The Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Kathleen Addy, is advocating stronger collaboration between the Commission and the media to promote constitutional awareness, responsible citizenship and the consolidation of Ghana’s democracy.
The partnership between the NCCE and the media, she noted, was fundamental to the Commission’s ability to reach citizens and effectively carry out its constitutional mandate.
Speaking at a media engagement in Accra on Friday, Ms Addy said “We can succeed in some things, but if we don’t have reach, if we don’t have the media to amplify the things that we do, we will not be as impactful as we can be,” she said.
The engagement, she emphasised, was more than a social gathering, saying it provided an opportunity for the NCCE, journalists and other partners to build relationships, exchange perspectives and deepen their mutual understanding.
The NCCE Chairperson expressed concern about the growing dangers posed by misinformation, deliberate disinformation, hate speech, intolerance, online harassment and deep fake content.
She said advances in artificial intelligence had made it possible to produce highly convincing but false images, videos and audio recordings, creating a situation where seeing and hearing could no longer automatically be treated as proof.
The NCCE Chairperson noted that the speed of modern communication had made the work of professional journalists even more important, as inaccurate information could reach thousands of people before it was properly verified.
Ms Addy urged journalists to prioritise accuracy, fairness, independence and trustworthiness over the race to be the first to publish.
She said the media had a responsibility to help citizens distinguish fact from falsehood, evidence from mere assertion and legitimate disagreement from incitement.
She emphasised that the NCCE was not established to serve as a commentator on every public controversy stressing that “Our mandate is very broad, but we have core constitutional functions.”
The NCCE’s key mandate include education on democracy, human rights, nationalism and patriotism, voter education, peace and conflict resolution, environmental sustainability, global citizenship and anti-corruption.
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin whose speech was read on his behalf said civic education must be strengthened and adequately resourced to help inculcate values of responsible citizenship, accountability and public service.
According to him, civic education should begin from the grassroots, with schools, civic clubs and educational institutions playing a central role in shaping the attitudes and values of young people.
Mr Bagbin urged stakeholders to deliberately invest in the younger generation to ensure that they developed a stronger sense of responsibility towards the country.
“We can approve GH¢ one billion for you, but approval is different from releases,” he said, adding that some institutions received only a fraction of their approved allocations.
The Speaker said citizens must understand both their rights and responsibilities and take an active interest in decisions, laws and policies that affected their lives.
“Democracy is not sustained by elections only. Elections are important, but democracy is much more than the periodic act of casting a ballot,” he said.
BY NORMAN COOPER
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