Freedom and Security for Each Individual

Being free and secure in society entails being alive, well and safe, including being at peace with yourself and with the people you come across. These imply a range of positive as well as negative obligations on you and all others that span from, the obligation not to do anything to endanger life, health and safety, to that of taking all appropriate measures to improve quality of same, for each individual in the community and society.

Yet, many issues continue to threaten life, health and safety and escalate conflict(s) in Cameroon. These include hunger (despite our good soils, diverse agriculture and some good harvests) in some parts of our country and among some social groups all over Cameroon. Our hospitals and health centres are far from being places where patients visit at the earliest opportunity and expect cure! Indeed, even in maternity wards where life is expected, as Mrs. Agnes Tong Diffang reports, mothers continue to die of child birth, infants die, babies are born with low birth weight; get cross infection, diarrhoea, etc. Christian Cardinal Tumi highlights ten other dangerous facts of life in Cameroon society: (1) unemployment; (2) rampant petty crime and corruption; (3) racism and tribalism; (4) disease; (5) poisons; (6) traffic accidents; (7) biological manipulation; (8) birth control; (9) weapons sales; and (10) natural catastrophes. The day-to-day experiences of so many people are so blighted by fear and insecurity in Cameroon.

You may very well say, all this is subjective and be right! Your idea(s) of freedom and security may be different from that/those of your neighbour(s) and others in your community and society. For these matters depend so much on the regards and expectations we have of ourselves and others from time to time, and from place to place. And so, there are several standards by which we may hold each other to account for the level of freedom and security we experience in society.

It is important, therefore, to reach agreement, and keep coming up with improvements, on standards with which to hold each other accountable for the level of freedom and security that people experience wherever they may be in Cameroon. For example, what is (or should be) adequate feeding for an individual where you live, work, study and/or visit in Cameroon? How may individuals be helped to acquire the food they need? How should these apply to people in detention? What monitoring arrangements are there where you are or elsewhere? How, when and who should evaluate the arrangements and act on the findings?

Take the responsibility inherent in your right to freedom and security in Cameroon, to present and have your ideas discussed on how not to endanger life, health and safety where you live, work, study and/or visit in the country. Which appropriate measures should people take, and how can/should they be helped, to improve standards of life, health and safety and rid themselves of the much apparent fear and insecurity in Cameroon?