…you have to ensure that the peace that reigns in your home should shine in your neighbour’s home.”

The researcher in comparative religious studies prescribed education, information and dialogue as weapons of peace. He ended his presentation by calling on all to engage in acts of charity which he was upbeat will go a long way to bridge the gap between the haves and have-not.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)