Bar. Agbor Balla hails Cameroon entertainment artists as peace ambassadors during MUMA 2020 Musical Excellence Award
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KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY BARRISTER AGBOR NKONGHO ON “THE ENTERTAINER’S ROLE IN PEACE BUILDING AND ECONOMIC GROWTH”- ON THE OCCASION OF MUMA 2020 MUSICAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS, THIS 14th DAY OF NOVEMBER 2020 AT DOUALA BERCY, AKWA- DOUALA
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me start by saying how happy and delighted I am to be here today and to have been selected by the organisers of this august event to deliver a keynote address to such a talented gathering of creative and hard-working people on the occasion of the 2020’s Muzikol Music Awards – “MUMA 2020”. This is a great day for you, and I am very happy to be sharing it with you! At first, I would like to extend my heart-felt sympathies to the families affected by the ruthless massacre of children at Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy in Kumba on October 24 and other lives lost in the course of the crisis in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon. I will also like to remember the victims of natural disasters like flooding, the victims of social unrest caused by the Islamic sect Boko Haram in the North of Cameroon, and those who have died due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
I cannot claim to know the raison d’etre and criteria for my selection as guest speaker, but I must state that I feel humbled. I hope to do justice to the subject matter and to contribute in a significant way in advancing the conversation on the subject matter in a way that adds value to you and to our community.
Let me also heartily welcome all guests here present today. We live in very difficult and challenging times, where everyone is seeking to pursue their own purpose. Therefore, I will like to sincerely thank you all who have prioritised this event over other engagements you have. We hope that you shall be the evangelists of this event, to take its message, like the gospel to the nocks and crannies of our country so that the efforts of this event will not be limited to the walls of this hall – where they will have no effects but will get into the hearts and minds of all, especially actors of peace and economic growth.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This ceremony is happening within the context of deepening crisis in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon that has been going on for the past four years. The carnage that has occurred within the context of this crisis is none that any right-thinking person can endorse. We have witnessed untold human rights violations in all forms.
I pride myself and the integrity of my organisation – CHRDA, as a frontline actor in documenting these violations and I can tell you without any fear of contradiction that the violations have been gross, widespread and systematic. We are not here today to debate and lay blame on the actors of this crisis. We are here to chart a new way to lowering the curve and directing it towards a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
From the above, one can be tempted to think that I have come here to recapitulate the events that have happened in our country for the past four years. No. I have come here to establish the fact that all of us are stakeholders in ensuring that lasting peace is brought to the restive regions of the country. We have been witnesses to the nose-dive direction the economy has taken as a result of this war which if not overturned immediately will plunge our nation and by extension, our sub-region into unprecedented economic crisis through measures and actions inimical to economic growth.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As citizens, we all have the responsibility to make our country worth living in through priorities rotating around peace, justice and economic stability. As entertainers, you must play your role towards the realization of these goals. But first, the question that readily comes to mind is who is an entertainer? One of the simplest available definitions of the term ‘entertainer’ from the Oxford Series is ‘a person, such as a singer, dancer, or comedian, whose job is to entertain others’ while to entertain means ‘provide (someone) with amusement or enjoyment’. As seen in the above definitions, an entertainer can be a musician, a dancer, an actor, a humourist, a comic artist just to name a few in that inexhaustible list.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is no secret that the world has become a global village with the introduction of the internet, which has been tailored to depict your skills. Your art has exposed you to thousands and millions of people, young and old, looking up to you, assiduously waiting to see what your next move will be, supporting and guarding your opinions and beliefs. Some of your fans are ready to shadow you wherever you lead them to. In as much as you find solace entertaining these hordes, you have the charge and responsibility to enlighten, educate and propitiate them.
Martin Luther King Jr. said “There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” With your voices, you can spur the people to action. Actions that will bring forth reconciliation and peace-building strategies. I want to take this opportunity to applaud all entertainers who came together in an attempt to create awareness concerning the extant state of the Anglophone regions of the country. I can best assure you it is not a day’s job. There will be critics and detractors; decriers who, behind the shield of their screens, will scrutinize each and every one of your actions and strategies, slurring every one of them. Still, do not relent. Stones only target ripe fruits on a tree with good produce, not unripe ones.
Worrawan Kalyanamitra, an International Expert, had this to say in her opening statement in her paper on ‘The role of entertainment media in building peace and establishing proper conflict resolution at the Conference for New Media for ASEAN Development Regional Conference (2010), Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University – STOU, Thailand. She said ‘Entertainment media are significant tools for relaxing and refreshing from any depressions. Media are also considered to be instruments for developing society or bringing social change’.
The above words from the peace crusader elucidates in not many words what is expected of entertainers. Entertainers drive messages to the souls of people. The works of entertainers usually ends up as recitations for many of us in our sub-conscious minds even while we go on with our our daily routines.
