Walter Wilson Nana
Buea, Cameroon.
In the build up to the municipal and legislative elections due in Cameroon, some observers think there is need to build the capacity of stakeholders.
In one of such training sessions, recently, in Buea, representatives of political parties; the SDF, PAP, CPP, CPDM, NDPYD and the APF, drawn from the Southwest and Northwest Regions respectively, received information on; mobilisation at the service of citizenship, activist life and the experience of union struggle and mastery of the electoral process and different stages of an election.
According to Unionist, Jean Baptist Sipa, a militant of a political party must show a strong conviction of his or her views, be patriotic, faithful and committed in their course.
Political party representatives at the workshop.
Politicians share ideas and exchange views.
Politicians take down notes.
“Political militancy is about selling out your ideas, sticking to them and be able to die for them,” he said.
Sipa said the acquisition of political power is to serve the people better, reiterating that the political ideologies of the party must be articulated all the time.
The Unionist advised political party officials to have a vision in all what they do, especially for their country.
To him, people power carry with it traits of democracy, adding that power is not at the level of the Presidency of a country but with the masses at the council levels.
He explained that municipal power is not about politics but proximity management, being a good manager and not a politician.
He told the party representatives the ingredients of political management include; consensus, consultation and conciliation.
Human Rights Instructor, Philippe Nanga, talking on mobilisation at the service of citizenship said despite all the political lock jams, mobilisation of all sorts does the magic. “Mobilisation is not money,” he mentioned. “It is proximity meetings,” he added.
Nanga defined mobilisation as a process that brings together a significant number of people to form groups, organisations with the intention to look for a solution. He will add; “This is a process by which a group ceases to be passive and becomes active in politics. The people are particularly conscious of their social power but also able to appropriate and use it.”
The Human Rights Instructor said citizens have to be in the heart of mobilisation, they must find meaning in their action, be ready to act, feel accepted, respected and valued by the group. “Every citizen must feel his or her place, interest, certain autonomy of action and the spirit of sharing,” he mentioned.
He told the party representatives that mobilisation cannot be a subject of an individual’s problem but a problem(s) that affects a community.
Nanga advised the politicians to be at the fore of articulating the difficulties of the citizens.
The Fako Divisional Delegate for the People Action Party, PAP, Joan Mbome, found in the workshop new strategies on how to mobilise their supporters, get closer to them and collaborate with the administration and other institutions of government.
Auditor of the Buea Electoral District for the SDF, Lackban J.Nseta said the knowledge gathered will be an added value on how to mobilise, educate and raise funds for their party. “No matter the situation, no matter the system, there is always a way forward and this entails nonstop mobilisation, education and sensitisation. We have to participate, which is an integral part in citizenship and democracy,” he noted.
A militant of the youth wing of the CPDM in Towe South community, Mile I, Limbe, Terence Kubuh Ache said it is another capacity building opportunity that he will exploit for the betterment of his fellow militants, especially those in the youth wing who are not abreast with electoral processes and mobilisation techniques.
The training was organised by the civil society organisation, Un Monde Avenir, in collaboration with Buea-based Reach Out, under the theme; Citizen Action for Transparency and Fair Election in Cameroon, CATFE.
