Leading the Movement for Peace: Reflecting on My Election as President of REPAIR Cohort 11 | Ibrahim Garba

True leadership does not begin when we find all the answers; it begins when we dare to sit in a room with our differences, look past our divides, and commit to rewriting our collective future. Over three intense, soul-stirring days at the Yahoot Hotel in Yaoundé, I watched the entire geography of Cameroon converge into a single room for the 11th Edition of the REPAIR program. Representing all 10 regions of our beautiful, complex nation, 40 young visionaries came together not just to discuss peace, but to live it, challenge it, and rebuild it from the ground up.

Stepping into this cohort, I knew we were confronting the heaviest realities of our time: democratic fragility, leadership crises, and the pervasive venom of hate speech and misinformation that threatens to destabilize our communities. But as we immersed ourselves in the mechanics of conflict transformation, efficient mediation, and reconciliation, something shifted within me. I realized that peace is not an abstract ideal or a passive state of quiet; it is a rigorous, active discipline. Learning alongside peers from every corner of the country taught me that diversity is not a barrier to unity, but the very foundation upon which a resilient democracy is built. We learned to confront painful truths while simultaneously constructing bridges toward healing, proving that the tools to counter falsehoods and resolve disputes are already within our reach.

To be elected by this extraordinary group of peers to serve as the President of REPAIR Cohort 11 is an honor that humbles me to my core, carrying a weight of responsibility that I accept with deep reverence. Alongside my Vice President, I have pledged that our leadership will be defined by unity and impactful initiatives. This journey was made possible by the visionary team at NewSETA. I am profoundly grateful to the organizers, the brilliant facilitators, the dedicated mentors, and my fellow cohort members who challenged and inspired me every day. As Dr. Sakah Bernard beautifully reminded us, the consistent impact of this program proves the immense capacity of young Cameroonians to achieve greatness. And as NewSETA’s Executive Director powerfully noted, peace is a collective responsibility, not one we can simply leave behind for the government to solve.

We entered that room as individual leaders, but we left as a movement. Empowered as Youth Envoys for Peace, Cohort 11 carries far more than certificates; we carry a sacred mandate to transform our communities, disrupt divisive narratives, and model the inclusive leadership our nation urgently demands. My commitment to empowering the youth of Cameroon has never been stronger, and my faith in our shared future has never been more unshakable. To every young Cameroonian reading this: the era of waiting for permission to lead is over. Take up your space, raise your voice, and let us together build a more inclusive, peaceful, and democratic Cameroon because if we do not shape the peace we deserve, no one else will.

• Ibrahim Garba