Similar sentiments were shared by Mayor Fongu Cletus of the Bamenda III Council, who described the 2024 Bamenda III Council Inclusive Royal Football Tournament organized by the council in partnership with the PPRD-NW/SW through the UNDP Recovery Programme as a bonding platform.

The activities also mobilised the full engagement and leadership of traditional leaders to strengthen peace and living together in the communities. “Our traditions and culture are the glue that binds us together. When we celebrate our heritage through our traditional attire, music, dance, and more, we not only honor our past but also pave the way for a more united future. Trust, which was eroded by conflict, is gradually being restored,” says HRM Bah Gah Nyamnyin III, traditional ruler and mayor of Balikumbat in the North-West region.

So far, about 60 socio-cultural activities have been organized in the NW and SW Regions, with different council areas hosting cultural festivals, peace-building sports, music events, inter-religious activities, and recreational activities. These gatherings have created safe spaces for communities to reconnect, express themselves, and rebuild trust, particularly in areas deeply affected by social instability.

Other key actions of the programme to improve social cohesion and promote peace and security include working with partners to facilitate the issuance of lost certificates like birth certificates, reconstruction and equipping of women empowerment centers; advocating for peacebuilding through workshops and the creation of committees to mitigate risks in the communities; and empowering media houses through training and the provision of equipment that permits them to produce quality programmes for peacebuilding and reach more people in the communities.