A GNA feature by Abigail Nurutome Sommutaar
Wa, (UW/R), Oct. 29, GNA – Ghana is always described as an “Island of Peace” considering events of insurgencies in neighbouring countries.
This has made it more imperative for all stakeholders – state and private sector actors and individuals to jealously safeguard that cherished “treasure” bequeathed to the nation called peace.
Peace and development
Peace, by no mean terms, is the cornerstone of any thriving society. It is a pillar and a path, providing a stable environment for growth and prosperity to societies and individuals.
The relevance of peace in fostering the development of a culture or nation could not be understated as it enhances social cohesion and allows individuals to pursue their aspirations without fear.
It plays a pivotal role in the well-being of communities and nations alike, serving as a breeding ground for achieving political strength, economic stability, and cultural growth.
Underscoring the correlation between peace and development, Mr Nurideen Mumuni, the Wa Municipal Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), said without peace and unity in a community no development project could be implemented in that community.
“Once the people are united and you are sending any intervention, you see them mobilising themselves to support the project through their local initiatives but when there is then they cannot come together to support that initiative,” he explained.
The election scare
Already risked by the insurgencies in neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, Ghana is at a crossroads in sustaining her peace.
The influx of nationals of those countries seeking refuge in Ghana had put the nation’s peace on the “red line” as unscrupulous persons could infiltrate into the country.
The December 7, 2024, election had compounded the threat to Ghana’s security presenting a litmus test to the country’s peace before, during and after the election.
The outcome of the 2024 election would either consolidate the nation’s peace or shred it and that had been a major concern to many within and outside the country.
Activities of political activists and party foot soldiers had increased the threat to the country’s peace and if not checked would be dire to the nation’s peace.
Supposed to be an ideological battle between parties to win the hearts of potential voters, political campaigns in Ghana in recent times have been characterised by offensive, intemperate and derogatory language as if winning an election is a “do or die” affair.
Some political party activists had assumed the posture of being ready to trade the peace of the country for power without recourse to the devastating impact of their actions on the nation.
Insurgencies in the Sahel
Ghana’s proximity to countries plagued by insurgencies, such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences if the nation failed to maintain peace.
One does not need to be a rocket scientist to know the debilitating consequences of violence to a nation – displacement of people and loss of lives and properties, economic instability, poverty and hunger among others – as witnessed in those countries.
PWDs concerns
It is an undeniable fact that Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are among the vulnerable groups worst affected by violence.
According to Mr Mumuni, women and children are mostly said to be the worst affected cohorts of people in the event of electoral violence without considering the fate of PWDs.
He said PWDs could be said to suffer the consequences of electoral violence more since they could escape the violence.
As the nation approaches the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections on December 7, 2024, tensions are palpably high with escalating political rivalries, threatening the fragile peace that had been painstakingly built over the years.
While people may attempt to escape the violence, PWDs would be unable to escape dangerous situations or even defend themselves, which puts them at higher risk of the consequences of violence, exploitation and abuse.
“In the case of electoral violence in the West Africa sub-region, you realise that we always talk about women and children but Persons with Disabilities will also have the negative impact of that because they are unable to move at a faster rate as the rest of the population,” Mr. Mumuni explained.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Ibrahim Sani, the immediate past Upper West Regional President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD), emphasised the need for peace during and after the elections.
He highlighted that in the unlikely event of any unrest in Ghana PWDs would disproportionately be affected due to their vulnerability situations.
“If there is a chaotic situation, those without disabilities can quickly flee to safety while we struggle to escape. Be it in the household, or society, we are always at a disadvantaged point”, he stated.
To Mr Mumuni, aside from difficulty in escaping violence, difficulty in resettlement and finding food and water are some other challenges PWDs would face in the event of electoral violence in Ghana.
Speaking during a peace campaign in Wa, some PWDs the Director recognised the need to take their safety very seriously by doing things that would enhance and promote peace in society.
He said: “As we are sitting now, if there is chaos in Wa here and people are running, I am not praying for that, but we will suffer most. We will be left behind.
“If you are a person living with a disability, when you go to the polling station and you are allowed to vote, after voting come back home, sit by your TV, or radio set and watch or listen to what is going on. Do not sit there,” Madam Zenabu Dauda, a PWD, said.
Mr Ibrahim Sani, the immediate past GFD Regional, therefore, called on the appropriate stakeholders such as the Peace Council, political parties, and traditional and religious leaders among others to take the necessary steps towards ensuring peace prevailed before, during, and after the elections.
Peace interventions
Recognising the volatility of the nation to violence, the government, development partners, and civil society organisations had rolled out interventions to advocate for peace before, during and after the election.
Such interventions included the Peace Building Fund (PBF) project by the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) through the government of Ghana in some regions in the north of Ghana to build community resilience against violence.
State institutions such as the National Peace Council (NPC) and the NCCE are also sensitising the public and engaging communities on the need to promote peace in this electioneering.
Despite those interventions and initiatives, there is the need for individual actions to maintain peace in the country without which all other efforts would come to knot.
Peace advocates such as Madam Kuurimah Umu Ibrahim, the Executive Director of Kuurimah Foundation, had been advocating the need for PWDs to propagate peace wherever they find themselves, especially in this election season with its accompanying threats of violence.
“If our country is in danger, where will you run to when you cannot see the danger ahead? Where will you hide when you can’t hear the warning signs?
Where will you go when you can’t walk to safety?” Madam Ibrahim said during one of her campaigns with PWDs in Wa.
The SDGs
Maintaining peace and security in Ghana during this election season would not only foster individual and national development but would also contribute to the nation’s efforts in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.
That Goal sought to: “Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.”
It is also worth noting that peace is the foundation on which all the SDGs were built since without peace nothing would be achieved.
Recommendations
Stakeholders should ensure that persons with disabilities are included in all peacebuilding initiatives and have access to the necessary resources to promote peace.
Government and other stakeholder should double their peace campaign efforts and enablers of violence such as injustice should be curbed to reduce the risk of violence in Ghana.
Also, there should be initiatives to monitor election-related tensions and report incidents that could escalate for prompt action to prevent possible escalation.
Interventions such as educational campaigns should be implemented targeting conflict resolution and the need for peaceful coexistence.
“Whatever we are doing let us be cautious of what we do so that at the end of the day our own people do not suffer as a result of our actions and inactions that will make it unbearable for them,” Mr. Mumuni stressed.
In all things, the overarching principle of promoting peace is to imbibe the Rotary “Four-Way Test of the things we think, say or do”.
They are: “Is it the TRUTH?”; “Is it FAIR to all concerned?”, “Will it build GOODWILL & BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?” and “Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?”.
Peace and unity must continue to bind us as one people with a common destiny.
After all, Ghana is one not two.
GNA