Combating Hate Speech : Sensitisation Continues

Hate speech and xenophobia are two societal ills that have a negative impact on the smooth progress of the society in several sectors. It is against this backdrop that some members of the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism, led by Ngambo Fondjo Pierre Vincent, did a presentation on hate speech as an impediment for the infrastructure development and the structural transformation of Cameroon’s economy at the 12th edition of the Government Action Fair. The Commission was handed the price of the best public conference granted at the fair that ended on July 29, 2023. 
In his presentation, Ngambo Fondjo Pierre Vincent, who was assisted by Jean Marc Afesi Mbafor noted that the Commission in respect to the instructions of the Head of State has already embarked on several actions to eradicate the phenomenon from the society. “Concerning hate speech, the Head of State has instructed the Commission to carry out a new communication campaign. The campaign permitted members of the Commission to carry out field visits in various regions, and organise a colloquium where citizens united to see the causes, effects and how the issue can be eradicated. An operational plan was adopted with actions on long, short, medium and long terms,” he stated, adding that hate speech is an aspect which must be dealt with accordingly in order to pave the way for substantial growth.  Mr Ngambo Fondjo Pierre Vincent in his presentation equally stated that the causes to hate speech as perceived by many is linked to tribalism, marginalisation, discrimination, injustice and prejudice. To him, hate speech can therefore retard econ...