Cameroonian wins Youth4Disarmament pitching peace youth music challenge 2022
By Drusilla Mbehni
In order to mark the fourth anniversary of “Securing Our Common Future“, the United Nations Office for disarmament launched a Pitching Peace Youth Music Challenge 2022, inviting young people to express their passion for peace through music.
Percy Abainvihdan, who goes by the stage name Percy Abain, through his song titled “New World” won the pitching challenge. He celebrates his victory as he told CNA, “Actually, I felt good. It means a lot to me for the fact that I know something I am so passionate about, preaching peace through my music. So I did not know a day like this will come when I will be winning an international award and being first, representing my country Cameroon, for preaching peace through music.”
The results of the pitching challenge were announced on October 14, 2022, during a virtual congratulatory event by Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs with Percy emerging first in his category being 25 to 29 years in the early career professionals.
Having been a witness to the changes in the world today, Percy reveals how he came about the title of this award-winning song.
“The title of my song, “New World” was an inspiration from what is going on in the world. So much misery, war conditions in Ukraine an ongoing Anglophone crisis in Cameroon, and war in other parts of Africa and in the world which we don’t know about. It got into my imagination to look at these from a positive perspective because I just want people to see there is hope we can get if we live by practicing peace, we will get a New World where there will be hope, joy, happiness, and a lot of possibilities and opportunities for everybody. So I just wanted to drive people towards that rather than talking about misery.”
Percy 2022
Carving out a niche in the music industry by turning peace messages into music pushed Percy into singing, “My passion is music. Not just limited to the music but the message behind the music. I wanted to have a unique message. I was so passionate about humanity, so growing up and with the experiences of the crisis situation in Cameroon, it boasted the message within me because that was when I felt it was high time I made a difference with my music. So it occurred to me that, I could use messages on peace to make songs.”
“Discipline, love for what I do, willingness to accept criticisms, trust in God and the people with whom I have been working, those who believed in me and supported me. When they saw me, they saw a little boy back then and bought my vision by guiding me, making it theirs and giving me the right knowledge, directing me in all that I did and the spiritual guide from God all brought me this far”, he concluded.
Percy is a singer, guitarist, songwriter, and song producer. He is also a graduate of the University of Buea with a degree in Management. “While I was a student and for over 6 years I have been using music to sing and advocate for peace so much so that during my university days, I participated in the National competition for state Universities where I presented a song as a solo artist, written by me, a peace song, a cry for peace it earned me a national award. Since then I have been working with NGOs who advocate for peace in the communities and the country at large. I have been partnering with them and contributing to the peace-building process.”
0n May 24, 2018, the United Nations Secretary-General published his Agenda for Disarmament, aiming to set our world on a path toward sustainable peace and security for all. It was on this premise that the United Nations launched this contest. Competitors ranged from 13 to 29 years based on their different categories. Entries in various categories were 13 to 18 years for middle and high school, 19 to 24 years for college and graduate school, and 25 to 29 years for early career professionals.
