AFRICAphonie

THE PLIGHT OF THE CAMEROON TEA ESTATE WORKERS IN BUEA

PRESS RELEASE

AFRICAphonie, a Buea based civil society organisation interested in Democracy, Culture and Peace,

Having listened with attention to the grievances of the workers of the Cameroon Tea Estate in Buea,

Having noticed with empathy their peaceful sit-down strike for the last one and a half months at the premises of the Regional Delegation of Labour and Social Security, Buea, South West Region,

Having seen with compassion, the despicable conditions under which the more than 700 workers have taken ‘refuge’ at the said premises,

Having followed with concern their threat to invite their children to join them in the sit down strike with the attendant consequences that this may have on the peace, serenity and social security in Buea,

Reporting Conflict: Border Crises and Elections: A Journalist’s Guide

By Jesse Konang

This Guide summarises the deliberations of  a workshop on “Reporting Conflict: Border Crises and Elections in Cameroon” organized by AFRICAphonie-Cameroon, with support from British High Commission to Cameroon, from 24^th to 26^th August, 2011 at Eta Palace Hotel, Molyko-Buea, South West Region, Cameroon. It was moderated by the Manager of the South West Regional Station of CRTV, Bernard Eko.

The aim of the workshop was to increase the professional and ethical soundness in the journalists covering border, election and ethnic conflicts in the country as well as strengthen networking among the news media.

Buea: Les journalistes cogitent sur le reportage des conflits et élections

Écrit par Pierre Alexis Kaptchouang (La Nouvelle Expression)

En trois jours, les hommes de média se sont affûtés pour leur rôle dans la préservation de la paix en temps de conflits et des élections.Ils sont venus de tous les coins de la rejoins du Sud – ouest pour prendre part à la session de réflexion et de renforcement des capacités pour un reportage responsable en périodes d’élections, et durant les conflits. C’était à la faveur d’un séminaire atelier organisé par l’ONG locale Africaphonie sous le thème « le reportage des conflits : Crises frontaliers et Election », sous le patronage du British council.

Media Practitioners Trained on Conflict, Election Reporting

Media practitioners and stringers from the South west and Littoral regions, have been trained on better ways of reporting conflicts emanating from elections and border crisis in Cameroon.
 
A workshop to that effect, took place recently in Buea, organized by a Buea-based non governmental organization, AFRICAphonie, with support from the British High Commission, Yaounde.

Art and Culture Journalism Workshop in Cameroon

Official Opening of International Workshop on Reporting Arts & Culture in Cameroon

Date: March 21 – 23 2011

Venue: Hotel Residence Carlos, Muea road, Buea

Organiser: AFRICAphonie – Cameroon

Sponsorship: Commonwealth Foundation, London

At the official opening of the three-day international workshop, convener, George Ngwane explained the rationale, saying, AFRICAphonie and the Commonwealth Foundation were out to build the capacity and remind art journalists it is their responsibility to showcase the artist.

AFRICAphonie Brings Arts and Culture Reporting to Light

By Scholar Maloke (The Star newspaper, Cameroon, March 28th 2011)

Arts and culture in Cameroon, has never been given the place it deserves.  Though some journalists endeavour to write articles about arts and culture or cover cultural events, the articles are hardly given spotlights and most at times are replaced with other news items.
 

In a bid to bring arts and culture reporting which is a very viable industry into limelight, the Director of a Pan-African non-governmental organisation known as AFRICAphonie, Mwalimu George Ngwane, with support from the Commonwealth Foundation, organised a three day workshop in Buea on Arts and Culture Journalism in Cameroon.

Bottom-up Peace and Development Plan mapped out in Bakassi

By Nana Walter Wilson

Peace Committee members of the Bakassi peninsula have come out with neighbourhood peace and bottom-up development plans of their respective communities in Bakassi, which with the assistance of their Municipal Councils and other Development partners would be realised in the immediate, mid and long term duration.
 
Committee members mapped out this plan during a workshop held in Mundemba on 24th and 25th February 2011 organised for the Bakassi Peace committee members by AFRICAphonie with support from the British High Commission, Cameroon.

Nigerian Consul-General Dr. Kenneth Nsor: “Cameroon-Nigeria amity... is regulated by the values of a cherished sovereignty"

 By Jesse Konang (Published in Bakassi Peace Newsletter of November 2010)

The Federal Republic of Nigeria with an area of 923,768 square kilometres, 36 states, 774 local government councils, and 250 distinct languages is situated in West Africa. She is the most populous country in Africa and the World’s most populous Black nation with a population estimate of 140 million citizens (2006 census).  

