15/04/2026
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*Justice and Peace Take Center Stage in Douala*
_By [Sheikh Mohammed Ngubong]_
_Douala, Cameroon — Friday, 10 April 2026_
More than fifty participants gathered in Douala on Friday for a justice and peace building workshop jointly organized by Barrister Nico Halle Law Firm and Heritage University, the institution founded by Dr. Dze Ngwa. The day-long encounter brought together lawyers, academics, community leaders, religious leaders and civil society actors determined to re-examine the foundations of lasting peace in Cameroon and beyond.
The workshop opened with a vibrant brainstorming session that set a collaborative tone. From there, three keynote speakers steered the conversation toward the intricate relationship between law, love, and social cohesion.
The first speaker underscored a central thesis: justice alone cannot guarantee peace. For legal frameworks to heal rather than merely adjudicate, they must be infused with love and empathy. “Law without love becomes a cold verdict,” the speaker argued, “but when tempered with compassion, it becomes reconciliation.”
A second address turned to the practical tools of conflict resolution. With detailed case studies and methodology, the speaker walked participants through the principles of mediation — listening, neutrality, interest-based negotiation — and explained how structured dialogue can de-escalate disputes before they harden into violence.
The third keynote struck a more cautionary note, tracing the diminishing role of traditional leaders in modern conflict landscapes. The erosion of their authority, the speaker warned, has created a vacuum that political actors can manipulate, making communities more susceptible to division and, ultimately, to war. Restoring respect for customary mediation channels, they suggested, is essential to rebuilding trust at the grassroots.
Beyond the formal presentations, the floor opened to spirited exchanges. Participants challenged, reinforced, and expanded on the speakers’ points, with contributions flowing from every corner of the hall. A recurring theme emerged: diversity — whether cultural, linguistic, or ideological — should be treated not as a threat but as an asset. One speaker drew a parallel with the natural world, noting that ecosystems thrive on variety, and societies do the same when difference is embraced rather than feared.
The fourth and last presentation which also received a standing ovation, like all the other presentations, and was very engaging in terms of number of questions and answers,.
Professor Willibroad Dze-Ngwa's presentation was titled, "Towards a Broad-based, inclusive and Participatory Engagement in Peace-building".
The challenges of the people of Cameroon. There are armed malitia from central Africa causing havoc in the east of the country, there are separatist who want the English speaking section of the country to separate. There are many atrocities there leading to many internally displaced citizens who are victims of many abuses and others who have sort refuge abroad and in the north of the country there is boko Haram. All these make economic and social stability difficult to attain.
By late afternoon, consensus had given way to camaraderie. The workshop closed with a sumptuous lunch shared among participants and a group photo that captured more than faces — it captured a collective commitment to making justice humane and peace sustainable.
The event, organizers said, is only the first of a series designed to bridge the gap between courtroom jurisprudence and community healing, under the guiding belief that _the rule of law must walk hand in hand with the rule of love_.
Title: The Rule of Love