Cameroon - The March Forward

By Arrey Obenson*** and  edited by Innocent Chia

Since I authored a piece in The Chia Report a few weeks ago there have been a significant outpouring of commentaries and expectations. I essentially drew two conclusions from all the commentaries I received. The first is an expressed need for immediate action that will bring change to Cameroon.The second point I deduced is that people are yearning for a decisive strategy that will lead to eventual change. This follow up is intended to call on every Cameroonian to join the dialogue and take action that will bring positive change to Cameroon. We are no longer entitled to stand by as idle spectators while others make decisions that define who we are and where we are headed.

I firmly adhere to the notion of the fierce “urgency of now” as coined by Dr. Martin Luther King, and by all means agree that the time, as stated by several people, is now. However I also believe that we must also act intelligently and tactfully. To accomplish both we must have a clear goal, common purpose, and a good plan. We must engage people of all spectrums and act wisely. Our goal is to restore the respect of human dignity, for guarantying life, liberty and equal opportunities for every Cameroonian.  Our common purpose is to rise above self and embark on building a country that every Cameroonian will be proud of and empowered to contribute to its development. 

Let me be clear: the departure of President Paul Biya is not our goal; however, in order to achieve the foregoing it is inevitable that regime change must take place. We must look beyond individuals and work towards the destiny of our Country.  If we can be united in purpose one man cannot stop the forces of change. If we can engage people with common vision; if we can put in place a plan that is inclusively constructive; if we will act swiftly and decisively with the people on our side we will prevail. I therefore agree with most of the readers that the time is now!

If we must act, the question arises where do we begin and how do we ensure that our action is effective? 

The most important players in the quest for change are the people on the ground in Cameroon. Permit me share my thoughts on how tremendously important the ground troops are. 

2011 is a pivotal year for Cameroon because it is alleged there will be Presidential elections, as naïve as this may sound; we cannot afford to be passive in the process. We must engage the process and hold the authorities accountable to their obligation to ensure that the elections are transparent. This means we must not only register to vote but begin an elaborate campaign to register voters. I admit that every election in the last three decades of our history has been a mockery of the term and so rigged that it farcically beats my intellect that I reluctantly make this statement. Yet this is an initial step that we must embark on. 

Here is a simple exercise you can do immediately you register: Send a text message from your mobile telephone to all your contacts, saying “I just registered to vote, how about you?” Ask your family members, friends, neighbors and colleagues to register to vote. As you and yours register to vote, make sure you know your polling station, ensure that you are properly listed, and volunteer to man the polling stations. If we have a massive participation in the process and continue to be engaged to the vote count, we can challenge and avert any rigging.

Granted this is wishful thinking, I will rather we regret that we registered and the election was rigged than we did not and complain about the process. Someone wrote that change would come due to action taken in village squares and market places. I definitely agree, let us engage the people in those places and educate them about their responsibility as citizens. We must appeal to our brothers and sisters to go to their “Njangi groups”, “Village Associations”, alumni associations and ask people to educate people about the electoral process and why we must be engaged in it. It was Bob Marley who wrote, you can fool some people sometimes but you cannot fool all the people all the time. This is our time; we must take control of our destiny. 

Here are my thoughts for Cameroonians in the Diaspora. There is very much you can do to effect change in Cameroon even though you do not have your boots on the ground in Cameroon.  There are few things going for you - exposure to alternative systems of governance, leverage on family and friends and resources.

Exposure because most of you have lived in Cameroon and have traveled and lived elsewhere in the world. Needless to say no society is perfect, but you know the vices of both and certainly can decipher which works better for its people… This exposure permits you have leverage on your friends and family members back home. You must use that leverage wisely, encouraging people to vote, making them understand that life can be better and that the good fight is worth fighting.

Relatively speaking, you have tremendous resources. This is obviously not limited to financial resources. There is doubtlessly a bottomless well of resources that the government of Cameroon will engage to maintain the status quo. Your resources are essentially, financial, material and moral. A combination of all three, coupled with the use of technology is a formidable force to reckon with. 
What can you do today to enhance life for people in Cameroon? Whether it is organizing a medical mission, building a community center, supporting a public library, providing educational or medical supplies or any other form of good works that hundreds of you are undertaking already, you must act wisely this time. Use this as your leverage and ask for something in return. Ask our people to stand up for change, register to vote, engage in the process and support not only the regime change but also a new beginning for Cameroon. We must act wisely.

