Rev. Fr. Beltus Asanji Tabefor has been recognised by the Cameroon National Youth Council (CNJC) for his contribution to peacebuilding, interfaith dialogue and social cohesion through faith and communication.
The award was presented on Saturday, 1 August 2026, during the closing ceremony of the Living Together Festival in Yaoundé by the President of the Cameroon National Youth Council, Eng. Fadimatou Iyawa Ousmanou.
The citation honoured the Catholic priest for his "exceptional commitment to promoting peace, interfaith dialogue, ethical leadership and social cohesion through faith, communication and community engagement in Cameroon and beyond."
The recognition comes just weeks after Fr. Beltus Asanji assumed office as Director of Communications of the Archdiocese of Bamenda, where he now oversees the Church's digital, audiovisual and print media. Earlier this year, he also played a key role in coordinating communication for the historic Apostolic Visit of Pope Leo XIV to Cameroon.
Receiving the distinction, he described the award as recognition of the often unseen efforts that strengthen communities through dialogue and understanding.
"The conversations in parishes after Mass. The mediations in a market. The radio programmes that choose truth over rumour. The decision to sit with someone who sees the world differently and still call them brother," he said, reflecting on the everyday acts that build lasting peace.
The Living Together Festival brought together young people from across Cameroon to promote peaceful coexistence, dialogue and national unity through cultural activities, discussions and community engagement.
Fr. Beltus Asanji said the honour belongs to all those working quietly to bridge divisions across the country.
"I receive this award on behalf of the priests, the teachers, the traditional rulers, the mothers and the youth who do this work every day without a microphone," he said.
"In Bamenda, in Buea, in the Far North and in the villages that never make headlines, people are choosing dialogue over division." he added
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He described the recognition as both an encouragement and a renewed responsibility to continue using communication as a tool for peace.
"For me, this recognition is both a gratitude and a responsibility," he said.
"Responsibility to continue through faith, through communication, through showing up in community until the words on that certificate are no longer an aspiration, but a description of the Cameroon we live in."
He concluded with a message that echoed the spirit of the festival.
"Peace is not a speech. It is a practice. And we must keep practicing."
Ordained for the Archdiocese of Bamenda, Fr. Beltus Asanji has built a reputation as one of the leading Catholic communicators in the country. Besides his pastoral ministry, he is an award-winning journalist, author of God's Time is the Best, and has received recognition from the Cameroon Journalists' Trade Union for excellence in journalism. His latest national honour further underscores the growing role of faith leaders in using communication to foster reconciliation, ethical leadership and social cohesion in Cameroon.
By Asheri Loveline for Hilltopvoices Web
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