#defyhatenow Diaspora Dialogue series seeks to amplify the voices and actions of Cameroonians living abroad in defyhatenow’ s counter hate speech work and conflict transformation/peacebuilding engagements in Cameroon.
This dimension of the broader #defyhatenow initiative comes after the observation that there is a degree of truth in classifying the diaspora community of Cameroon as a probable conflict influencer in Cameroon especially via social media and the propagation of violence in Cameroon.
The Cameroonian Diaspora as Vector of Peace and Counter-Hate Speech: A Possibility?
This Saturday, Nov 2nd, 2024, in Osnabrück, some Cameroonians living in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bremen and Lower Saxony will meet for a town hall meeting to reflect on the theme ‘The Cameroonian Diaspora Community as a possible conflict transformer and counter hatespeech actors’.
At the offshoot of the current conflicts in Cameroon, several references have designated or sighted Cameroonians living abroad as a plausible conflict influencer. While this information didn’t fall from the sky, it may also have been too hasty given that just like in every community, a single opinion may not represent a collective one. While the city of focus this time will be Osnabruck, it shall not be the first time this topic finds resurgence within the Cameroon community in Germany especially within the context of #defyhatenow. Cameroonians most often remain very connected to their home and hence topics of politics and concerns from back home animate almost every meeting. Under the #defyhatenow banner, defyhatenow, this shall be the second townhall meeting . The first had been in Berlin back in 2021 at the start of the Defyhatenow Diaspora dialogues.
Past #defyhatenow Diaspora Dialogues
Navigating Bamenda
May 9th & June 10th 2024
The Navigating Bamenda event series was conceived as an encounter program seeking to bring voices from Bamenda- the major city in English speaking Cameroon which has in the last six years been the theatre of the violent conflict with continuous and sporadic animosity between separatist armed groups and the military of the Republic of Cameroon.
Navigating Bamenda Part 2
Navigating Bamenda Part 1
Panel Discussion
Feb 14th, 2024
Topic: Cameroon Youths at the crossroads of crisis: The role of diaspora youth in the conflict.
February is youth month in Cameroon, with over 70 percent of Cameroon’s population being under the age of 35. As in most African countries, the youth in Cameroon stand at a crossroads of crisis, from the pressures of violent extremism and political conflicts to irregular migration patterns around the world. In special tribute to the many young Cameroonians working toward peace and fighting hate speech, our diaspora dialogue that month focused on young people as well.
We specifically considered the unique role of Cameroonians based outside Cameroon, their perspectives on transforming the conflict, and the particular roles young people played.
Panel Discussion
Sept 23rd, 2023
Topic: Potentials in Conflict Transformation for Cameroon from within the diaspora
The Panel Discussion organized on the 23rd of September was the first in a series of Cameroon Diaspora Dialogues as we intend to organize these quarterly (after every four months or so, across the year). In these dialogues we shall invite different members of the Cameroonians living abroad community from the different parts of the world to discuss different aspects of ideas around the subject of finding a positive pathway for peace in Cameroon.The introductory panel consisted of the following.
The #237footBERLIN Calendar 2023
December 8, 2022
Topic: Football, Peacebuilding, and Human Rights An evening of discussion and reflection & Launch of the #237footBERLIN Calendar 2023 An initiative of #defyhatenow
Considering the influence the diaspora community has over socio-economic progress and the conflict situation in Cameroon, #defyhatenow understands the importance of engaging with the diaspora community. In Berlin, the focus has been on the diaspora football clubs. The aim is to identify and support the voices in these clubs that can help support peacebuilding efforts back home.
For this, r0g_agency in Berlin Charlottenburg held an evening event. The 2023 calendar was presented, discussed the work we do, and had a discussion about diaspora football and its importance in peacebuilding.
#defyhatenow Diaspora Meetup Lunch
November 20, 2021
The #defyhatenow diaspora meetup lunch took place on 20.11.2021, at Schillerstr. 20, Berlin. The main aim of the event was to create a network of Cameroonian diaspora actors and to create a platform to identify and support voices and actions mitigating and transforming the conflict. The event, organized as a community dialogue, also aimed to:
- Inform on peace oriented social media use,
- Enhancing social media skills for diaspora,
- Enhancing social media skills for diaspora-based influencers, and;
- Opening dialogue on common actions towards mitigating conflict in Cameroon.
During the event moderated by Pricilia Manja and Valerie Viban, participants exchanged on the conflict, its history, the role of the diaspora both as conflict influencers and as peacebuilders and what actions could be taken towards peacebuilding. Participants at the the meeting exchanged around the themes:
