Accra: Women and youth political activists have been urged to prioritize political tolerance and respect for divergent views to ensure the peace and stability of the country. They have also been advised to align their political activities with the provisions of Ghana’s 1992 Republican Constitution.

According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Victor Elikplim Nuworkpor, the Upper West Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), imparted this advice during a two-day training session for women and youth political activists from the Wa West and Sissala West Districts. The training was organized by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) in collaboration with the Centre for Advancing Rural Opportunities (CARO-Ghana).

This initiative is part of the ‘Enhancing Social Cohesion and Social Contract through the Empowerment of Women and Youth in Three Northern Regions of Ghana’ project, funded by the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The workshop aimed to enhance the skills of participants in areas such as political campaigning, community engagement, resource mobilization, and local government policy influencing strategies.

The event also provided a platform to identify strategies for enhancing leadership roles and building cross-political party coalitions to advocate for peace and non-violent political engagement at multiple levels. Mr. Nuworkpor led sessions on political tolerance, peacebuilding, non-violent campaign strategies, and dispute resolution mechanisms, emphasizing the importance of lawful political activities and respect for fundamental human rights.

Mr. Eric Doe, Programmes Officer at CDD-Ghana’s Tamale office, highlighted that the engagement aimed to address barriers to women and youth participation in decision-making and electoral processes, thereby enhancing their interest in local governance. The training also facilitated experience sharing on best practices for peaceful political activism and electoral campaigns.

Dr. Daniel Tanko Dawda, the Upper West Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), conducted a session focusing on political party campaigning and policy advocacy. He stressed the importance of incorporating community concerns into campaign platforms and employing effective political resource mobilization and lobbying strategies.

CDD-Ghana’s implementation of the PBF project in six communities within the Wa West and Sissala West Districts seeks to prevent and address the root causes of local and spillover conflicts, alongside vulnerabilities to violent extremism in northern Ghana.