In Nigeria’s relationship with her neighbours, Cameroon, which borders her to the east, occupies a special position, according to the Consular Guide of the Consulate-General of Nigeria in Buea.  This is especially so in view of the many years of verbal vituperation, military and legal manoeuvres over the ownership of the oil-rich land and sea reserves in the Bakassi area.  The October 2002 International Court of Justice Decision facilitated the withdrawal of Nigeria from Bakassi on 14th August, 2008, through the instrumentality of the Nigeria-Cameroon Mixed Commission and the Greentree Accord. 

Bakassi Citizens Trained on Peace Building

By Solomon Tembang with Africaphonie team in Bakassi

Three training workshops on enhancing peace building capacities especially among youths in the Bakassi peninsula took place in Bamusso, Kombo Itindi, and Idabato from the 28th November to 3rd December 2010.
Participants at the Bamusso Workshop

Supported by the Challenge Bid of the British High Commission, Yaounde and implemented by AFRICAphonie, the workshops were aimed at providing the citizens in Bakassi peninsula with the skills of early warning signals of conflict and establishing the intricate link between peace and development so as to eventually produce a home grown, bottom-up Peace and development Plan for their different communities.

Bakassi Peace Letter: Peace Through Culture

 

Bakassi Women as Weavers of Peace Through Culture

By Jesse Konang*

In commemoration of Cameroon’s regained territorial authority over the Bakassi Peninsula, AFRICAphonie, supported by Prince Claus Fund, last 14th August organized an all female cultural jamboree in Isangele. The one-day ceremony, being the first in a series of cultural activities by AFRICAphonie to reinforce peace- and confidence-building in the Peninsula, revealed the potentials of culture in women towards the enhancement of peaceful co-existence in the area. Somewhat, it was a paradigm shift from the talky-sensitization-seminar-approach to the ‘enter educate’ (entertainment + education) approach.

Bakassi Peace - An AFRICAphoinie Documentary on Peace-building

An excerpt of "Bakassi Peace" (A Documentary on Citizen Peace-buildingin the Bakassi Peninsular of Cameroon). An AFRICAphonie production with support from The United States Institute of Peace (USIP). Directed and narrated by Constantain Mbom, Produced by Mwalimu George Ngwane.

"AFRICAphonie's Bakassi Peace documentary is not just a demonstration on how to approach grassroots peace-building in conflict zones or communities of tension, but also a magisteral lesson on how civil society organizations in Africa can, with limited resources, successfully effect change in local communities through innovative, creative and cost-effecitve strategies that get the full buy-in and support of both the local administration and the target population." Dibussi Tande

Part 1

Part 2

 Note: This is not the complete documentary but highlights put together to meet Youtube's 10-minute limit for videos. If you're interested in the full-length documentary, please contact AFRICAphonie at: Africaphonie2000@ yahoo.co.uk

New From AFRICAphonie: Bakassi Peace (DVD and Newsletter

Bakassi Peninsula in Cameroon is still in the frontline but this did not deter AFRICAphonie, with support from the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) from embarking on a citizen peace building project (public discussion forums and training workshops) aimed at sharing ideas and information with a wide range of actors on how to recognize early warning signals and develop measures to minimize gun violence in the Bakassi zone.

 
This project is packaged in a 45 mn DVD Documentary called “Bakassi Peace” that provides the historical and geographical context of the Bakassi conflict and explores the role of citizens in post conflict management.

New AFRICAphonie Publication: The Herbalist Newsletter

An AFRICAphonie in-house tabloid based on Indigenous knowledge, human development and sustainable livelihood.

 
The maiden edition that came out in December 2009 focused on the need for collaboration between tradi-practitioners and medical doctors in Cameroon. The edition covers the recommendation and resolutions proposed by participants of a workshop on traditional medicine and HIV/AIDs organized by AFRICAphonie with support from the Fred Foundation, Nature Cameroon.

The Herbalist is intended to be periodical and is distributed Free.

AFRICAphonie Sues for Collaboration among Health Practitioners

Roland Mbonteh (Eden newspaper 28th October 2009)

AFRICAphonie, a Buea-based civil society organization involved in social issues inspired by indigenous knowledge advocacy has made strides to bridge the gap among Traditional Health Practitioner on the one hand and between Modern medical practitioners and tradi-health practitioners on the other.


