CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction
This chapter presents the general introduction to the study. It includes
background to the study, statement of problem, the objectives of the study,
significance of the study, scope of the study, ethical considerations,
problems encountered and the summary and conclusion.
1.2 Background to the Study
Peace has remained the most valued and indeed the greatest need in
history. The world has never relented in the quest for peace and the
termination of conflict, and the greatest concern in contemporary
Cameroon today is the search for peace. The fight against the Boko Haram
insurgency in the Northern Regions of Cameroon, the tension in the East
Region due to the mass movement of refugees from Central Africa into the
area, and the current Anglophone crisis are at different levels of intensity
which all require lasting solutions for peace to return. These conflicts have
wrecked devastating effects on Cameroon in terms of considerable loss of
human lives, human suffering, the destruction of infrastructures, the
disruption of educational, economic and agricultural activities and the
increasing anarchy that threatens not only Cameroon’s internal peace and
security but also internal peace in Africa and beyond. The Boko Haram

insurgency in Cameroon has caused about 1,500 deaths and led to 155,000
displaced persons and 73,000 refugees.1 The quest for peace has therefore
become the most pressing challenge faced by Africa at large and
Cameroon in particular. Talking about the need for peace in the 21st
century, the world Agenda for Peace declared in its preamble that:
It is time for people to assert their commitment to peace and -if necessary – to wrest peace-making away from the exclusive control of politicians and military establishments. Too often, peace initiatives are proposed as a last resort, with negotiations restricted to the warmongers, and imposed on those most affected, particularly women and children. Those who have suffered the most must have a place at the table when peace agreements are drawn up, with equal representation for women if necessary, civil society should also convene peace initiatives before crisis gets out of control and lives are lost. This can help to turn early warning from a slogan into a reality.2 The World Agenda for Peace amongst other things emphasizes the need
for all to take the initiative in peacebuilding but highlights the specific
responsibility of the civil society in this field. The civil society is one of
the pillars of development, health promotion, elimination of societal ills,
advancement in literacy, education and democracy and acts as a watchdog
by shielding citizens from the arbitrary decisions of the state market
economy3. It is an emerging concept in the context of peacebuilding.
Research evidence shows that it has been highly utilized by both
international and local governmental and nongovernmental organizations

including global entities in these domains.4 From the existing literature, it
is also evident that civil society has received much attention as one
strategy for reconciling communities in conflict because of its inherent
ability to foster an attitude of give and take, thus building the practice of
mutual concessions, shared benefits, and cooperation5.
According to The Hague Agenda for Peace, there are increasing opportunities for grassroots organizations to seek remedies for conflicts and initiate peace drives at the local or national level. Too often, violent conflict is “resolved” by external actions with little or no reference to the wishes of those who must live with the solution. As a result, the solution reached is often short-lived. If efforts to prevent, resolve and transform violent conflicts are to be effective in the long-term, they must be based on the strong participation of local civil society groups committed to building peace.6
The civil society referred to in the quote above includes NGOs and CSOs
who generally refer to private sector, voluntary (and usually non-profit and
non-sectarian) organizations that contribute to, or participate in,
cooperation projects, education, training or other humanitarian, progressive
or watchdog activities for the improvement of humanity.
It is increasingly recognized that development success depends not only on
a vibrant private sector and an efficient public sector but on a vigorous

civil society as well. Relying on the public sector alone has been compared
to trying to sit on a two-legged stool, that is it is imbalanced. Task-oriented
and driven by people with a common interest, such organizations perform
a variety of service and humanitarian functions. They bring citizen concern
to governments, advocate and monitor policies and encourage political
participation through provision of information. Some are organized around
specific issues, such as human rights, education, environment or health7.
They provide analysis and expertise, serve as early warning mechanisms
and help monitor and implement international agreements. Their
relationship with offices and agencies of the United Nations system differ
depending on their goals, their venue and the mandate of a particular
institution.
United by a commitment to improving conditions around the globe, non
governmental organizations are a very diverse group, with varying
objectives, functions and structures. In essence, these organizations are
dedicated to service in parts of society that are underserved or neglected by
governments and other official institutions.
The history of NGOs can be traced back to 1807, the year when the British
abolished the slave trade. The abolition was followed by the formation of
several organized, non-profit movements which addressed the issues of

slavery. As time went on, their area of focus shifted from abolition to other
social concerns. The International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC),
founded in1864, became one of the leading humanitarian organizations in
conflict areas. The American Friends Service Committee was set up in
1917; Save the Children came into being in 1919, followed by OXFAM in
1942, all initially oriented in addressing consequences of victims of war.8
After World War II, a series of service-oriented organizations, which
avoided political confrontation and chose the path of neutrality emerged-
Salvation Army, Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), Young
Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), Cooperative for Assistance and
Relief Everywhere (CARE), dealing with aids, war relief and postwar
reconstruction. The 1960s and the 70s brought on confrontational
approaches by the NGOs. Addressing not only issues of war and famine,
but through lobbying and campaigning they began bringing attention to the
causes of conflicts. Amnesty International, Doctors without Borders,
Christian Aid and OXFAM became social critics of states, multilateral
organizations and their positions on war and violent conflict. It was not
until the 90s that international humanitarian NGOs, whose primary role

