Yali Impact Symposium:

Gov’t Boycotts Peace Promotion Event in Y’de

A symposium bringing together over 500 youth leaders in Yaounde to talk peace and entrepreneurship was boycotted by the government, even though the event was placed under the patronage of the Prime Minister and attended by the US Ambassador.

By Mercy Neba in Yaounde

Over 500 Youth Leaders Attended The 2nd Edition of The Yali Impact Symposium

The US Ambassador to Cameroon was embarrassed as the government boycotted a meeting of youth leaders in Yaounde on Saturday 17 February 2018, The Median has learnt.

            No government official was present to preside over the opening of the Yali Impact Symposium that brought together over 500 youth leaders at the Yaounde Conference Centre to talk peace promotion and development, organizers of the event have regretted.

            According to the main organizer of the event, Ndasi Elvis Nukam, who is the Cameroon president of Mandela Washington Fellows and former National Youth President of the NUDP party, he had gotten assurances that the minister of Youth Affairs would represent the PM at the event, at the express authorization of the former. But not only did the Youth Affairs Minister failed to mark his presence at the popularly attended symposium, he also did not send somebody to deputize for him.

            The absence of somebody to fill the government bench at the symposium was a big embarrassment to the organizers especially as they had told the US Ambassador that the PM had assigned somebody to represent him at the event.

            This reporter could eavesdrop from a distance as the organizers and participants were grumbling and cursing the government for the evident “irresponsibility and sheer negligence”.

            The embarrassment and frustration of the youth leaders and young entrepreneurs was the more because they had to keep the US ambassador waiting, in the rather forlorn hope that the Youth Affairs Minister or his representative would come even if just to open the event and leave. It turned out to be the longest wait for both the youth leaders and their big guest, the US Ambassador.

            That notwithstanding, the Yali Impact Symposium on 17 February 2018 took place after all, and despite the disappointment from the government. The event was opened by the President of Mandela Youth Fellows, Ndasi Elvis Nukam. Participants were also treated to an educative address from the US Ambassador and inspiring lessons from the Keynote Speaker, Mr. Bony Dashaco, who is the Group President and CEO of ACMAR Media Group for West & Central Africa.

            These two personalities vacated the hall immediately after the opening ceremony leaving the organizers and participants discernibly forlorn, as the proceeded with their discussions in plenary and in breakout sessions.

            The discussions had as central theme: “Youth Engagement in Promoting Peace through Dialogue and Social Entrepreneurship”. Other sub themes during the panel discussions included: “The Role of Youth in Addressing Unemployment in Cameroon”; “Role of Media in Crisis Management”; “Fund Raising Strategies for Social Entrepreneurs”; “Engaging Youth in the Implementation of the National Development Agenda”; “Role of Youth in Combating Corruption” etc etc.

            Even though the two moderators of the panel discussions, Fonka Mutta Beau Bernard and Myra Ngong, were both journalists at CRTV, the state broadcaster did not send its reporters to cover the otherwise impressively attended and very successful event.

            This 2nd edition of the Yali Impact Symposium was sponsored by the US State Department.