By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bongo (U/E), Nov 27 GNA – As Ghana’s presidential and parliamentary elections inch closer, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has engaged political party youth activists in the Bongo District in the Upper East Region to ensure political tolerance and peace.
The engagement was part of efforts to strengthen the resilience of the youth groups against violence and to encourage them to be peace ambassadors before, during and after the general election in December 2024.
The engagement, which formed part of the European Union’s sponsored “Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE) project being implemented by the NCCE in eight regions of Ghana.
It aimed at empowering the youth to understand the concept of electoral violence and how they could build political and ethnic tolerance to ensure social cohesion ahead of the 2024 elections.
It was to also educate the youth on the activities of violent extremism and how to build resilience against being radicalised and recruited into extremist groups to destabilise the country.
Ms. Alice Ndego, the Bongo District Director of the NCCE, explained that elections were the cornerstone of democracy, a time when the voice of the people should be heard loud and clear, therefore necessary to ensure that integrity of these elections were upheld and satisfactory for all parties involved.
“As the youth of this great nation, we have a critical role to play in ensuring that our elections reflect our democratic values – values rooted in peace unity and respect for one another,” she added.
The District Director explained that the youth had the power to influence attitudes, mobilise their communities, and set an example of leadership that is based on dialogue and mutual respect.
“We are here to engage in conversations that will equip us with knowledge and tools to advocate for a peaceful electoral process, to discourage violence and intolerance, and to promote a culture of civility and respect in the lead-up to, during and after the elections,” she added.
Assistant Superintendent of Immigration, David Asamoah Agyeman, Ghana Immigration Service, urged the youth to be wary of mis/disinformation, hate speech and fake news to ensure that they verified any information before sharing.
He also urged them to collaborate with the security services and assist the security services with the relevant information on suspicious characters to help combat crime and ensure peace, particularly in the election.
Mr. Maxwell Banu, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Teere, a local governance civil society organization, advised the youth not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to cause violence before, during and after the elections.
GNA