PARTICIPATE!
Activity timetable
- The approach is progressive and sequential, structured in five phases:
- Mobilization and communication (November–January): awareness-raising in the 10 regions.
- Registrations and National Training Tour (February-May): screenings, debates, and training.
- Regional selections (May): local and online competitions.
- Panels and National Finals (August–September): intercultural dialogue events.
- Capitalization (October): reports, dissemination of results, and establishment of a network of ambassadors.
COCAM 2026 categories
This year, COCAM categories are as follows:
Selection categories:
These allow for the selection/ranking of the best candidates chosen from a school:
| N° | CAREER | DISCIPLINES | CATEGORIES | STATUTE | Nbr of max regional finalists by category |
| 1 | COCAM ART | Public Speaking | Junior-Senior-masters | Optional | 01 x 2 ou 3 |
| Debate | Junior-Senior-masters | Main | 05 x 2 ou 3 | ||
| Tales-story telling | Junior-Senior-masters | Optional | 01 x 2 ou 3 | ||
| Slam-poetry | Junior-Senior-masters | Main | 01 x 2 ou 3 | ||
| 2 | COCAM JOB | Advocacy | Senior-masters | Main | 01 x 2 ou 3 |
| Pleading | Senior-masters | Main | 01 x 2 ou 3 | ||
| Moot Court | Senior-masters | Optional | 01 x 2 ou 3 | ||
| 3 | COCAM BUSINESS | Pitch | Senior-masters | Main | 01 |
| Creative sales | Senior-masters | Main | 01 | ||
| Negotiation | Senior-masters | Optional | 01 | ||
| 4 | COCAM COM | Voice over | Senior-masters | Optional | 01 |
| E-report | Junior-Senior-masters | Optional | 01 x 2 ou 3 |
Categories of participants
COCAM 2026 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, you must:
- Be a Cameroonian association/institution
- Have a particular interest in youth, culture, education, or public speaking
- Have a physical headquarters in one of the cities listed below
- Have a conference room with a capacity of 50 seats
- Commit to training staff on COCAM rules
- Commit to coordinating regional selections
Cities involved: Douala, Yaoundé, Dschang, Bafoussam, Maroua, Garoua, N’Gaoundéré, Ebolowa, Kribi, Bertoua, Limbé, Buea, Bamenda.
- Become a volunteer
To become a COCAM volunteer or ambassador, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be a young person who is unemployed/employed or enrolled in a university or teaching at a middle school/high school
- Be available and friendly
- Reside in one of the cities 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 involved: Douala, Yaoundé, Dschang, Bafoussam, Maroua, Garoua, N’Gaoundéré, Ebolowa, Kribi, Bertoua, Limbé, Buea, Bamenda.
- Become a coach
To become a CDA regional coach, you must:
- Be at least 25 years old
- Be a member of a club, public speaking association, or any other organization
- Have already taken part in a competition
- Commit to at least two months of training (in person and/or online)
- Reside in one of the cities listed below
- Have previous experience coaching a public speaking team
- Have already trained several speakers
- Be fluent in spoken French or English
Cities concerned: Douala, Yaoundé, Dschang, Bafoussam, Maroua, Garoua, N’Gaoundéré, Ebolowa, Kribi, Bertoua, Limbé, Buea, Bamenda.
- Become a speaker
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- Junior Speakers (ages 12-17): Middle and High Schools
- Senior Speakers (ages 18-24): Universities and Institutes
- Masters Speakers (ages 25 and over): Professionals
The COCAM competition is divided into three categories: juniors, seniors, and masters.
N.B. The competition is held in both languages (English and French).
Cities involved: Douala, Yaoundé, Dschang, Bafoussam, Maroua, Garoua, N’Gaoundéré, Ebolowa, Kribi, Bertoua, Limbé, Buea, Bamenda.