At presentation of award: Esther Omam pledges to continue building peace bridges

By deciding to present her award to the Governor of the South West region of Cameroon, the Executive Director of Reach Out Cameroon is proving to the nation that a win for one is a win for all. The award winning peace builder on the occasion described the international award as the pride of the people of the ten regions of the country, but most especially those in the North West and South West regions.

“It is also the pride of women resilience in peace and nation building,” she said in her speech.

The Global Pluralism Award she said is just a reminder that much still need to be done in the quest for peace across Cameroon and beyond. “We must not give up, we have to continue to cause engagement among the different stakeholders”, she added.

The human rights defender acknowledge the efforts of the governor of the South West region in the quest for peace and promise her availability whenever need arises. “The governor can’t work alone, he needs us just as we need him”, she said.

“We have to develop a culture of constructive dialogue and respect for one another.”

The scribe of Reach Out Cameroon, Esther Omam, who presented the award to the governor seized the occasion to dedicate it to all peace champions, women peace builders, refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and the homeless.

“We honour all those who are risking their lives to safe lives in Cameroon,” Esther Omam said.

The peace process she said is very challenging and painful, but “we should not allow our pain to define us, we should define our pain”.

Madam Esther Omam was recognized with the Global Pluralism Award in November 2023 in Ottawa, Canada. She was among 200 candidate from some 61 countries across the world.

In acceptance of the award, Esther Omam said, “This award is a reaffirmation of the value of the concept of Leave no one behind. That humanity, more than ever before, should always come first. That our diversity is our bond and that, with pluralism, everyone can have a voice. This award symbolizes all that I fight for as a woman, a peacebuilder, and a leader in Cameroon, a country where the acceptance of our diversity and plurality can be a solution to our plight.”

The Global Pluralism Award recognizes pluralism in action. It is presented every other year to individuals, organizations, governments, and businesses from around the world, the Award celebrates the inspiring and brave work that is helping to build more inclusive societies where diversity is valued and protected.

The Award is conferred by the Global Pluralism Center, an independent, charitable organization founded by His Highness the Aga Khan and the Government of Canada, and is made possible in part by the generous support of TD Bank Group.

Esther Omam is an award-winning peace-builder and human rights defender who has spent nearly three decades fostering a culture of peace in Cameroon. Her organization, Reach Out Cameroon, promotes women’s and children’s rights in conflict-affected areas and advances women’s participation in the peace-building process.

It has served over 1,700,000 people in remote communities in the North West and South West regions since the Anglophone crisis started in late 2016.

To amplify women’s voices, strengthen their agency, and draw attention to the impacts of violence and trauma on their communities, Madam Omam established the Southwest/ Northwest Women’s Taskforce. She was one of the leading organizers of the first-ever National Women’s Convention for Peace in Cameroon, which drew over 1,200 women from across the country to demand an end to violence.

From facilitating the participation of women in local and national dialogues to opening a Peace House christened “Esther’s Brave Space” that offers temporary accommodation and counseling to survivors of gender-based violence, Madam Omam champions pluralism by strengthening communities and uniting voices to call for peace and social cohesion in Cameroon.