The United Nations Development Programme, UNDP Cameroon Deputy Resident Representative, Martin Hart-Hansen has stated that creativity is not a side issue for development, but that it is the source of jobs, dignity, identity and hope.
He said young people across Cameroon and Africa are not waiting for the future to be handed to them as they are currently composing, filming, designing, coding and performing it.
Hart-Hansen was one of the speakers at the start of a two-day Creatives4Peace Youth Forum that took place in Yaounde on September 29 and 30, 2026. The regional dialogue on culture, youth and peace in Africa was convened by the UNDP and Samsung’s Generation17 Young Leaders initiative.
The event that brought together young creators, policymakers and partners to discuss the role of Culture and Creative Industries, CCI in advancing youth economic empowerment and social cohesion across Africa, was presided at by Cameroon’s Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, Mounouna Foutsou.
Addressing participants, Hart-Hansen acknowledged Cameroon’s appellation of “Africa in miniature,” and remarked that the country brings together an extraordinary diversity of languages, traditions, faiths and artistic expression. “We hear it in Makossa and Bitkusi, we see it in film, fashion, design, dance and spoken word and increasingly, we see it in the digital content created by young Cameroonians and shared far beyond the borders.
“This diversity is not only part of Cameroon’s identity; it is also one of its greatest creative assets. That is at the heart of why we are gathered here today…In parts of Cameroon, particularly in the Northwest, Southwest and Far North, and in the communities hosting refugees and displaced people; young people have lived through disruption, loss and uncertainty.
“Yet it is often the artist, the musician, the filmmaker and the storyteller who keeps dialogue alive and helps communities imagine a future beyond conflict. A song can travel where an official message cannot. A film can help us see the world through another person’s eyes.
“A story can challenge prejudice without creating another confrontation. An art can remind divided communities that they still share memories, values and aspirations. This is why culture and the creative industries must not be treated as a soft afterthought to peace building and development.
“They are among our most instruments for both… Culture and creativity are among the most powerful tools young Africans have to build bridges across communities, tell their own stories and create sustainable livelihoods. They are at the forefront of rebranding Africa.
“Turning creative power into policy and investment is now the task before us. Africa’s creative industries are already shaping global culture, yet too many young creators still work informally and without sufficient access to finance, skills, intellectual property protection, technology and markets,” Hart-Hansen declared.
Noting that talent is abundant, he observed that the opportunity is not yet equally available. Pointing to the 2024 Boya Innovation Week that brought together over 100 innovators, he said UNDP has seen what becomes possible when young people receive space, support and serious challenge.
He, however, stated that while the meeting was in Cameroon, it was not a Cameroon-only conversation but rather a regional youth forum, bringing together young creators, cultural leaders, innovators, institutions and partners from across Africa, in person and online. To him, the wider participation matters because creative industries cross borders.
Meanwhile, the Governance and Peace-Building Coordinator for Africa, RSCA UNDP; Nirina Kiplagat, listed the stakeholders in the sector present and noted that the forum was designed as a space for evidence exchange and ultimate action. She said the diversity represented from creators and youth-led organisations to policy makers, regional institutions, development partners and the private sector reflect the collective efforts needed to realise the sector’s full potential.
“Our ambition is not simply to describe what is possible but to help define together with young creatives how promising ideas and initiatives can be supported, connected and scaled to shape the future of the sector and contribute to greater social cohesion, peace and sustainable development. This forum is thus part of a broader initiative,” Kiplagat maintained.
Mounouna Foutsou, who presented a keynote address at the opening, hailed UNDP for their usual support in promoting peace initiatives of the government of Cameroon. He said the forum was in line with what Cameroon is doing in terms of moral, civic and entrepreneurial rearmament through the National Civic Education Programme.
He told reporters that the forum would strengthen the peace and security plan that was elaborated by the young people themselves and which is currently being implemented. We think it will provide an opportunity to our youth, ambassadors of peace, and community mediators to share their experiences with youths from across Africa, particularly those of the CCI, influencers and peace promoters.
The Minister appealed to the young to desist from spreading hate-laden messages and rather launch strong messages on the promotion of peace.
“This forum will inculcate patriotic engagement for the promotion of peace in our region in the youth. And this event is taking place at a time when Cameroon’s Prime Minister, Head of Government is in Buea, Southwest Region, launching community dialogue as was prescribed by President Paul Biya in his speech of November 6, 2025. The CCI actors should give their contribution to this community dialogue, particularly on digital networks thereby accompanying other stakeholders in their drive to peace,” he said.
By Nformi Sonde Kinsai