We must begin to combine our resources by getting together in cities or communities across America, Europe, Asia, and Africa to lay the foundation of the movement I mentioned in my previous article. (O Cameroon where is your soul). We need people to step up to leadership, not for the attributes of it but for the shared vision for change. Too often we get together and spend valuable time arguing over our differences rather than what unities us. This time we must get together to discuss what desire of our country Cameroon – this is what unites us.

We need a manifesto of your ideas ranging from constitutional, judicial, educational, healthcare and economic reform. These are five pillars on which the future of Cameroon must be defined. Yes we have heard this before. The difference this time is we must act on it from community to community, country to country. Expect the usual name calling, skeptics and cynics. But we must not loose sight of our goal as we get together from Los Angeles to Boston, Dublin to Prague, Tunis to Johannesburg, New Delhi to Kuala Lumpur…

We must bring these resources to bear to effect change in Cameroon. No matter how small your group may be, get together one Sunday or Saturday and let us begin the conversation for change amongst us. We will build momentum from there on.

Finally, let me address a third group of people – the illusive “majorité Presidentielle”. It is time for soul searching, time to also search for the truth and let the truth be told: The days of this regime are numbered. Wake up! It has been 29 years! Do the math. I respect your opinion if you stand satisfied with the state of the country, but disagree with every iota of my being that the people of Cameroon do not deserve better. The simple truth that you and I know is that the people have been dealt a bad hand for decades.

It is time for you to stand with the people for change, what ever your political affinity. Granted you may not be motivated to be part of this movement, I also respect that. If that is your choice so be it. But if that were your choice then you must not stand in the way of the restoration of the human dignity of a people. We know that though ships are safest in the harbor they were not built to stay in the harbor. The status quo is unacceptable; change is inevitable and with the people at home and abroad standing together, no one, not even mightiest sword can stop the change.

Let me end with some food for thought. Some people have argued that maybe 50 years is not ripe enough for the expectations that we have; or that our economy is manipulated by the West which is controlling market prices for our natural resources; or that we are not ready for democracy in the real sense of it. This is an argument for another day. But think about this: If the age of a country determined its success, India and/or Egypt - some of oldest countries on earth - would have been the most advanced. 80% of land in Japan is inadequate for agriculture and this country imports nearly all its raw material. Yet it is a very developed country (God bless them as they recover from the current crisis). Switzerland is a small country that is known for producing some of the best chocolates without producing any cacao. It is also considered the safe box of the world with its banking system.

All three thoughts are yours to ponder – it is not the number of years a nation has existed, or that its people are not cultured enough to understand or the trade imbalance with the West. It the unwillingness of our leaders to be true representatives of the nation, and their inability to adapt to change that puts country first. This is our time!

In the next few weeks we will begin to build our movement from ground up, with you as an integral part of this movement. It will be your movement to lead and you will be responsible for change. Even as I invite you to stay tuned, do not shy away from joining this dialogue.

God Bless Cameroon!

 ***The author, Arrey Obenson is Junior Chamber Internation (JCI) Executive Director for Growth and Development. He is also President of the United Nations Association of St. Louis in the United States. Born in Cameroon, this august key note speaker has become an inspirational brand in youth circles with the message that they need not wait on the rest of the world to make a difference. His "Power of One" impact forums empower young people across the globe to tap into their transformative abilities to make a difference in their communities and the world at large.

Comments

[dango tumma]

why cry for o cameroun? is that ur country arrey?
cry for southern cameroons. where you can eat on the kings table.
cry for our independence. meen

[the wonderer]

finally somebody is talking the language of change, something we have longed sought after. It is this fine detailing that we should be thinking about and actively working on it. Time to move to the practical phase. mobilisation on the ground.

[Aken Aten]

hehehhehehehe!!!!!!

.............. Japan is inadequate for agriculture and this country imports nearly all its raw material.Yet it is a very developed country (God bless them as they recover from the current crisis). Switzerland is a small country that is known for producing some of the best chocolates without producing any cacao. It is also considered the safe box of the world with its banking system.
............
On you earlier piece i already had mentionned the lightness of ideas coupled with the puberty of the conclusions might indeed drive you into an abyssal hole!
Since the rest of this piece is strangely intellectually weak let me look at the aformentionned lines to help you understand why politics is still by far the most complex science knowned to human!
It might therefore be important to look into crossing the "101" before stating the "un-statable"!
Japan as a ........... "Very developped country" will surprise many. In certains "intellectuals" shores, the catastrophy that has shaken that "very developped country" is ususllay reffered to as ........... an "Act of God"!
Strangely enough no one remebers GOD when Japan was emmerging ( the 60's) or even crusing towards its future (the 70 AND 80's). It was then discribed as the "natural outcome of the "Meiji Revolution"!
Ah, man !!!!!!!!!!!

