PARTICIPATE!
Activity timetable
- October 2024: Registration opens on debatecameroon.org
- November 2024: Official launch press conference in Yaoundé
- December 2024: Start of activities in the regions (awareness-raising, training, regional events, etc.)
- December-February 2024: Regional elections and online voting for the following sections: storytelling, slam poetry and eloquence.
- March 2025: National Grand Final – ‘’Yaounde Brainball’’
- May 2025: Feedback workshop and preparations for international competitions
COCAM 2025 sections
Pending the launch of the programme in local languages, COCAM 2025 will be conducted in two international languages: French and English.
At the end of the preliminaries (online pre-selections) and the regionals (local competitions), each region will send the five (05) best candidates, all categories combined, in one or more of the following categories:
- Public Speaking (optional): 01 candidate per region
- Debate (mandatory): ≤ 02 candidates per region
- Moot Court (optional): 01 candidate per region
- Tales or storytelling (mandatory): 01 candidate per region
- Slam-poetry (mandatory): 01 candidate per region
Categories of participants
COCAM 2025 welcomes participants in the following categories: regional partners, regional volunteers, public speaking coaches, judges and speakers.
- Become a regional partner
To become a regional partner of COCAM, you must:
- Be a Cameroonian association/institution
- Show a particular interest in youth, culture, education or public speaking
- Have a physical headquarters in one of the cities listed below
- 50-seat conference room
- Commit to training staff in public speaking
- Commit to coordinating regional selections
Cities concerned: Douala, Yaounde, Dschang, Bafoussam, Maroua, Garoua, N’Gaoundere, Ebolowa, Bertoua, Buea, Bamenda.
- Become a volunteer
To become a COCAM volunteer, you must :
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be a young person who is unemployed or enrolled at a secondary school or university
- Have already taken part in a regional event
- be available and friendly
- Reside in one of the towns listed below
- Commit to working part-time with the CDA for six months
- Have an Android phone and/or laptop
- Be energetic and motivated
Cities concerned: Douala, Yaounde, Dschang, Bafoussam, Maroua, Garoua, N’Gaoundere, Ebolowa, Bertoua, Buea, Bamenda.
- Become a coach
To become a COCAM regional coach, you must :
- Be at least 25 years old
- Be a member of a public speaking club, association or other organisation
- Have already taken part in a competition
- Be available and friendly
- Reside in one of the towns listed below
- Have already coached a public speaking team
- Have already trained several speakers
- Excel in spoken French or English
Cities concerned : Douala, Yaounde, Dschang, Bafoussam, Maroua, Garoua, N’Gaoundere, Ebolowa, Bertoua, Buea, Bamenda.
- Become a speaker
For the moment, the COCAM is divided into three categories: juniors, seniors and masters.
- Junior Speakers (aged 12-17): Regional + Final
- Senior Speakers (18-24 years): Regional + Final
- Master Speakers (25 and over): Regionals only (for this edition)
Cities concerned: Douala, Yaounde, Dschang, Bafoussam, Maroua, Garoua, N’Gaoundere, Ebolowa, Bertoua, Buea, Bamenda.
Note1: The opening of the finals depends on the budget allocated to the national competition and Cameroon’s subscription to the international competition circuits.
Note2: The competition rules vary from discipline to discipline and from year to year. The rules are officially sent to regularly registered participants and partners.