Revitalising a forest and a community

On the coast of Cameroon, the Bimbia-Bonadikombo Community Forest is at a crossroad. Economic pressures and environmental challenges threaten its biodiversity and the livelihood of its people. Elsie Fonyi Foletia leveraged the Positive Peace Framework from IEP’s Ambassador Program to holistically bring harmony to the forest and its surrounding communities.

Cameroon, a country situated between central and western Africa with nearly 30 million people, is known for its cultural, ethnic, and geographic variety. The Bimbia-Bonadikombo Community Forest (BBCF), situated in the eastern part of Limbe in the Southwest Region is all that remains of the lush forest that lies below Mt Cameroon. While its biodiversity is unmatched, it has declined in recent decades. Formed in 2002, the BBCF is comprised of five remote villages: Bonadikombo, Bonabile, Bonangombe, Liwanda and Dikolo. Covering 3,735 hectares, the forest is the lifeblood of the Bimbia-Bonadikombo Community, including non-timber products bush mango, bush pepper and ngongo leaf.

Many challenges have been forced on community members. After the use of the forest shifted from basic subsistence to profit-driven, economic motives, the Bimbia-Bonadikombo Community has struggled to collect enough Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) to sustain their families. Illicit timber exploitation and climate change have done vast damage to the rich biodiversity of the forest. Tourist sites, namely the Slave Port of Bimbia, have immense potential to generate income for the community but lack proper infrastructure for visitors. The high cost of transportation and communication networks disrupt educational efforts. Further complicating the issue, the competing interests of stakeholders in the BBCF – groups of people, local institutions, and forest users – highlights the need for peace-building initiatives.

As a part of IEP’s Ambassador Challenge, Elsie Fonyi Foletia demonstrated the essence of a true peacemaker by using the Positive Peace Framework to address the BBCF. Foletia’s work with the Women’s Orientation Association in Cameroon shows her ceaseless dedication to promoting peace throughout her country.

Foletia’s project centered around three villages in the BBCF – Bonakombe, Bonabile and Dikolo- and outlined an expansive solution to the community’s issues to be presented to community leaders, heads of organisations and NGOs, and government officials. She skillfully embraced the eight Pillars of Positive Peace to ensure the sustainability of the forest and stability of the BBCF’s facilities such as schools, tourist attractions and NTFP sites.

Foletia’s work displays a high-quality understanding of the interconnected nature of the framework. Her project touches on each of the eight Pillars of Positive Peace and addresses various aspects within the community: economic growth, employment, education, biodiversity and more. With the implementation of this Positive Peace intervention, the Bimbia-Bonadikombo Community is on track to achieve overall improvements in not only the level of peacefulness, but across social, economic, environmental and political domains.

Every individual has a powerful voice to use to enact change, and IEP’s Ambassador Program instills individuals fueled by a passion for advancing world peace with the skills and knowledge to foster understanding and create a better future for all.