Wa Youth Pledge to Champion Peace and Counter Violent Extremism in Ghana.

According to Ghana News Agency:ccording to Ghana News Agency, the representatives, including youth groups, camps, and associations within the municipality, pledged to engage their respective organizations on the importance of peace and security in society. In a communiqué issued during a workshop in Wa, the youth also vowed to create peace advocacy groups and engage in social media campaigns on peace and security.The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Wa Municipality organized the workshop as part of the implementation of the European Union (EU)-funded Preventing and Containing Violence Extremism (PVCE) project in the Wa Municipality. Mr. Nuurideen Mumuni, the Wa Municipal Director of NCCE, stated that the workshop aimed to sensitize the youth to the dangers associated with extremist activities and their threat to Ghana, and to build their resilience against violent extremism.He explained that the NCCE was targeting the youth in the violence extremism campaign because their population w as more vulnerable to being recruited by extremist groups. The participants were also educated on the early warning signs of violent extremists and their activities, enabling them to identify and report suspected extremist activities to security agencies for necessary actions.Mr. Mumuni indicated that the NCCE considers the youth as a significant demographic, and by targeting and engaging them in this manner, aims to reduce tensions or aspirations to cause trouble before, during, and after elections. He noted that Ghana was the only country in the 'map of Guinea' that had not been attacked by violent extremists, hence the necessity of engaging the youth to remind them of their civic responsibility to maintain peace and security.Mr. Tahiru Lukman, the Chief Executive Officer of IDEAPATH Consult, who facilitated the workshop, stated that aside from the need for a peaceful election, violent extremism had also been a major concern due to extremist activities in the Sahel region and its proximity to Ghana. He stressed the importance of young people understanding the extent of violent extremism and recognizing signs of online radicalization to mitigate the increasing threat of extremism and radicalization among Ghanaian youth.Mr. Lukman identified religious, ethnic, and political ideologies as fundamental drivers of violent extremism, as people often adhere to these ideologies to the extent that they do not tolerate divergent views. He appealed to Ghanaians to respect each other's ideologies, tolerate various ethnic orientations, and regard the political views of others, working together as a unified body with a common destiny.