Researching and Campaigning Against the Illicit Proliferation and Misuse of Small Arms, War Toys, Firecrackers and Violent Films:
CAMYOSFOP believe that a peaceful world will be a world void of arms and other push complementary instruments such as war toys, firecrackers and violent films that inculcate a culture of violence to our kids that are expected to grow up as future leaders of the world.
CAMYOSFOP involvement on issues of small arms and light weapons started in the year 1999 with the campaign against war toys, firecrackers and violent films alongside the Ecumenical Service for Peace (SeP) and the Diocesan Justice and Peace Commission of the Diocese of Yaounde. The campaign was done in churches, schools, public places and through the media. CAMYOSFOP on its part took the campaign to schools where she had established peace clubs. At the start of this campaign, war toys had flooded Cameroon’s market especially during the festive periods of Christmas and New Year’s celebration. By 2004 war toys and firecrackers has virtually disappeared from Cameroon’s markets. Equally, violent films such as pornographic and warlike films with war lords as models for our kids shown on most Cameroon’s TV channels were now being censored by the government hence making most of the TV channels educative enough for kids. The greatest outcome from this campaign is that in 2005 CAMYOSFOP was a winner of the King Mohammed VI and UN Continental Award on youth led MDGs related projects. The CAMYOSFOP winning project was titled: Campaign against war toys, firecrackers and violent films within the youth milieu in Cameroon. CAMYOSFOP has continued with this campaign especially during end of year celebrations that sees the buying of these toys by some parents for their children.