The peace rally was attended by several youth in the region
Prof. Samuel Marfo, a member of the Upper West Regional Peace Council, has said the perpetuation of hate speech on the basis of ethnicity, religion, and political beliefs poses a serious threat to social cohesion within society.
He said hate speech can deepen divisions and sow discord that undermines peaceful coexistence in a culturally pluralistic society like Ghana.
Prof. Marfo, who is also a Conflict Resolution Lecturer at Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD UBIDS), said this at a peace rally organized by the Upper West Regional Peace Council to mark the 2024 International Youth Day in Wa.
The peace rally, attended by several youth in the region, was preceded by a route march through the principal streets of Wa to raise awareness on the theme, “International Youth Day: Mobilizing Youth to Prevent Violent Extremism.”
“Hate speech, targeting individuals or groups based on ethnicity, religion, or political beliefs, poses a serious threat to our social cohesion,” Prof. Marfo said.
He said that even though freedoms of opinion and expression are rights enshrined in the Ghanaian Constitution, the use of those freedoms to belittle, dehumanize, or incite violence undermines the very essence of democracy.
He indicated that there was abundant evidence that suggests that hate speech escalates conflicts and leads to violence, citing that “The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (2019) highlights that online hate speech can significantly increase the likelihood of real-world violence and crime.”
Prof. Marfo, thus, cautioned the youth to be wary of the words they use on social media, as he said those words can have far-reaching consequences.
He expressed concerns over the growing incidence of misinformation and disinformation in today’s digital era, which are often accentuated during election periods.
“People resort to disinformation by deliberately disseminating false information with the intention to hide the truth and create confusion. Others equally engage in misinformation where they purposely present false or incorrect but attractive information intended to deceive people for a certain desire gain. Both undermine democratic processes and can incite chaos,” he stated.
He said there was evidence that misinformation could erode trust in electoral systems and destabilize democracies, and he thus urged the youth and the public to “develop critical thinking skills and media literacy to discern fact from fiction.”
Hellen Sunmanbo Bagonluri, a member of the Peace Council, addressed the youth at the rally and admonished them to stay away from electoral violence and embrace peace as the country approaches the elections.
“I would also appeal to the youth here to stand on their feet, say no to violence, and embrace peace as elections draw near. We must not allow ourselves to be used anyhow by any group or individual in attaining their goals at the expense of the peace we enjoy today."
“This is not by any means discouraging the youth from participating in social activities but rather a caution to echo the need for youth to be promoters of peace. If the youth of today embrace peace and inculcate it into their dealings, then we would be rest assured of a brighter future,” she said.
The Speaker of the Upper West regional Youth Parliament, James Baba Anabiga, speaking to Info Radio at the sidelines of the event, indicated that the route march and rally by the Peace Council aligned with the peace campaign of the Youth Parliament, which was launched earlier in 2024.
“The main aim is that we want peace. Once we are taking every appropriate measure to ensure there is peace, any organization, any department, anybody that has their objective in line with ours to maintain peace before, during, and after the elections, we collaborate to ensure we achieve that,” he said.
The peace rally, which formed part of the “Atlantic Corridor Project: Preventing and Responding to Violent Extremism,” was supported by the Danish Embassy, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the German Development Organization (GIZ).
