Be Agents of Peace – NCCE Advises Youth Ahead of Elections.

Garu: The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has advised political youth activists in the Garu District in the Upper East Region to be agents of peace before, during, and after the 2024 general elections. Mr. Samuel Akolgo, the Garu District Director of the Commission, urged them to be tolerant and respectful of each other's opinions to build social cohesion and prevent electoral violence in the presidential and parliamentary elections.According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Akolgo was speaking to some political youth activists in Garu as part of efforts to improve knowledge and attitudes of the youth to ensure a culture of peaceful coexistence, tolerance, and non-violence ahead of the December polls. The engagement is part of the European Union (EU) sponsored project, dubbed 'Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE),' being implemented by the NCCE in eight regions of Ghana. This initiative aims to empower the youth to understand the concept of electoral violence and how to foster politica l and ethnic tolerance to ensure social cohesion ahead of the 2024 elections.The project also seeks to educate the youth on the activities of violent extremism and how to build resilience against being radicalized and recruited into extremist groups that could destabilize the country. Assistant Superintendent of Police, Adu Isaac, the Garu District Police Commander, guided participants on identifying and countering misinformation and electoral violence, urging the public to be vigilant against violent extremism.In addition, he called on the youth to adopt the slogan 'See something, say something,' encouraging them to assist security forces by reporting suspicious characters and providing relevant information for prompt action. Mr. Adot-Abdul Mumuni, the Ghana National Fire Service Commander, also addressed the participants, emphasizing the role of youth in promoting peace, peaceful coexistence, and inter-faith tolerance. He urged them to play a critical role in ensuring peace and stability in their respec tive communities.