By Erica Apeatua-Addo, GNA
Asankragwa (W/R), Sept. 27, GNA - The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) and the United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNESCO), has rolled out an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) programme for the youth in the Amenfi West Municipality.
Dubbed: "ICT and Media: Efficient Tools for the Youth to Prevent Violent Extremism," the programme aims at countering the propaganda of radical groups and their ideology by providing counter narratives to diminish their extremist ideas and reduce peer influence.
Mr Abraham Kofi Asante, the Administrator of GIFEC, who performed the launch at Asankragwa, said the first phase would provide training for 300 youth.
He expressed the hope that the training would equip participants with efficient tools to fight violent extremism.
He said knowledge about their rights and responsibilities as Ghanaians and global citizens were some of the tools to fighting violent extremism and also make them more productive.
"The final stage of the programme, which is the social media advance technical training, would allow the development and finalization of media production that use animations, info-graphics, factsheets, videos, imagery, and audio-visual modules during the online prevention campaign," Mr Asante said.
"You will all agree that this is the kind of exposure that we need, to make all of us positive agents for change and strong peace builders not just for Ghana but the world as a whole."
He said GIFEC would continue to work with UNESCO to extend the programme to all parts of the country.
“Ghana is experiencing an unprecedented evolution in technology and this has direct consequences on violent extremism,” Mr Asante noted.
He, therefore, called on the participants to take advantage of the opportunity to acquire ICT skills to provide the grounds to fight extremists’ activities and improve on nation building.
Those activities could be view points and unacceptable attitudes inconsistent with existing norms, he said.
Mr George Agyiri, the Municipal Chief Executive of Amenfi West, said the training was timely to help the youth acquire ICT knowledge and called on them to be committed to it.
The Abusuapanin of Asankragwa, Nana Appiah Diwaah, commended GIFEC and UNESCO for the laudable programme, which would benefit the youth of Amenfi West and the entire nation.
GNA
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