On the issue of Switzerland and chocolate i do not need to remind you of the fact that Ivory coast has the largest port in the world for the exports of Cocoa (San Pedro!)and that its president was removed so that simpleton as friends of yours keep commenting about the greatness of new esclavagist countries such at the one that you named.

My point regarding Switzerland is far from it cocoa needs but rather what links that "great" nation to an african named Maurice. If you had completed your "history of religion 101", you would know that the Maurice has become a catholic "calendar name" ( listing the saints) due to the martyre of a certain black man call Maurice who, from the Coptic house of the Catholic church based in Alexandria, and working for a roman emperor refused to kill fellow catholic leaving in switzerland (though Catholic from the house of Rome!)
Maurice was then executed and became the patron saint of .................. SWITZERLAND!
Strangely enough most of the african (you are clearly among them!) can't even remember that time!!!

Politics is serious! Keep away from it!

[abakwa]

Another great piece again mr Obenson and a true way to start looking at change and how we as Cameroonians can begin putting bright ideas to make this change happen. Getting the masses on the ground to register and vote is a good idea but when people have been broken for decades as you indicated with falsified voting results every election, they turn to leave the arena and let fraud prevails. That said, its not the best thing to do because as we have seen world wide that the masses if organized and determined can cause change in a short time. I will also encourage others to talk to relatives and friends and also send media invitations to foreign stations to bring some accountability and a bit of fairness to the election process.

People can belly up and put money together to mobilize the polls by providing transportation if needed, assist journalist from foreign country as guides to show them what happens in Cameroon and post pictures and clips of political and economic mishaps for the world to see. Cameroonians can step away from tribal differences and look at the country as a whole because thats only how we can move forward. The idea I read from one of the comments asking you if you are Cameroonian or southern cameroon is what takes us back and prevents development politically as we still in 2011 play tribal games. If a candidate from the north or south or east or west has a good running platform with genuine or clear progress for the country why should it matter? and if southern "Cameroon" .....why should the country divide if we can support a progressive and democratic candidate?

And Aken Aten comments or points just throws me off. I think he needs to be clear in his direction and comment on the points and move away from roaming. Aken what are your own non "abyssal hole!" suggestions or ideas to move Cameron forward?

[Aken Aten]

My good friend Abakwa,
I really fail to understand how the commented article can be and i quote ........Another great piece again mr Obenson and a true way to start looking at change..............
See, my point when i read articles here is that some of the parties clearly need to understand that there is such a thing as a NEGATIVE note in class.
Whilst I understand the need for everybody to give its two bit piece on the upcoming fall of "mabongo -X- boy" of Etudi who himself had helped us doing away with the "apprentice" communication technician (alias the father of the nation) from Garoua, it is more important to understand that politics is a science.
As such one needs to understand the fundamentals before entering the ring!
Clearly Oberson has not!
Pointing that to him is the best service that we can all render to our future because if he crosses the arena of "open ed" to get involved and by chance ............. he was to be elected at any political position...........
We ought to be carefull here!Cameroon needs not to move forward because Cameroon as a nation created bu teh treaty of berlin and redrawn by the League and perfected by the San francisco treaty organisation, and constantly edited since teh 60's ............ is a NON SENSE!
Beside, after avoiding the cretinery of our leaders and the ever-grabbing France -Afrique,HOW EXACTLY can "Cameroon" compete with a 1,3 Billion' Chinese nation or even 1 billion Indian one.
It is clear from where i look at this "confusion" that ONLY Africa must move ahead!
Gone are the days of the shrimp camaroes that suddently became ..... the crab of the UPC's Kamerun! A guess a sick "bassa" joke of translation from the portugese shrimp into german crab and more importatly avoiding to know the HIERATIC ( second language of ancient Egypt!)

For GOD's sake, we can at least leave this name and proclaim our dying need to rejoin our fellow african brother in renaming it African Land of something???????

There lies our past and therefore our future! Let us not be afraid to look at that direction.

It is our only horizon!!!!

The heroes of our past that are not dead (and who certainly are a bit confused about the help to be given to countries with no history that goes beyong the 1884-1885 "treaty") are certainly still awaiting that we remember them!
What is the future of thoses "countries" without .....history????????