The lesser question which should be answered is what message has been carried hitherto by our entertainers in Cameroon. As varied and as complex as those messages have been, I would not want to x-ray them in this discourse, rather, I would want us to collectively agree that henceforth the narratives in our plays, songs, choreographies, game apps, paintings etc should be forcefully directed to peace building and in our context to the resolution of the Anglophone crisis which is, as elucidated above, inextricably linked to economic growth.
While musicians individually and collectively sing songs, humourists should use laughter to send a message of peace while cartoonist should use their artistic skills to condemn the ongoing horrors. Animators and disc jockeys should develop jingles on peace building while graphic designers on their part can flood our streets with banners calling for peace.
Most of us must know the role played by Ivorian musicians and artists some years ago. We remember the passionate lyrics of the late Hamidou Doukouré Stéphane aka Doug Saga and a host of others who through their talent redirected the minds of Ivorians from the gory experiences the country was going through and preached peace and reconciliation in the new music genre they developed called Coupé Décalé.
This calls for concerted efforts amongst you the entertainers. Enough of the backbiting, enough of mudslinging, enough of pettiness and cynism that has animated your corps for a while now. This is the time for you to come under one dynamic outfit and develop a common message that will penetrate and soften the hearts of major stakeholders of this crisis.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Entertainment industry contributes significantly to economic growth. In the US for example, the film and television industry alone contributes more than $41 billion each year to the economy and provides nearly 2million people with employment. In spite of the fact that we dont have available statistics in Cameroon, the entertainment industry makes significant contribution to the economy of the country. However, we need a peaceful environment for this contribution to be really felt. The link between peace and economic growth cannot be over emphasised. These two are intimately entwined since peace is a necessary precondition for sustained economic growth. The Global Peace Index (GPI), produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) IEP’s 2018 report found that in the last 70 years, per capita growth has been three times higher in highly peaceful countries when compared to countries with low levels of peace. It is nearly impossible for schools, hospitals, and businesses to operate when there is constant fear of violence and destruction of property. Moreover, highly peaceful countries have more than twice as high foreign direct investment. This is because peace creates a stable environment wherein businesses can flourish and government can function, ensuring the rule of law.
Afghanistan is a prime example of a country where the absence of peace has had a devastating impact on economic development. With a dismal ranking of 162 out of 163 countries in the Global Peace Index, Afghanistan incurred one of the largest economic costs of violence as a percentage of GDP. The country has been in a constant state of violence and civil war since the Soviet invasion of 1979. In recent decades, the Taliban have been jostling for power and constantly fighting the Afghan government and the NATO troops. There are almost 2.5 million registered Afghan refugees, the second largest refugee population in the world. Local businesses, hospitals, and schools cannot operate freely because of constant warfare, kidnappings, and assassinations. As a result, foreign companies are sceptical and cautious of investing in Afghanistan because they are not sure if their investments would be protected in this war prone country. Years of civil war have created a toxic environment which has left the country with low human development and has forced Afghans out of their homeland.
In our Cameroonian context, we are witnesses to the downward turn the economy of the two restive regions has taken, which has directly affected the nation’s economy. The city of Buea, which once hosted the silicon mountain, a hub for young techs, was dismantled as a result of the growing violence in the region. The silicon mountain project had the capacity to place Buea on the world map in development of information and communication technologies.
The North West Region has always been the breadbasket of the nation as their soil produced major food crops that were sold beyond our borders. With growing violence and uncertainties, major Common Initiative Groups have halted their activities thereby reducing food production. All the above have affected Cameroons GDP. This has inextricably resulted to the increase in import of basic commodities that has a consequent unfriendly effect on the sustainability of our local enterprises and producers.
Economic recovery is no coincidence, but rather the result of brave and synchronized policy action taken by unwavering leaders. You, entertainers, are those leaders.
Entertainment has a value chain of activities, which generate income and employment at every stage of value addition. It is also a source of government revenue. Content creation, production, distribution and content consumption are important value chain activities. In as much as your art is a passion, it is also a business, an economic activity. Where there is peace, again, there is economic growth. It is difficult to invest in an environment where the activities for the following day are uncertain. Many of you have had to leave your homes and your businesses to settle and invest elsewhere to stay adrift. That is proof enough to show you the necessity of a stable political and social environment.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It will be utterly unfair if I stay mute, as I conclude this discourse, without acknowledging Cameroonian entertainers for what they have been doing so far to ensure peace returns to our country and especially in the restive regions. You all in your own way have added your voices to advocate for the return to peace and have contributed tremendously to the economic growth of the nation.
As we gather to celebrate with the awardees of the MUMA Awards, lets rise up strong and in unison to be counted amongst all those whose names are and will be written in the golden book of indelible ink when the history of this four-year-old conflict in Cameroon will be buried to resurrect no more. Finally, let me congratulate all the nominees and wish you all a continued advancement in your work and endeavours.
Long live the MUMA AWARDS
Long live Cameroon Entertainers
Long live Cameroon’s Entertainment Industry
Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
