Local Youth Corner, partners train stakeholders on peace building strategies.

The two-day training seeks to promote evidence-based prevention and peacebuilding strategies through integrated, education-informed peace and security approaches beyond traditional military and intelligence frameworks. 

It kicked off in Yaounde Thursday. It is organised by LOYOC in collaboration with the Education for Peace and Security Initiative of the University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom; the Institute for Innovation in Peace and Sustainable Development in Africa, and the UNESCO Regional Multi-sectoral Office for Central Africa.

The opening ceremony was led by the representative of the Director of the UNESCO Regional Multi-sectoral Office for Central Africa, Imteyaz Khodabux, and the Head of the Education for Peace and Security Initiative of the University of Aberdeen, Dr Muna Lekunze.

This was in the presence of the Executive Director of Local Youth Corner, Achaleke Christian Leke. The training has assembled policymakers, government officials, security practitioners, intergovernmental organisations, and civil society actors.

Enter Dr Lekunze

Speaking shortly after launching the training, the Head of Education for Peace and Security Initiative, Dr Muna Lekunze, told reporters that the institution will in the course of the training, ensure that participants acquire improved knowledge on how to use theories on peace and security in boosting their on-field works.

He said the body will also equip the participants with the capacity to partner with other experts in the field in developing further theories that are useful in promoting peace and security in Cameroon. 

Dr Lekunze said the desire to get the participants up to speed with all the targeted best practices guides the reasoning behind the inclusion of multiple components in the training like Thursday’s presentation on national security theory, a workshop on the common ground approach to peace and security, and a high-level panel on youth peace and security assembling major stakeholders.

UNESCO hails initiative 

Addressing pressmen shortly after opening the gathering, the representative of UNESCO, Imteyaz Khodabux, lauded the initiative.

He said the knowledge that the participants will gather in the course of the gathering will be decisive in empowering the stakeholders with the skills needed to transform their theoretical knowledge to concrete actions.

“We expect participants to have a broader knowledge as they refresh their memory with the expertise of the University of Aberdeen on how to bring theoretical questions into concrete action. Peace is not just by learning. It is also how we act on the ground,” the UN official added.

Imteyaz Khodabux revealed that UNESCO is proud to partner with the other institutions in organizing the event as it falls fully in line with its status as a body that has peace as a cornerstone and strives in building peace through education and other initiatives.

“In our constitution, peace is our cornerstone. The training is going to help various stakeholders on how we can use education to achieve peace and security,” the UNESCO official added.

Improving peace, security…

For his part, Programme Manager of Local Youth Corner, Atefor Jude, said the organisation is hoping to use the training to achieve its goal of further improving the peace and security building drive in Cameroon.

He said the institution reached out to the University of Aberdeen and the other partners owing to the proven track record that the bodies have in the areas of promoting peace and security nationally and internationally. 

Atefor said LOYOC will utilise the gathering which will also focus on a presentation on women in peace and best practices in civilian collaboration and protection to update Cameroonians on the latest and more efficient ways to promote peace and security.

“We found it very important to be able to see how to update our fellow Cameroonians who are working within this context on these new initiatives on peace and security and how they could be able to apply it in Cameroon to be able to accelerate the peace process in the country,” Atefor said.

Youth-centered approach

The Programme Manager said LOYOC is also particularly pleased with the manner in which the Yaounde training has been designed to place youths at the center of the peace and security building efforts.

He said the move to bring on board public and private institutions like the Ministry of Territorial Administration, the that of External Relations and key United Nations agencies that have young people as their priority mandates, speaks volumes of the approach.

Training timely…

An official of UN human rights office for Central Africa, Louise Rozès Moscovenko said the two-day gathering will boost peace and security building efforts.

“Women are massive victims in conflicts. They are victims of gender-based violence, sexual violence, especially in conflicts. It is very important for us as UN Human Rights to be here today and discuss with different stakeholders and really push the women topic in all approach for peace and security,” Rozès Moscovenko said.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3743 of Friday March 27, 2026