AFRICA: Buea - Delegate Launches Year of Peace and Security in Africa

The planting of a Peace Tree, a sketch, talks on peace education, and other activities crowned the event chaired by Njika Joseph.

The South West Regional Delegate of Basic Education, Njika Joseph, recently launched activities marking the celebration of the Year of Peace and Security in Africa. Pupils from Primary Schools in Buea converged at Government School Likoko Membea, where alongside education officials and teachers, they carried out several different activities centered on peace.

Addressing the pupils, Njika Joseph elucidated on the origin of the event themed "Women, Youth and Peace." Stressing on the Minister of Basic Education, Madam Youssouf Hadjija Alim's speech for the occasion, he explained that on August 31, 2009, Heads of State and Government of the African Union converged in Tripoli (Libya) for a special session on the examination and conflict resolution in Africa. At the end of this meeting, the Delegate said, 2010 was declared as the Year of Peace and Security in the African continent. He concluded that September 21st was set aside for this day.

In an interactive session, Njika Joseph made pupils define peace as well as explain its characteristics. He added that the theme "Women, Youth and Peace," is because when the woman masters peace education, she inculcates it into children who grow up practicing peaceful behaviour. In addition to the already existing subjects like Civics and Moral Education, Njika Joseph recommended the pupils to be kind-hearted, love and share, forgive one another, go to church and practice moral norms.

In a welcome note, Mrs. Lingondo Emilie Nfang, Headmistress and host said the theme pegs on women and children because they are the most affected in conflict areas. Quoting Chinua Achebe in "To make a tree stand firm, you need to start from the roots;" she reminded the public that today's youths are tomorrow's leaders. Thus, she concluded that "Making our children to cultivate the culture of peace is laying the foundation for a peaceful and prosperous society."

The highlight of celebrations was a paper presentation on peace education. The talk was presented by Benazia Joseph, Principal of Kingston Bilingual Primary School Buea. His paper focused on the definition of peace, the need for Peace Education in Primary Schools, and its advantages in a short and long term. Other activities included choral singing with themes on peace, a sketch on peaceful behaviour in classrooms, sensitization on hygiene and sanitation, especially on how to prevent cholera, and a football match. The event culminated with the planting of a symbolic peace tree by the Delegate of Basic Education, Njika Joseph.