Working for the Promotion of Living Values Education in Cameroon (CAPED International)
Based on an earlier training received in values-based Education, the Executive Director of Campus for Peace & Dialogue (CAPED) International, Dr. Walters Samah, took an active part in a series of workshops on values-based education organized in the towns of Yaoundé and Douala (Cameroon) by the Swiss Association for Living Values. As co-trainer/facilitator and member of the local organizing committee, Dr. Samah provided support to a team of experienced LVE trainers that came from the UK, Switzerland, Ghana and Senegal. The first workshop which ran from August 25th to 29th, 2007 was meant for English-speaking educators, while the second, from September 3rd to 7th, 2007 was for French-speaking educators. The third workshop (September 11th to 15th) which took place at the Institut Pan-Africain de Développement (IPD) in Douala was meant for street children and persons working with street children. Each of the three capacity-building workshops had about 50 participants drawn from different parts of Cameroon, with some coming from other African countries such as Chad, RDC, Ghana and Nigeria. The training provided participants notably educators with principles, methods and practical skills and tools to deal with situations in the classroom and in the community. It also gave them the possibility to develop increased awareness of their personal and social values, which would eventually make them to live as role models. Essentially, Living Values Education helps to bring out the dignity and integrity of the human person as well as enables people to identify their inherent values. It is part of the global movement for a Culture of Peace (COP) in the framework of the United Nations International Decade for a Culture of Peace and on-Violence for Children of the World. Its activities are supported by UNESCO and other international bodies. With regard to the relevance of Living Values Education in our society, the Director of UNESCO-BREDA Regional Office for Africa declared in 2004 that “In today’s Africa, ravaged by armed conflict, AIDS and poverty, values education will become a most powerful weapon” to help people to regain their pride, dignity and art of living together. Dr Walters Samah (standing) facilitating a session With caretakers of street children During the workshops there were several sessions during which participants “explored, experienced and expressed” inherent qualities such as peace, respect, love, responsibility and honesty. Other reflection activities permitted workshop participants to discover that our local cultures are still imbedded with a rich heritage of positive values like hospitality, cooperation, simplicity and sharing, which could be revitalised. Thanks to the interactive nature of the workshops, participants quickly came to the realization that, the first step in implementing Living Values in the community must start by practicing (living) the values themselves. What they also found remarkable about Living Values Education is the simplicity of its methodology and so many participants expressed readiness and commitment to implement Living Values upon return to their respective places of work. At the end of these workshops, it was hoped that Cameroon would consider setting up its own national association to henceforth coordinate and support LVE activities in the country. When that would be done, Cameroon would fully become part of the international family of more than 80 countries across the world, where Living Values Education is already in operation.