has hitherto been seen in providing humanitarian aid and protection on the
outskirts of violent conflicts evolved and changed significantly.9
In Cameroon, the evolution of NGOs in the 1990s can be seen within the
context of the social, economic and political factors that paved the way for
their existence. The economic crisis of the 1980s that struck the country as
a result of the fall in commodity prices in the world market, the value of
export products such as cocoa, and coffee fell drastically and remained low
with the consequences felt throughout the country.
Socially, and as a result of the economic situation mentioned above, the
rate of unemployment was very high, with university graduates hardly
picking up jobs. Besides, the introduction of tuition fees in state
universities in the early 1990s caused untold misery and frustration to
many who could not even provide their basic needs10. Also, many other
levies were imposed on the students. As a result, many students dropped
out of school since they could not afford such payments. To make the
situation worse, many Cameroonians were deported from Gabon and they
felt more frustrated as they remained idle, causing untold misery to
themselves and their families and the government as they joined the
unemployed in the job market. In fact, at the end of each school year, over

30,000 graduates joined the job market with less than 5,000 of them
finding employment. About 40% of the potential workforce was
unemployed11 thus, causing NGOs to come in to rescue the situation.
The political atmosphere in the 1990s also paved the way for the
emergence of NGOs in Cameroon. This period was characterized by
“divide and rule”, corruption and embezzlement of State funds by state
bureaucrats who had the political and economic leverage to influence and
manipulate the distribution of resources, goods and services in their favor.
All these had negative impacts on the economy as the few who controlled
the resources of the state, enriched themselves and accumulated wealth at
the detriment of the poor, the net effect was that the Cameroonian society,
from the height of the state level, appeared to be peopled exclusively by
private individuals chosen for loyalty to the Head of State rather than on
merit.12
These difficulties coincided with reforms on the international stage such as
Gorbachev’s Glasnost and Perestroika13 which called on the single party
dictatorial states to implement openness and reform. Cameroon was
therefore caught up in what Awasom described as the opening and



expanding of the political space.14 The developments at the international
stage coincided with a series of social unrest and ghost towns which forced
the government to introduce a series of reforms in 1990. One of these was
the freedom of Association law, No. 90/053 of 19 December, 199015 which
replaced Law No. 67/LF.19 of 12 June 1967 which operated under a
limited one-party state context.
The legal framework governing Non-Governmental Organizations in
Cameroon is Law no. 99/014 of the 22nd December 1999 and the law no.
90/053 of the 19th December 1990 regulating freedom of association.
Significant investigations have been undertaken in different parts of the
world regarding the activities of NGOs and the fulfillment of their
objectives. While some have been found to be veritable instruments of
transformation16, others have been found to be dubious organizations,
aimed at fending for the owners17. These observations notwithstanding, in
the research area under review, no significant research has been
undertaken. It becomes therefore difficult for an authentic voice to be
established regarding their work and efficiency. This is even more so for the particular purpose of assessing their role in educating youths on
peacebuilding in the Buea municipality of the South West region of
Cameroon. Such worries constitute the basic motivations for the researcher
to undertake this study.
1.3 Statement of Problem
While there have been many studies on the role and impact of NGOs both
in Cameroon and in other post-conflict zones,18 there has been limited
research and data on the role of NGO, in educating the youths on issues of
peacebuilding in Cameroon and the Buea municipality in particular. This
has made it impossible for a global appreciation of the efforts of such
organizations to be established. Because of this, research organizations and
students find it difficult to obtain data on such issues. There is therefore an
urgent need for research to be carried out in this domain which will
ascertain the existence of NGOs and peacebuilding in Buea, their
activities, their challenges and prospects. The current Anglophone crisis
has put Buea (as Regional capital of South West Region) in a very
strategic position and the youths living in the area are at the forefront of
the crisis either as perpetrators of conflict or solution providers. This
makes the need for youth education and peacebuilding to be the active
participation of not only the government but the civil society organizations

in general. It is therefore worthwhile for research in this domain to be
initiated.
1.4 Objectives of the study

The following objectives for this study have been established.
General objectives

The main objective of this study is to examine the role of Non
Governmental Organizations in the education of youths in peacebuilding in
the Buea municipality so as to ascertain their existence, activities,
challenges and prospects.
Specific objectives
The study hopes to:
 Identify NGO’s involved in peacebuilding in the Buea municipality
 Discuss their contribution in the education of youths towards
peacebuilding.
 To examine the impact of their involvement in peacebuilding
education for youths.
 Examine the challenges and prospects of such organizations in the
field of peace education.
1.5 Research Questions
General Research Question
What role do Non-Governmental Organizations play in the education of
youths in peacebuilding in the Buea Municipality?
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Specific Research Questions
The study seeks to answer the following questions
 What are the contributions of NGOs in the education of youths
towards peacebuilding in the Buea Municipality?
 What is the impact of their involvement in peacebuilding education
for youths?
 What are the challenges and prospects of these NGOs?