The need for collaboration among traditional health practitioners and medical practitioners was therefore the thrust of a two-day workshop on “Indigenous Knowledge and HIV/AIDS management in Cameroon: the case of traditional medicine” organized by AFRICAphonie.

Tradi-healers Brainstorm on Collaboration with Medics

By Azore Opio (The Post newspaper October 30 2009)

A cross-section of traditional health practitioners, THPs, based in the South West Region October 22-24 at the Executive Hotel, Buea, brainstormed on how to work Together with Medical Practitioners. 
 
The workshop that held under the auspices of AFRICAphonie with Mwalimu George Ngwane as Executive Director came in the wake of continual conflicts of interest between the two health practices.

Tradi-healers Brainstorm on Collaboration with Medics

By Azore Opio (The Post newspaper October 30 2009)

A cross-section of traditional health practitioners, THPs, based in the South West Region October 22-24 at the Executive Hotel, Buea, brainstormed on how to work Together with Medical Practitioners. The workshop that held under the auspices of AFRICAphonie with Mwalimu George Ngwane as Executive Director came in the wake of continual conflicts of interest between the two health practices.
 Among the many questions raised that THPs encounter such as illegality, quackery and the non-ratification of the law on traditional medicine; widespread and increasing use of complementary and alternative therapies, the participants agreed that the health care system today is a dynamic, rapidly changing world of multiple healing modalities that overlap and interact on many levels.

Time for an African Union Summit on “Cultural Industries in Africa”

An Open Letter to the African Union Commission President

By Mwalimu George Ngwane

His Excellency Jean Ping,

One of the objectives of the African Union Treaty is to “promote sustainable development at the economic, social and CULTURAL levels as well as the integration of African economies (Section 3j).
One of the Specialised Technical Committees of the African Union is the Committee on Education, CULTURE and Human Resources (Section 14g).

Telefilms: Telling our Own Tales

By Mwalimu George Ngwane

The rampant closure of cinemas in most cities in Africa today may be harmful to the growth of celluloid cinema and the future of the film festival (FESPACO) in Burkina Faso.  On the other hand this may open a window of opportunity to the new wave of television films (telefilms) now becoming a permanent feature in our cultural landscape.

Africa Magic and Africa Magic Plus, the twin audio-visual channels hosted by M-Net in South Africa are fast becoming the artistic vista for African film producers interested in bringing screen art and culture to the privacy of our sitting rooms and bedrooms.

Movie Trailer - Kuva Likenye and the Bakweri Armed Resistance to German Colonization

AFRICAphonie (with an OSIWA support) Presents Kuva Likenye, a historical Documentary. Directed by Kome Epule Mathias. Editor: Njukeng George Njukeng. Script Consultant: Dibussi Tande. Narrator Muema Meombo. Executive Producer: George Ngwane.

For details on how to obtain a copy of the documentary, contact:

George Ngwane
Executive Director
AFRICAphonie
Tel: 77 66 84 79
E-mail: gngwane@ yahoo.com or Africaphonie2000@ yahoo.co.uk

Movie Review: Kuva Likenye, a Historical Documentary

By Dibussi Tande

AFRICAphonie (with an OSIWA support) presents Kuva Likenye, a Historical Documentary. Directed by Kome Epule Mathias. Editor: Njukeng George Njukeng. Script Consultant: Dibussi Tande. Narrator Muema Meombo. Executive Producer: George Ngwane. Music by DJ Kofi.

Very few Cameroonians know the history of Cameroon in all its diversity and depth. And with good reason. Most of what passes for “Cameroonian history” in schools is a sanitized version of the country’s history whose sole purpose is to reinforce “state control” and “toe-the-line” concepts such as “unité nationale and intégration nationale. These concepts seek to legitimize the official narrative on the “colonial partition” of the Cameroonian family and the ultimate “reunification” of these long lost brothers and sisters against all odds in 1961 in a “historic burst of nationalism”. Any piece of history which either questions or contradicts this official narrative, or fails to add value to it, is simply ignored or discarded. The result? Many key events and personalities in Cameroon’s pre-colonial and colonial history remain largely unknown and confined to local and ethnic folklore.

By Dibussi Tande

AFRICAphonie (with an OSIWA support) presents Kuva Likenye, a Historical Documentary. Directed by Kome Epule Mathias. Editor: Njukeng George Njukeng. Script Consultant: Dibussi Tande. Narrator Muema Meombo. Executive Producer: George Ngwane. Music by DJ Kofi.

