Conflicts Prevention:

CHRDA Condemns Propagation of Hate Speech in Cameroon

By Boris Esono in Buea

Cameroonians should use social media to preach love, peace and call the government’s attention problems faced by the population, and not to propagate hate speech. These were the remarks of Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor Balla, CEO of the Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa, CHRDA, at a two-day symposium on 16 – 17 November, in Buea. The symposium was jointly organized by CHRDA and CIVICUS (World Alliance for Citizen Participation).

                “It is incumbent on everyone to try to use the social media to fight against hate. It is causing division in our society. It is bringing a lot of hatred and we owe it a duty to try and fight it. We should not only wait for there to be hate speech for us to counter,” Agbor Balla said.

                The objective of the workshop was to train young people on hate speech, what it is, how they can combat it and how they can draw a line between hate speech and freedom of the expression.

                “We are going through a very difficult period in this country wherein hate speech is the order of the day. We have communities that have lived together for decades but because of hate speech and incitement of violence against each other, people have started looking at their neighbors as targets. Xenophobia is running riot in the country,” 

                To communication expert, Prof. Enow Tanjong, “human virtues and vices are randomly distributed across populations and sub-populations. There is no scientific evidence to apportion human virtues or vices to a particular nation, region, ethnic group, tribe or village.”

                He identified some sources of hate speech to include ethnicism, extremism, the fear of political and social change, stereotypes and lack of psychological attention.

                 “You have to be careful with people who are aligned to extremism. They are very much present in Cameroon. They are the cause of hate speech and they have no convergence because they have no meeting point”.

                “Participants should put brakes on hate speech. This involves creating facts-checking organizations to look at issues which are either correct or incorrect, putting in place peace journalism which involves building trust and bridges (do not report a speech by government officials which involves hate to others) and build up trust”.

                The Director of the Pan African Institute of West Africa, PAID-WA on his part said there is no country that does not have differences. “Even in the USA, there are differences like the white supremacists who want to be at the forefront. Even in Britain, there are differences. Many people now want “Brexin” and not “Brexit”. “We are stronger in diversity as people coming together. Our language should be taken as strength as Cameroonians are excelling everywhere,” he opined.

                Recommendations were made at the end of the symposium on how to roll back hate speech in Cameroon. Participants were called upon to share what they have learnt with their communities, schools, neighborhoods and other areas.

                The project was designed to absorb the youth population in Cameroon from different areas and religious background on preventing the use of hate speech. This is in tandem with the famous UN resolution 2250, which places emphasis on the role of the youths in the maintenance and or promotion of peace and security.

                The center for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA)was founded in 2005 having headquarters in Buea, USA, Nairobi with the aim for the protection and promotion of democracy in all its facets. They have thematic arrears like gender unit, human rights defenders, digital rights, protection of prisoners amongst others.