The United Nations office in Ghana in collaboration with the National Peace Council is to roll out the “I Pledge for Peace Campaign” in April ahead of the polls in December.
This is contained in a press release signed by Faith Junko Edison, the Head of Public Relations, National Peace Council, and Cynthia Prah, the National Information Officer for the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC).
The campaign, according to Mr. Charles Abani, the UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, would actively engage a diverse range of stakeholders, including individuals, communities, civil society organizations, government entities, religious leaders, and youth groups.
Its primary goal is to foster a culture of peace, advocate peaceful elections, and promote tolerance and peaceful co-existence before, during, and after the electoral process.
“… Elections are not a period of combat and the unhealthy exchange of views or for divisive language. We want to use this campaign to urge stakeholders to publicly commit to peace, and by extension, a peaceful election. We believe that the positive actions of stakeholders, through social media and other channels, will encourage tolerance and discourage misinformation”, he noted.
The campaign, he explained, would encourage individuals and organisations to make public pledges for peace, amplifying the message via communication channels, including social media with the aim to create a collective commitment to a peaceful election.
Rev. Dr. Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, Chairman of the National Peace Council, also underscored the importance of individual contributions to peace through the spread of messages that encouraged such.
“Until every life is respected, and properties protected, achieving peaceful co-existence remains a distant goal… the National Peace Council will do everything in its power to support this campaign and ensure a peaceful election come December 2024,” he said.
Ghana’s democracy though has deficits, remains a beacon of hope for Africa.
The UN said it would continue to support the country to foster its development agenda in a peaceful atmosphere and uphold its reputation as a regional pacesetter for democratic governance.
The “I Pledge for Peace Campaign” thus reflects this collaborative effort between the UN, the National Peace Council and other various stakeholders to create a peaceful and inclusive electoral process in Ghana.