[Gina Pintem]

Mr Arrey:
Thank you not only for making a diagnosis of the problems that plague Cameroon, but for moving swiftly into a preparatory phase that invites Cameroonians into a dialogue for reconstruction. As much I do not want to focus on the negative, you know Cameroonians well enough to expect them to deviate from a constructive dialogue. Look at how much air Aken is taking in the room only to come back empty handed at the end of the day. He propositions nothing concrete. He lives in the abstract. But I still prefer him to those others...
I am talking about the majority who are reading and thinking that your plans include the creation of an organization that they will come and milk dry. It is what we do best in Cameroon. We come to kill good plans.
Thank you for sharing the courage of your thoughts, and thank Mr Chia Innocent and the Chia Report for the diversity of views.
Gina

[victor etta]

Mr Obenson,
the simplicity of your ideas is very refreshing. Some have always been conditioned to believe that since rocket science played a major part in drifting us away from our desired destiny, it is the same rocket science that should take us back. Lack of applied education can really be a big curse. There is a small simple path - albeit a bushy shortcut in need of a bit of trimming - that should lead us back, but we fail to realize it, because we are always focused on the notion that only ideas manufactured to travel on the super highway can carry us back to our desired destiny. Grassroot level, as you emphasized is where it is should start - planting that seed within each community and enabling the community to empower its people to embolden themselves with a change in mentality.
I like your plan, and as simplistic and naive as it sounds, it is the most honest way I see for us to move forward. It is up to those among us who have the leadership qualities to pick on it and let it grow.

Victor Etta

[Emmanuel Elangwe]

@Aken
What is your point!? "Politics is a science"...So...what!?

[Aken Aten]

So boy, ........ two questions!!!
1- Can you migrate Fukushima (Japan) today??? The international community ( alias community of "vice Gods") is looking for letters of intents of new members whishing to head to Japan and loving its "very developped" status as Obenson! Well if you hesitate, try for Alabama (Us)! There is certainly help to be given there!
Someone remind to our two friends (Obama and Ito members of the "international community") that Only GOD is in charge here on planet Earth ( and for that matter in the whole word)!

2- Who is the only "president" in the history that was ever "democratically elected" but "installed by arms forces"!!!
Whilst the same "z'international community" plans on installing its own president-elect, May the 21 st 2011 in Cote d'ivoire, i am left wandering ...........WHO exactly is today's president of COTE d'IVOIRE! oup's!!!

Any Obenson view on the matter??? After all, if i understand his aim he might become his pair soon!!!

Additionally i intend to find if a president elected has ever send embassadors (-who have been received and installed by-) in foreign countries. hehehehhe!
Oh!!! One last question ........

But after all why bother you with that Elangwe!

I guess, you got "the" point! Political science is indeed a science!

[Emmanuel Elangwe]

Very funny...I'm not the least bothered. I'm not sure what your point is...!! Seriously, I'm not trying to be a douche...! You still didn't answer my question nor made your point clearly.

It must be ME...It's so hard to follow your rational here. I'm not against your critic of Obenson's Op-Ed, nor am I defender of his political philosophy, I'm here to educate (if possible) myself on Cameroonian issues, and read the reactions of the educated class of my fellow country men...So, when I pose a question, I'm not trying to pick a fight. (I could, but just not worth it).

So once again...write SLOWLY and COHERENTLY (so a retard like myself can follow your logic) what exactly your point(s) is/are...

Thank you.

[Aken Aten]

Pick Up a Fight? Slowly and Coherently???
A Retard like myself........????
My good frieng Elangwe, I fail to understand what you are trying to comprehend. Is it my views or my commets on the views of Obenson?
Both of them are related to the future of Cameroon.
My point is simple Political science is by far THE MOST COMPLEX SCIENCE THAT MAN HAS EVER HAD TO GRASP!
Therefore when we speak about the future of the presidency in Cameroon (as a part of understanding that science!),(including the future of his current president and or his replacement), we ought to understand that much!
Two fathers of Nations is enought stupideness!!!!
Three mistakes to avoid when one speak about political science in Cameroon (or in Africa for that matter.)
1- History for Us starts 5000 Years ago (not with colonisation). The actual understanding of it will help fellow cameroonians to understand the real mening of biya. His names means( in Hieratic) MINE! Amazingly enough the poor cretin does not even knows it! Some of his followers who might know about it have all decided to look at his future with their.....ears!!!
Silence therefore........ they are digging!
2- The creation of a "modern" State in a part of Africa is simply a non sense. African simply need to know their history! The natural state to be drawn will appear and i assume it will go far beyong todays frontiers!
But most of my fellow country men like to beleive that going back to jesus is already hard enough. Attempting to understand our lives before is simply ....... FUTILE!!!
They are however ready to go forward!!!!!!!!!
Where does not ...... matter!!!!
3- Africa Will unite or African will disapear from Earth. Anything before that stage is just a waist of time!
To further understand what i have to say re-read what was written already as comments of this........... "open ed".......!!!!!
Explication are there!!!

