Voice of Peace: Meet young activist Babette Koultchoumi from Cameroun.
Q: Can you please introduce yourself to us?
A: My name is Babette Koultchoumi, professor at the University of Marwa, member of the Center of Studies for Peace, Security and Integration.
Q: Describe the current situation of Violent Extremism in Nigeria and what can be done to counter violent extremism effectively?
A: I work with women, youth because I understand that its women who carry the household, in our society everything lies in the hands of women, even the education of children and the society. But today they find themselves in the center of crime not only as victims but also actors that’s why my work focus on generally on women by the organization of workshops in order to build their capacities in terms of prevention and how they can better educate youth in to avoid them to enrolment in violent extremism group because they are the one in charge of the education of the society.
Q: What are Young Cameroonian Women leaders doing to counter Violent Extremism?
A: I already admire women which are committee of vigilance they are doing a great job by helping the man who are in charge to ensure security but they are also some women who organize meetings between them in order to sensitize other women about the phenomena of violent extremism and build their capacities. They also visit youth centers for sensitization.
Q: What is your specific role as a young leader? A: As a women leader, my role is to draw the attention of these women on violent extremism and peace building, I also empower them in order to make them understand that we must take our responsibilities to change things because in general it’s the women who are in charge of transmitting the culture to children. In the grassroots level, we must inculcate in the true value of life for our children in order to give a chance to kids at an early age to be stronger to avoid fundamentalist ideologies and joining violent extremism groups.
Q: How are you working and with whom? Is it a national or local leadership movement?
A: As a professor, I already work with my students, I also work with youth in households, my work is highlighted essentially on sensitization and research in order to better understand the phenomena and the root causes, because when we want to eradicate violent extremism we must make precise diagnostics in order to get concrete solutions. My movement is a local movement with sponsorship of the University of Marwa. Later on, we want to create networks and platforms with other youth in order to work, particularly young girls on CVE, because before I attend the summit there was a kamikaze of two young girls less than 14 and 15 years old, I was really shocked by this and it reminds me once again how violent extremism can affect us, also how the women who give life decide to take life of many people. There is a fundamental question that we must ask ourselves-- why this happened?
Q: What are the challenges you are facing?
A : The challenges are that women don’t understand that they must to take responsibilities. Women must not be considered in the role as passive or victim but take the responsibility to play a great role on preventing and countering violent extremism.
Q: What are the successes stories and accomplishments?
A: Well, with young girl leaders we had realized films on interethnic conflict in order to create a platform for promoting living together and the acceptance of each other. I think this is something we must implement and promote in local, national and international level.
Q: How are you working in partnership and with support of the national and local government, the international community, civil society? What can be better done?
A: For the moment, we work with PNUD, OMS, the University of Marwa, the University of Norvega, we have more access to international academic institutions.
Q: Share a positive case studies. Are you optimistic about the future of women leadership at advocating for women's rights and conflict prevention?
A: I am ready and optimistic to fight for women rights far away to think that we must be away and defend our rights. We must make it in action because nobody will defend our own rights for us, we have a lot to do. We have the majority in the society, so the women leaders must have the role to sensitize, inform the society about the phenomena and also take the responsibility in order to correct mistakes made by others
Q: What's your message to young women leaders, to your government, to the international community, to extremists?
A: my last word is that the conflict is going on, our societies have always been animated by conflicts, so we must not take it as a fatality but we must think positively in order to have common solutions for a social cohesion. Our main task is now to try to reduce social injustice. Thank you so much!
Editor: John H. Sime
