3 months ago
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A training workshop aimed at educating Ghanaians about misinformation, disinformation and hate speech was held in Accra yesterday.
The event, organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in partnership with the French Embassy, was on the theme: “Well Informed Citizens for Election 2024: A Civic Education Initiative on Combating Mis/Disinformation and Hate Speech.
It was attended by about 50 participants, made up of staff from the Commission, policy makers, government officials, academia and experts.
The chairperson of the NCCE, Ms Kathleen Addy, said that the workshop would help participants have better understanding of the use of tools for fact checking and hate speech.
“Our staff will receive fact-checking tools, fake information identification resources, and hate speech mitigation strategies to effectively educate citizens and drive positive change in Ghana,” she said.
Ms Addy noted that educating and empowering citizens on electoral issues was vital ahead of Ghana’s elections, to ensure a smooth electoral process.
She said that educating citizens of their rights and obligations under the 1992 constitution would help promote active participation of Ghanaians in the General Election.
Ms Addy emphasised that having knowledge of concepts was crucial for informed decision-making and democratic participation.
She cautioned citizens to exercise caution when using Artificial Intelligence (AI) since it could sometimes provide misleading information.
The Political Advisor of the French Embassy, Mrs Christine Battesti, stressed that maintaining democracy in Ghana hinged on having a system that would enable citizens to select their leaders freely and with transparency.
“Ghana is seen in the region as a beacon of democracy and in the current context, it is crucial that it can continue to play this role, to show that democracy does work,” she said.
Ms Battesti noted that misinformation and fake news were more widely shared on social media than verified information, hence the need to be careful about social media.
“A sensational piece of news, even if it is false, will be more successful than a manifesto that details a strategy,”she said.
Mrs Battesti stressed the need to empower citizens, especially the youth, with critical thinking skills, to ensure their active participation in the political process of the country.
The NCCE is an independent, non-partisan governance institution set up under Article 231 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and the National Commission for Civic Education Act, 1993, Act 452 of the Parliament of Ghana.
The Commission works to promote and sustain democracy and inculcate in the Ghanaian citizenry, the awareness of their rights and obligations, through civic education.
The functions of the NCCE include: to create and sustain within the society the awareness of the principles and objectives of the 1992 fourth Republican Constitution as the fundamental law of the people of Ghana; and educate and encourage the public to defend the Constitution at all times, against all forms of abuse and violation
BY AGNES OWUSU
