LAUREAN AJONG MBAPNDAH - LLB Hons (Buea); Maitrise (Yaounde).

Laurean is a human rights and democracy advocate with a Bachelors Degree in Law (LLB) from the University of Buea - Cameroon, and a Masters Degree (Maitrise) in Law from the University of Yaounde - Cameroon. He has a strong passion for public discussions on ideas aimed at galvanizing domestic and international support that could speed up democratic progress and development in Africa.

He has a vast array of experience in the field of human rights and public policy advocacy. He has worked as a newspaper reporter; administrative assistant to a leading member of parliament in Cameroon; and as a staff at the communications unit of the leading opposition party in Cameroon. Laurean also served as the administrative secretary and later development secretary of a Pan African organization working on human rights and democracy.

Laurean also participated in several important public forums such as the SDF-UK Labor Party training sponsored by the Westminster Foundation in 2003. Laurean was coordinator of a USIP sponsored seminar by AFRICAphonie in 2003 which culminated in the publication of the first manual for the Teaching of Peace Education in Cameroon. In 2005 he interned with the World Youth Alliance in New York and later participated at the World Youth Assembly at the United Nations headquarters.

While serving as Aide to Cameroon members of parliament, he edited a local newsletter focused on educating people on issues of development, human rights, and democracy. Besides contributions to national newspapers in Cameroon, Laurean has had contributions published in international publications like BBC Focus on Africa Magazine, Africa Today, African Business, and Peace Monitor amongst others. He is currently the lead editor of Pan African Visions.

He can be contacted at lmbapndah@ccdhr.org.