Peacebuilding &conflict transformation A ... - Peaceworkafrica

process our social connectedness as humans is compromised. Our lives are trappedby economic gains, power politics and class struggle for which the world groans desperatelyfor liberation. True freedom is adequately captured in peace and it is thus inour collective interest to build peace, promote peace, sustain peace and ensure peacein our communities.The future of the Church as well as that of the state is in the hands of the youthsbut unfortunately some of their minds are deformed and distorted by the marketand the media that propagate competition with its subtle hostile implications in abid to win. Many youth also fall prey to the political ambitions of overzealous politiciansor become tutelage to greedy merchants who manipulate these young personsto perceive growth and survival in the parochial facets of their ambitions. Suchdeceptions lure youth into schemes and practices that injure their consciences andsubject them into agents of violence to defend whatever interests they are manipulatedto defend. This kind of orientation for youth puts communities constantly atthe brink of violence and warfare.It is against this background that the Civil Peace Service of EED (now Breadfor the World) in Germany and the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon agreed to acivil peace service collaboration which amongst other things anticipates enhancingsocial communication that appreciates tolerance, promotes community participationand team work as a service to humanity. This collaboration focuses on the youth inthe PCC as a strategy to cultivate a preventive social culture against violence of allkinds. This resource book is a concrete outcome of our vision to promote peace inour society now and in the future.Denis KumboDevelopment Secretary, PCC.I n t r o d u c t i o n b y D e n i s K u m b o 15