Achaleke Christian Leke, Commonwealth Young Person of the year 2016 and winner of Commonwealth Youth Award of Excellence in Development 2016.

You are currently championing youth action for peace and preventing/countering violent extremism in Cameroon, What is the project all about?

Our organisation, Local Youth Corner Cameroon which was created in 2002, has effectively been engaged in youth empowerment, inclusion and participation in development and policy making. As of 2014 when the leadership of the organization was changed, and I was made the national coordinator, it has been the task of the new leadership to design programmes and projects which would be contextual to the current situation; rise of youth participation in violence and violent extremism.

Under my leadership as national coordinator, we started orientating our major programmes toward engaging young people in the peace-building process and the fight against violent extremism, most especially using my personal experience of growing up in one of the most violent places in Cameroon Fiango, Kumba in the South West Region.

How has this project impacted the youths in Cameroon?

I can confidently say we are making considerable impact. Our projects and engagements have empowered over 500,000 young people across Cameroon, through face-to-face contacts, mass media and social media. Our ongoing creative skills for peace has provided 30 young people at the Borstal Institute in Buea with entrepreneurial, leadership and peace-building skills as an alternative to their violent ways.

Our grassroots impact in Cameroon has given our organisation the opportunity to contribute positively at the international scene in promoting youth participation in peace building and the fight against violent extremism.

What advice do you have for any youth hoping to venture in a domain of activity like yours?

Youths should not limit their activities only toward peace-building; rather we should try as much as possible to provide solutions to the drives of youth radicalization and recruitment into violence. While developing our initiatives, we should take into consideration where we want to execute the projects.

Also, we have to be innovative and creative in our ideas. It takes courage to engage in this field. They should consider risk management in developing their projects. They should avoid putting themselves at risk while working as peace-builders.