Written piece
Manifestations of Un-Peace
Glein Neneng
Cameroon
About this piece
At a time where chaoes reigns in and out of every fabric in our social contruct, we must remind ourselves of what true Peace feels like. It is not the absence of wars and untold disasters. Peace begins with the little things - empathy, love and social cohesion.
Manifestations of un-Peace
O Cameroon, our fatherland,
Once applauded for your Peace and Stability,
Africa in miniature, glorified for your diversity.
But now, almost every hand is stained with
blood,
Corruption or a killing.
What a shame; what have we become?
A bleeding nation to its core:
No joy and no jobs; only hungry bellies and
faces with forced smiles.
We struggle to survive today, tomorrow, and
the day after,
With fear in our hearts and minds,
And children taught to hate.
Where are we headed?
A land once woven in grace,
Has grown mute to its own atrocities.
Men thirst for power,
Women are preyed upon.
Tribalism and nepotism are inevitable.
What a shame; what have we become?
The youths who once dreamed of tomorrow
Now inherit a legacy of despair;
Every future is zeroed by marginalisation.
How did we let this happen?
How can we not see these Manifestations of
Un-Peace?
What a shame; what have we become?
Education: an overpriced luxury.
Femicide: a forgotten tale.
Democracy: a corrupted song.
Drug use: an overdose of nightmares.
Peace … Peace: a desperate need.
What a shame; what have we become?
Our instability feeds our poverty.
Our patriarchal systems silence womanhood.
Human rights and democracy is mere
theatre.
We do penance after dreadful sins and ask: am
I forgiven?
The law counts for little, at least for some.
What a shame; what have we become?
Why? Why do we watch violence consume
us?
How? When did we become numb to human
values?
No justice for the weak,
No dialogue with the other half.
Disgusting. It has been this way for too long.
Yet the journey continues to unfold; so let us
walk together.
With light, faith and renewed conviction.
Where hands fall short, let nature invoke
victory.
Let us yank out the thorn of corruption
With resilience and goodwill for motherland.
Together, we can and we must survive.
The tune of authority pleases the ear,
Power resides here!
Remember the little ones, the lost ones,
Hawking the roads in Douala, Mokolo and
Bamenda,
Their lives depend on each drop of sweat.
History will judge you and me. Just wait and
see.
Bafang, Bafut, Bangem, Banyo, Batouri:
Different cultures, one people.
With heavy hearts but with solid dreams;
With beautiful rivers and colorful hills;
One nation to uphold
As though our survival depends on it.
Mora, Obala, Penja, Campo, Rhumsiki
Divided by borders, but bound by solidarity.
Different shades of black,
Community and communion,
Through our thoughts and actions,
Let us choose the path of Peace.
The soil can no longer be fed.
Women can no longer be ignored.
Youths can no longer be marginalised.
Let us stand for truth and humanity.
For Peace and development:
To manifest democracy and enduring
prosperity.