By Andrew Nsoseka
Peacebuilders and community stakeholders converged in Buea for the inaugural Peace Brunch, a new initiative aimed at strengthening collaboration and advancing sustainable peace efforts in communities affected by the Anglophone Crisis.
The event, held on April 11, forms part of the Peace Hub Project (PHP), an initiative spearheaded by peace advocate Imma Mkong. Organized under the theme, “Building Trust, Collaboration, and Resilience through Informal Dialogue,” the gathering provided a relaxed platform for peer engagement, networking, and partnership-building among actors in the peacebuilding space.
Speaking at the event, Mkong noted that the initiative was born out of growing fragmentation within peacebuilding efforts, where organizations and individuals often operate in isolation or in competition, thereby limiting their overall impact on communities.
She also expressed concern over shrinking civic space in Anglophone Cameroon, stressing the urgent need for unity and collective action among stakeholders working towards peace.
Participants at the brunch shared experiences from the field and identified several persistent challenges, including a deficit of trust among actors, limited collaboration since the escalation of the crisis in 2016, and the difficulty of addressing deeply rooted trauma and radicalized experiences among young people.
Discussions highlighted the need to strengthen partnerships, improve referral systems among organizations, and increase community engagement. Participants also underscored the importance of leveraging the media to drive effective social change communication, calling on journalists and communicators to play a more active role in peacebuilding efforts.
The informal setting of the Peace Brunch was widely praised for encouraging open dialogue and fostering new connections among participants who may not typically interact within formal frameworks.
At the close of the event, stakeholders expressed a shared commitment to deepen collaboration, promote innovative solutions, and reinforce collective efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability in affected communities.
Organizers say the Peace Brunch will become a recurring platform under the Peace Hub Project, creating opportunities for continuous dialogue and coordinated action in the pursuit of lasting peace in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions.
