By Isaac Arkoh
Cape Coast, Oct. 05, GNA – Deputy Danish Ambassador to Ghana Vibeke Sandholm Pedersen says Denmark is unalloyedly committed to supporting Ghana in maintaining the country’s peace and cohesion.
She said the scourge of violent conflicts in some West African States must not be allowed in Ghana, hence, the need to jealously guard it for sustainable development to flourish.
To this extent, the Danish Government is working assiduously with key partners to avert violent extremism and other forms of conflicts and vulnerabilities that threaten the country’s stability.
The Deputy Danish Ambassador to Ghana disclosed this at the opening of a two-day trainer of trainers’ workshop for youth in some selected tertiary institutions in southern Ghana, in Cape Coast.
It was organised by the National Peace Council (NPC) in collaboration with the Embassy of Denmark as part of a national campaign to enlighten the citizenry particularly, the youth to sidestep violence.
The campaign is also to lay to bear the antics, dangers and the need to resist all attempts to be radicalised by extremists.
The participants were drawn from the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast Technical University, University of Education, Winneba, Perez University, University of Ghana, University of Professional Studies, and the Takoradi Technical University.
They were taken through, “key concepts on sustaining national peace like violent extremism,” “violent terrorism,” “radicalisation” and “countering or preventing violent extremism in West Africa and globally.”
The Deputy Danish Ambassador to Ghana reminded the youth of the onslaught of terrorists and extremists descending from the Sahel to the West Africa sub-region and charged them to be conscious of the threats and spillover from neighbouring countries.
She said the youth were the most targeted, hence they should be diligent on the internet and social media which have become an interface for communication, and recruitment among others.
The youth must imbibe and exude the virtues of peace, unity and love as the nation at all times, she said, adding that, peaceful society is where justice for all strives and commended the NPC for the commitment and dedication that had nurtured Ghana’s peace for decades.
Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, National Chairman of NPC said the country was not immune to violent extremism in spite of the appreciable level of peace among citizens.
He mentioned the high unemployment rate, particularly among the youth as a rife recipe for Ghana’s risk and the threat of violent extremism.
According to the Chairman of NPC, the unemployed youth were an important segment of the population who were highly susceptible to acts of violence, therefore, it was crucial that the youth were consciously oriented on the dangers of extremism and radicalism.
“It is important to get young people to appreciate peace and the negative effects of radicalism and to promote peace among their peers and communities while their employment needs are addressed,” Dr Adu-Gyamfi added.
GNA