Many returns

[Emmanuel Elangwe]

Ok bro...somewhere between the two of us, the is a blonde!! Hey, do have any idea when the next Miss Cameroon pageant show will be running? (I mean that in a nice way) Best of Luck my dear brother.

[Cheap Jordan Shoes]

INTERESTIN ARTICLE. YOU HAVE GAINED A NEW FAN. I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OF YOUR COOL BLOG POSTS. CHEERS!

[Discount Air Jordan]

WRITING IS SIMPLY GREAT. LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!!

[New Jordans 2011]

Folks have got murdered the other person, inside enormous battles and also guerilla activities, for most generations, whilst still being killing the other person in today's, above Ideologies and also Made use of which usually, explained since propositions, show up none correct or bogus to be able to modern day logicians-- useless propositions in which seem important for the linguistically unsuspecting.

[EAU]

@Aken.
I still do not see where you discourse lends to Mr Obenson's piece. You seem to be on a quest to expound on the complexities of the science of politics, without either depunking or giving any straightforward critique of the piece. I do accept negative critique, but do try to keep it germane, or the rest of us, will simply see you as the notorious rabble rousers of our dear nation. alot of talk, very little substance...or should i say very disjoint substance. I pray you make your point, and try keeping it simple. @Obenson : Good piece, I pray many people read it.

[Aken Aten]

@EAU! How difficult is it to understand that political science is a ......... SCIENCE????
You really leave me pondering on the issue!!!!
See what is so funny is that while you are engaging this issue i have just been informed that plans are afoot to elect (let us just say simply to name) a certain cameroonian called Vigouroux Chantal Pucherie alias the woman-lion aka the second "wife" of the second ........... FATHER of the nation, ......................... SENATOR in the upcoming high chamber of the representative side aile of our democratic governement!
Now i beleive that this is indeed a good time to revisit two important facts.
1- The first and "only" wife of our first father of the nation refuses to lower the fanion of the CNU (For the young Cameroun National Union!) Apparently she still has some pictures of our current "Lord" swearing that he will be faithfull to the former one!
2- As though things were not difficult enough with the Senagalo-cameroonian protecteress of our Garoua boy, we now have to contend with teh new dream of our geniune and illeterate princess (who still cannot choose between her french and cameroonian passport): TO BE CALLED MADAME LA SENATEUR PRESIDENTE!
Nothing new under that tropics the Current Wife of the president of Uganda Yoweri Museveni is -herself- Minister in his......... Governement!!!!
I do not know about the wife of our "future Lord" Obenson "the third" but if he bring to us an american (that we will tropicalise as african-american), i beleive that we might finnally resolve the problems of double nationality in the "shrimp land"!
Maybe we will then be able to offer political asylum to a man who has made more headline that Gbagbo in this first half of the year 2011: Dominique Strauss Khan...

By the way anyone has the adress of the "z'international community" to address the very urgent issue of a "former" french citizen in time so that he can attend the inauguration of the "burkina-boy" in Cote d'ivoire!!!

Pity that he might miss such a great day of democracy for xhich he has worked so hardly!!!!

EAU, as i told here many times GOD IS IN CHARGE and Politics is VERY complicated!
Amateur should stay away!
Let me just finish by asking a question: Anyone who beleive that you can build a nuclear plant ( and actually build it!) in a VERY sysmic country is part part of a nation that is very developped or very ..........?
Enjoy (half)brother!!!!!

[EAU]

Well, thanks once more for your illuminations Mr aken. To the rest of the house, I guess its time we just ignored him and actually talked about the issues.
@Obenson, I do still believe that Cameroon has never had a lack of great ideologues, but our problem seems to be inertia. How to make a groundswell of support for any idea, given our years of apathy will surely be the greatest challenge. Anyone who can figure out how to actually get Cameroonians interested in 'doing' something, not only talking (which we do quite well), might just have found the right formula. And I do believe it would be difficult to start from without, and not within.

[Aken Aten]

EAU! Well your answer only leaves us with one question. What shoud Aken Aten do with its views???? Ah!!!
When will the magic of internet is still not hitting a few nostalgic of the "CNU" (alias parti unique)!!!
What??????? Inertia of "Great Ideologues"!!!
I guess in "miondo-land" everything is possible even that you get access to a .... computer!!!
Keep good half bro!!!

[Julia L Gham]

God Bless The Cameroons...God Bless Cameroonians!