By Jacob
TAMBE -- 09/07/2001
For
ICCnetAfrica News
An international network
to highlight grassroots efforts towards the building of a peaceful
society, known as 'peace to the city'
is being launched in Yaounde this week by the Ecumenical Service
for Peace (SeP).
Initiated by the Geneva
- (Switzerland) based World Council
of Churches within a programme known as 'Overcome
Violence', the network's launch in Cameroon is being done
through a workshop and a colloquium.
The workshop, on peacebuilding
for rural and community radio journalists and local language
broadcasters holds at the Norbert Kenne Memorial Peace House,
SeP's headquarters in Yaounde from July 9 - 11. A press release
from SeP says the workshop is aimed at building the capacity
of these broadcasters in effectively handling conflict issues
thereby contributing to defusing tension and preventing the
escalation of conflicts into violence.'
Coming after the complete
liberalisation of Cameroon's audio visual media that opened
the sector to adventurers and amateurs, the release notes that
'the workshop will therefore help practitioners sharpen their
understanding of some basic concepts in peace building, share
experiences on how journalists have fuelled as well as prevented
the degeneration of conflicts.'
Meanwhile the colloquium
that ends the launch holds on July 11 and 12 and focuses on
the theme 'Peace to the City.'
The Yaounde launch will
be followed by those in other towns all over the national territory,
SeP notes.
SeP's launch of the Peace
for City Network makes it the third African partner in the network.
The launch falls under SeP's activities executed under its Democratic
Peace building programme with the goal of contributing to the
non-violent social transformation of the Cameroonian society.
Founded in 1995, SeP works
for the peaceful transformation of the Cameroonian society.
