By Samuel Dodoo
Accra, Dec. 2, GNA – The National Peace Council (NPC) has challenged the youth to work to avert political violence before, during, and after the December 7 elections.
The Council also urged young people in politics to exhibit love for the national desire to serve to satisfy the needs of society.
Professor Enyonam Kudonoo of the Ashesi university and a facilitator, was addressing young men and women at a two-day workshop on, “Preventing violent extremism in hotspots in the context of the 2024 general election in Ablekuma Central Constituency in Accra.
The workshop was part of a project organised by the NPC in collaboration with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) designed to influence the youth for peaceful poll.
It was aimed at building the capacity of core group of youth leaders to serve as agent of change in the communities to promote free, fair, and peaceful elections come December 7, 2024, and beyond.
It also seeks a timely intervention to manage the slightest signs of potential risks of tension and violence among the youth before it escalates.
Prof Kudonoo told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the project seeks to do this by controlling the engagement of the youth in activities that contribute to election violence and crisis.
She urged the youth to take advantage of the programme to help limit the negativity associated with the election.
She said elections were conflict prone in nature, hence the need to put mechanisms in place to ensure they do not become violent.
Prof Kudonoo elaborated on the importance of self-control and advised against selling their conscience to selfish politicians to harm fellow humans.
Some of the topics she took participants through were violent extremism and terrorism, radicalisation, analysing drivers of violent extremism and terrorism, vigilantism and related offence Act 999 and developing local community level interventions to prevent violence extremism.
Mr Jibrael Ninson of Ablekuma Central NCCE told the GNA the “Election is not do or die affair,” adding that the 1992 Constitution provided rights for everyone to join any political party of his or hr choice.
He said it required a collective and shared responsibility to protect national peace and called on all stakeholders to contribute for a violence free election on December 7.
Sheikh Abass Saleh Haroun, Member of the Greater Accra Peace Council, said the country has an image to protect, therefore, the election needed to be conducted in peace to consolidate the country’s credentials and international acclaim.
GNA