By PaWED-IATC Insights
International Day of Peace 2026
Peace is more than the absence of war.
It is the ability of a woman to live without fear of violence. It is a child being able to go to school safely. It is a displaced family having access to basic services and the possibility of rebuilding its life. It is a young person believing that their voice matters. It is a citizen being able to participate meaningfully in democratic processes and trust that institutions will listen.
These reflections were at the heart of the high-level parliamentary dialogue convened in Cameroon to commemorate the 2026 International Day of Peace, under the theme “Investing in Peace for All, Everywhere, Every Day.”
The dialogue brought together members of the National Assembly and Senate, government representatives, civil society organizations, the United Nations and other national and international stakeholders to explore how peace can become a lived reality rather than an annual declaration.
PaWED-IATC was invited as part of the broader Cameroon civil society ecosystem working across the different thematic areas addressed during the dialogue, including peacebuilding, gender-based violence/femicide, women’s rights, justice, inclusion and community-level action.
For us, one message stood out clearly:
Cameroon does not only need to speak about peace. Cameroon needs to invest in the institutions, people, laws and systems that make peace possible.
Parliament and the institutionalization of peace
One of the most significant discussions was the recognition that Parliament has a central role to play in building and sustaining peace. Its responsibility goes beyond passing legislation. Through its four core functions, legislation, oversight, representation and budgetary control, Parliament can influence the conditions that either prevent conflict or allow grievances to deepen. This means developing laws that promote social cohesion and prevent violence; holding government accountable for the implementation and impact of peace initiatives; listening to communities; and ensuring that national resources are directed towards the places and people most affected by conflict. The discussions called for a shift from simply asking:
“What has government done?”
to asking:
“What has changed in people’s lives?”
That shift is fundamental.
A rehabilitated school is important. But are children actually back in school? A budget allocation matters. But did the resources reach the intended community? A peace programme may be launched. But has trust between communities and institutions improved?
Peacebuilding requires answers to these questions.
Peace must be built from the community upward
The dialogue also highlighted the importance of local dialogue, decentralization and community participation.
Parliamentarians were encouraged to become peace sentinels within their constituencies, listening to communities, engaging traditional and religious leaders, and creating spaces where women, youth, displaced persons and other marginalized groups can express their concerns.
Conflict prevention cannot always wait for a crisis to reach Yaoundé.
Grievances often begin locally. So must many of the solutions.
Regular consultations with communities, schools, traditional authorities, religious institutions and civil society can help identify tensions before they become violence. Local dialogue can also rebuild trust between citizens and state institutions. This is particularly important in conflict-affected areas where years of insecurity have weakened social cohesion and confidence in institutions.
Elections must be an opportunity for peace, not another source of tension
With legislative and municipal elections approaching, electoral peace emerged as another major priority. Participants raised concerns about electoral accessibility, declining participation in conflict-affected areas, weaknesses in the electoral framework and unequal political representation. The call was therefore made for comprehensive electoral reform and greater political consensus.
Among the proposals were:
- a national pact for peaceful elections;
- a code of conduct against hate speech;
- parliamentary peace teams across the ten regions;
- stronger local parliamentary engagement;
- improved electoral accessibility; and
- review of aspects of the electoral framework that may contribute to tension and exclusion.
The underlying message was simple:
Elections should be a democratic celebration, not a preparation for conflict.
Gender-based violence is a peace and security issue
Perhaps one of the strongest connections emerging from the discussions was between gender-based violence and peacebuilding.
Violence against women and girls, including rape, domestic violence, femicide, infanticide and sexual harassment cannot be treated as isolated incidents.
They are indicators of deeper inequalities, failures of protection and weaknesses in justice and accountability systems.
When women and girls cannot live safely, society cannot claim to be at peace.
The dialogue therefore called for stronger legal and institutional measures to prevent and respond to violence against women and children. Participants also highlighted the need for accessible survivor-centred services, including shelters, emergency support, mobile clinics, legal assistance, referral mechanisms and confidential reporting systems.
The need for a functional toll-free GBV helpline and strengthened capacity of police, gendarmerie and other frontline personnel was also emphasized.
The pending legal reforms: an opportunity for change
The intervention of the Minister of Justice brought renewed attention to ongoing legal reforms addressing violence against women and children.