Very few Cameroonians know the history of Cameroon in all its diversity and depth. And with good reason. Most of what passes for “Cameroonian history” in schools is a sanitized version of the country’s history whose sole purpose is to reinforce “state control” and “toe-the-line” concepts such as “unité nationale and intégration nationale. These concepts seek to legitimize the official narrative on the “colonial partition” of the Cameroonian family and the ultimate “reunification” of these long lost brothers and sisters against all odds in 1961 in a “historic burst of nationalism”. Any piece of history which either questions or contradicts this official narrative, or fails to add value to it, is simply ignored or discarded. The result? Many key events and personalities in Cameroon’s pre-colonial and colonial history remain largely unknown and confined to local and ethnic folklore.

AFRICAphonie’s Latest Telefilm: A Classical Tri-therapy Against the HIV/AIDS Pandemic

By Donatus Fai Tangem* 

The Cameroonian Telefilm scene has once more been adorned by yet another AFRICAphonie production entitled “Positive living” (live and let’s live). Coming on the heels of “Nkuma” a film on female Genital Mutilation, (FGM), the awe-inspiring movie announces itself through a captivating poster design shaped like a hose shoe and hemmed by the beaming faces of mature actors and actresses.

The prominence of good old reliables like Mejame Njikang, Pa Ngalla (of the Musinga drama group fame) and the venerated Mah Fese among other fine actors and actresses foretells swell times for potential viewers.

Cameroonian Cultural Industries: Potentials and Promises

By Mwalimu George Ngwane (Originally published in Cameroon Tribune, October 31, 2007)

'Only those nations which are culturally solid ever indelibly influence the course of history’ - Professor Kountchou Kouomegni former Minister of Information and Culture)

The three main links that constitute the Cultural Industry chain are Production, Promotion and Consumption. These links represent the culture triangle needed to energise an industry whose aesthetic nature and artistic values mirror the essence of human civilization. Attempts by both civil society actors and governments have aimed at transforming Africa’s indigenous culture from mere populist folklore to a national character.

Africaphonie Introduces Tele Films in the Cameroon Movie Industry

By Juliana Ndolo Mbua (Originally published in The Entrepreneur)

The world of showbiz in a multi facial composition of Fashion designing acting and modeling cultures beckon Cameroon’s vibrant unemployed youth market. Africa with a diversity of cultures stands a better chance of harboring varieties of modest film and theater resorts. Created in 1998, Africaphonie is a Pan-African association with the vision of democracy and economic development, to Show case the world of films in Cameroon they introduced their “Tele films.” The chairman of the board of trustee Dr Jacqueline Okay and her 26 member association believes that Africa can only be what Africans want it to be. Africaphonie organizes conferences and workshops in a sporadic and project based approach for stakeholders.

Is the United States of Africa Necessary?

The Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, at its 8th Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa from 29-30 January 2007 decided that the next ordinary session of the Assembly to be held in Accra, Ghana in July 2007, will be devoted to a “Grand Debate on the Union Government”. This decision is inspired by the fact that Africa now needs a Union of the African people and not merely a Union of states and governments and that ‘the ultimate goal of the African Union is the political and economic integration of the continent leading to the creation of the United States of Africa’.

Using Movies to Fight Female Genital Mutilation

Mwalimu George Ngwane explains why he decided to produce a film on female genital mutilation.

Interviewed by Nkeze Mbonwoh (Cameroon Tribune)

Cameroon Tribune: What prompted you to produce this telefilm on Female Genital Mutilation called "Nkuma"?

GeorgeNgwane: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is an age-old practice that is perpetuated in many parts fo the world. In Africa alone, there are 27 countries that have been battling with the controversial practice that not only draws a dichotomy between traditionalists and modernists but has placed Cameroon in the storm of practices that impair women's wellbeing. As a matter of fact, a UN report estimates that about 20% of women in Cameroon go through a form of Female Genital Mutilation  called infibulations. Certain areas of the South West and North provinces have been cited as championing this practice.

Click here to print or download complete interview in PDF format

Movie Review: NKUMA (Female Genital Mutilation)

By Ebenezer Tabot-Tabot, Development Practitioner (Originally published in The Post)

Nkuma (Female Genital Mutilation). An AFRICAphonie Production in Collaboration with OSIWA

There have been many interventions purporting to sensitise communities on the necessity to put an end to the practice of female circumcision, pompously referred to as 'Female Genital Mutilation' (FGM) by development practitioners.

