Intergenerational Dialogue to Commemorate The International Youth Day 2023 In Cameroon

THEME

ACCELERATING GREEN SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE PEACE-BUILDING AND SOCIAL COHESION IN CAMEROON

I. CONTEXT AND RATIONALE

Africa today is confronted by a plethora of natural disasters and socio-political upheavals that have led to significant forced displacements from the four corners of Africa ranging from North Africa through the horn of Africa, and to the Sahel further extending to the Lake Chad Basins including countries from the great lakes and the SADEC. For instance, we have recently witnessed climate change driven forced displacements in Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Cameroon as well as forced displacements driven by armed conflicts in Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, Central African Republics, Niger, etc. with a huge toll of deaths and human suffering. Additionally, the protagonists and victims of these armed conflicts are predominantly young men with fundamental root causes attributed to extreme poverty, unemployment, adverse effects of climate change and violent extremism perpetrated by terrorist militant groups.

Moreover, Cameroon is a party to the major sustainable development agendas as articulated by Africa Union agenda 2063, the United Nations Sustainable development agenda and Paris climate agenda but worthy to ascertain, Cameroon has made modest inroads towards realizing these agendas due to limited financial resources and limited involvement of youths and women in both urban and rural settings. In line with the United Nations security council resolutions 2250 (2015), 2419(2018), 2535 (2020) and the Continental Framework for Youth, Peace and security, positioning young men and women at the forefront of the sustainable development agenda will create a wide variety of decent green job opportunities for these entities within the next decade as articulated in Cameroon’s national development agenda, SND 30.

Failure to grant the necessary participatory and decision making niches with relevant central and local institutions for youths and women to effectively participate in accelerating the implementation of the sustainable development agenda will further stifle the attainment of key targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs-10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 16) by 2030. For instance, there is need for Cameroon’s SDG central and local institutions responsible in implementing the SDGs to conduct a proper mapping of decent employment opportunities created by the sustainable development agenda, and ensure that they invest the adequate resources and develop the enabling environment to accelerate the SDG implementation. The only way to guarantee meaningful sustainable development is by ensuring that we engage young men in the management of ecological and public resources in order not to jeopardize the livelihood of future generations.

Meanwhile, climate change issues and peace-building are no longer strictly dissociable. In other words, there is an undeniable link between the green ideology and peace. In reality, climate change is damaging biodiversity and causing a depletion of available resources, while at the same time engendering inequalities, social tensions and inter-community rivalries. Building sustainable peace therefore requires protecting the environment and moving towards an ecological transition. This aims to put in place a new model of sustainable development based on the new environmental challenges and the rational use of available resources. The ecological transition offers an opportunity to equip young people with green skills that will enable them to respond effectively, not only to the challenges of global warming, but above all to the challenges of a sustainably peaceful world.

Against this backdrop, the 2023 International Youth Day is being celebrated under the theme “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World”. Green skills are “the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to live, develop and sustain a sustainable and resource-efficient society”. They include technical knowledge and skills that enable the effective use of green technologies and processes in the workplace, as well as cross-cutting skills that draw on a range of knowledge, values and attitudes that facilitate environmentally sustainable decision-making at work and in life.

Furthermore, the aspiration to equip young people with green or ecological skills is a pressing issue in Cameroon. Once considered a haven of peace in sub-Saharan Africa, the country is now experiencing a series of crises that are having an inescapable impact on its young people. To date, the youth demographic bracket of (13-35) years constitute approximately 65% of the Cameroon’s population, and very little has been done to unlock and harness the potential of the youthful demographic dividend. Additionally, youth unemployment today in Cameroon is alarming with negative effects on social cohesion and peace-building. By virtue of this vulnerability, young people are easily recruited as the main protagonists in conflicts. The recurrent clashes in the Far North region between young Choas herders and young Mousgoums fishermen over control of green spaces and water sources that are gradually being decimated by global warming is a tangible proof that climate justice issue will continue to undermine sustainable peace building if not properly resolved through the training of youth and women community mediators to handle these issues at the grassroots level.

In a nutshell, strengthening young people’s ecological knowledge and skills will stimulate the creation of green employment opportunities towards fostering sustainable peace-building in Cameroon. The celebration of International Youth Day 2023 is therefore an opportunity for Life Aid, a non-governmental organization whose aim is to catalyze peace, security and development processes in Africa, to bring together stakeholders to brainstorm on how to promote young people to acquire relevant ecological skills towards effectively contributing in establishing sustainable peace-building in Cameroon.

II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Goal/General Objective

The general objective of this intergenerational dialogue is to develop a favorable enabling environment anchored on public policy paradigm shift to integrate youths towards fostering green job opportunities for sustainable peace-building and improved social cohesion in Cameroon.

Specific Objectives

The intergenerational dialogue seeks to achieve the following strategic objectives:

• Educate young people about the concepts of “green skills”, “ecological transition” and establish the link with sustainable peace-building and social cohesion;
• Develop a comprehensive mapping in order to establish a database of green employment opportunities for youths towards building adequate training curricula, foster ecological knowledge and skills in Cameroon;
• Develop the favorable enabling environment to encourage the participation of youths to preserve sustainable peace-building and social cohesion in Cameroon.

III. TARGET

This discussion is open to all young people, national and international institutions, public decision-makers, civil society organizations involved in promoting peace and the environment, diplomatic representations and the general public without restriction.

a- RESULTS

At the end of this day of exchanges, the expected results are:

• Youths have a better understanding regarding the concepts of ‘green skills’ and ‘ecological transition;
• Youths are educated on the emerging opportunities offered by the acquisition of green skills;
• Youths are committed towards promoting a healthy environment and consolidating sustainable peace-building and social cohesion.

b- METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH

The day’s discussions will feature introductory presentations by a few hand-picked specialists. Following these presentations, a moderator will lead a lively discussion with all the participants.

c- THEMES FOR DISCUSSION

Inaugural Lesson: Green Skills for Youth: Toward a Sustainable Word, Stéphanie Njiomo, Climate Program Officer, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung

Theme 01: Fostering green skills as a means to combating community conflicts and foster sustainable peace-building and social cohesion in Cameroon, Aline Kana Fomekong, Chair of Association Jeunesse Verte du Cameroun  

Theme 02: Sharing of experience and Best Practices on the contributions of green skills to youth employment and sustainable peace in Cameroon (Plenary session discussion).

Moderator/Coordinator: Dr. Steve Tametong