Ashaiman: The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has organised a sensitisation workshop for students of the Ashaiman Technical School (ASHTEC) on misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech in the aftermath of the Election 2024. The workshop, held under the theme ‘Well Informed Citizens for Elections 2024: A Civic Education Initiative on Combating Mis/Disinformation and Hate Speech,’ is a collaboration between the NCCE and the French Embassy aimed at ensuring a conflict-free election period and its aftermath.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Mawuli Agbenu, the Greater Accra Regional Director for the NCCE, emphasized the programme’s objective of equipping citizens with the knowledge to avoid falling prey to misinformation, disinformation, mal-information, and hate speech. He highlighted historical instances, such as the genocide in Rwanda, where misinformation and hate speech played a critical role in igniting conflict, underscoring the importance of the initiative.
During the workshop, Mr Agbenu defined misinformation as the unintentional spread of false information, while disinformation involves the deliberate dissemination of false messages to cause harm. He described hate speech as spreading information about a group of people based on their characteristics to incite disaffection.
Mr Agbenu stressed the importance of engaging with schools and communities to raise awareness among the youth about these concepts. He urged students to disseminate the knowledge gained from the workshop within their schools, families, and communities to prevent the chaos and mistrust that misinformation can cause.
He also cautioned students about the potential dangers of social media, which can be a platform for both positive and negative information. Mr Daniel Boateng, the Entrepreneurship Facilitator at ASHTEC, praised the NCCE’s efforts and expressed hope that the youth would learn from the experiences of other countries. He encouraged students to verify information before sharing it and to focus on their studies rather than spreading false information online.