Despite these numerous interventions, the practice still continues in many parts ofCameroon, essentially because the practice is portrayed as an entrenched negative cultural tendency (which it is), and the methods utilised to combat it are necessarily confrontational.

Peace Education Manual Published

By Brenda Yufeh (Cameroon Tribune, May 30, 2005)

Africaphonie. Peace Education. For Junior Secondary School in Cameroon. Yaounde: Africaphonie, 2005.

A Peace Education Reader for junior secondary schools accompanied by a Teacher's Manual has been produced in Cameroon. Put together by the non-governmental and Pan African Association (Africaphonie), the student's reader and teacher's manual are fallouts of a workshop organised at the Norbert Kenne Memorial Peace House last year in Yaounde on the theme "Designing curriculum and training of teachers for Peace education in Cameroon".

Projects in the Pipeline (Pending Sponsorship)

• Training of trainers’ workshop on the production and marketing of contemporary African Arts and cultural cooperation in West and Central Africa. Part 1 of this workshop (focus on Cameroon) was sponsored by the P.C.F. Netherlands;
• Workshop with film producers, T.V. producers and the Ministry of culture on the production of a T.V. film series in English for private Cameroonian Television;
• Designing Curriculum and training of teacher trainers for Peace Education in Cameroon (Francophone system);
  Empowering disadvantaged book sectors in Cameron (the cases of women and children’s writing) 2006 – 2008;
  Books for Development A workshop bringing together all book stakeholders in Cameroon with the aim of strengthening the book industry through a book policy;
  Building a Peace Resource Centre in Cameroon.

Peace Education Curriculum Design & Training

Designing Curriculum and training of teacher trainers for Peace Education in Cameroon (Anglophone system)

AFRICAphonie organized a one-week training workshop bringing together more than 70 teachers, educationists and curriculum developers to design the content of a teachers’ manual and students’ reader on Peace Education for Junior Secondary School in Cameroon (Anglophone system). A core group is currently working on the Reader and Manual. Publication is due January 2005. The Ministry will be contacted later on for lobbying and advocacy. The Project, which will end in July 2005, is sponsored by U.S.I.P America.

Conference of Intellectuals from Africa and the Diaspora (CIAD)

From 7 to 9 October 2004, Dakar, Senegal

Background: Initiative of H.E. Maître Abdoulaye Wade, President of the Republic of Senegal, supported by the Summits of Lome 2000, Maputo 2003 and Addis Ababa 2004.

Objective: Mobilize the Intellectuals from Africa and the Diaspora about the African Union and NEPAD.

General Theme: Africa in the 21st Century Integration and Renaissance.

AFRICAphonie Mission Statement

AFRICAphonie is a Pan African Association which operates on the premise that AFRICA can only be what AFRICANS and their friends want AFRICA to be.Towards fulfilling it's mission, AFRICAphonie aims:

1. To promote person-to-person dialogue through seminars, workshops and conferences between main political actors, vulnerable sectors, and grassroots organisations;
   
2. To expose the public to documentation (video, audio, paint) on Peace and PanAfricanism;
   
3. To act as advocates and lobbyists for a peaceful Africa Renaissance;
   
4. To encourage research and education on issues of democracy, development, human rights and enviroment protection inspired by indigenous knowledge of AFRICA;
   
5. To build linkages and networks with local and international Peace and PanAfrican Organisations

 AFRICAphonie is financed by grants, donations, and contributions by members.

Conferences and Seminars

Since its creation, AFRICAphonie has organized numerous seminars on African-related issues in Cameroon. The organization has also been invited to numerous conferences across Africa. A non-exhaustive list of conferences attended or organized follows:Seminar/Conferences Organised:

• AFRICAN RENAISSANCE WEEK, Buea, Cameroon May 1998
• Africa's Image in Western Media,Buea, Cameroon, March 1999
• Self-reliance in an emerging Africa,Buea, Cameroon May 1999
• African week, Buea ,Cameroon, June 1999
• Kwanzaa cultural nite, Buea Cameroon
• Pan African CONGRESS -Cameroon,December 1999
• Creation of African Union clubs in State Universities, 2002
• Arts and Culture Forum, Muea, 2003

Contact

AFRICAphonie P.O Box 364 Buea ,South West Province CAMEROON -AFRICA PHONE (237) 7766 8479 EMAILAfricaphonie2000@yahoo.co.uk