Discussions highlighted efforts to explicitly recognize femicide and infanticide in the legal framework, alongside reforms addressing sexual harassment and inconsistencies concerning the minimum age of marriage.
The issue is bigger than terminology.
Recognizing femicide in law can contribute to visibility, accountability and public understanding of the gendered nature of killings of women. Similarly, closing legal loopholes and harmonizing legislation can strengthen protection and reduce opportunities for impunity.
For civil society organizations, this creates an important opportunity to continue providing evidence, documenting lived experiences, engaging policymakers and advocating for legislation that is comprehensive, enforceable and survivor-centred.
Budgets are also peacebuilding tools
An important but sometimes overlooked message from the dialogue was that peace requires money.
Peacebuilding cannot depend solely on political speeches or declarations.
Parliamentary budgetary control can be used to examine whether national resources are reaching communities affected by conflict and whether investments are reducing inequality and vulnerability.
Participants proposed conflict-sensitive budget analysis and stronger monitoring of reconstruction expenditure.
This includes asking:
- Which communities are benefiting?
- Are the most vulnerable receiving adequate support?
- Are women and young people benefiting?
- Are schools, health facilities, roads and water systems being restored?
- Are jobs being created?
- Are communities involved in decisions affecting them?
- What measurable peace outcomes are being achieved?
Equal spending does not necessarily produce equitable outcomes.
Communities that have experienced greater destruction and deprivation may require greater investment to achieve meaningful recovery.
Young people and children must be part of the peace equation
The launch of the “Academic for the Peace by the Peace” initiative reinforced another critical point: peacebuilding must begin early.
Conflict has disrupted education in affected regions, leaving schools closed or destroyed, teachers displaced and children deprived of safe learning environments.
Peace education therefore cannot be an optional addition.
Children and young people need opportunities to understand conflict, develop dialogue and mediation skills, challenge hate and exclusion, and become active participants in building peaceful communities.
Youth should not be seen only as beneficiaries of peace programmes. They are actors and partners in peacebuilding.
The role of civil society: from participation to accountability
The participation of PaWED-IATC alongside other civil society actors reflects the important role of Cameroon’s CSO ecosystem in shaping national conversations on peace, justice and inclusion.
Civil society brings something essential to these discussions, proximity to communities and the ability to document realities that may not always appear in official statistics.
Organizations working on women’s rights, GBV, peacebuilding, justice, humanitarian response, youth empowerment and community development can help connect national commitments to local realities.
For PaWED-IATC, this means continuing to contribute to the evidence base, amplify community voices, support survivor-centred approaches and advocate for policies and laws that advance peace, gender justice and human dignity.
It also means strengthening collaboration among civil society organizations so that advocacy is coordinated, evidence-based and connected to the lived experiences of communities.
From declaration to implementation
The 2026 International Day of Peace dialogue offered an important platform for reflection. But the real measure of its success will not be the quality of the speeches delivered or the number of commitments recorded.
It will be what happens next.
Will the proposed electoral reforms move forward?
Will the pending GBV and femicide legislation receive the attention it deserves?
Will parliamentary oversight become more focused on measurable impact?
Will resources reach conflict-affected communities?
Will women, youth, displaced persons and marginalized groups have meaningful seats at the table?
Will survivors of violence receive timely, confidential, satisfactory and dignified support?
These are the questions that will determine whether peace is becoming a reality.
A call to invest in peace every day
Cameroon has no shortage of commitments to peace. The challenge is to transform those commitments into laws, budgets, institutions, services and community action.
The parliamentary dialogue demonstrated that there is space for stronger collaboration between Parliament, government, civil society, communities and international partners.
The opportunity now is to move from conversation to implementation.
Because peace is not simply something we commemorate once a year.
Peace is something we build every day.
And building it requires all of us.
About PaWED-IATC
Pathways for Women’s Empowerment and Development/Integrated Agricultural Training Center (PaWED-IATC) is a community-rooted organization working at the intersection of gender justice, GBV prevention and response, women’s empowerment, Women, Peace and Security, SRHR, community development and evidence-based advocacy.
Through its work, PaWED-IATC seeks to ensure that evidence, community voices and lived experiences inform policies and programmes that advance justice, dignity and sustainable peace.
PaWED-IATC Insights shares evidence, reflections and perspectives emerging from the organization’s work and engagement with communities, institutions and partners.
Evidence. Voices. Justice. Change.
