A training workshop on inclusive digital advocacy for consortium members of the Citizens Awareness and Advocacy for Campaign Finance Reforms (CAACFiR) project has been held in Tamale.
It formed part of the implementation of the CAACFiR project in the Northern, North East and Savannah Regions.
It is being implemented by Simba Ghana, an NGO, with funding support from the United States Agency for International Development under its Political Accountability Activity and led by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.
Youth groups amongst other stakeholders were the participants, and they were taken through key principles of digital advocacy including data privacy and security, accessibility and inclusion, misinformation and manipulation, authenticity, and transparency, among others.
It was to equip them with the requisite skills and knowledge to enable them to rally public support and demand stronger regulatory reforms to promote transparency and reduce the high cost of political campaign financing in the country.
Mr Abdul Rahman Abdul Mumin, Executive Director of Simba Ghana, who facilitated the day’s training in Tamale, said it was also to equip participants with digital advocacy skills and to enable them to develop effective digital advocacy strategies to demand accountable and transparent governance in the country.
He said it was to enable them to create compelling digital content for meaningful advocacy campaigns.
He entreated them to demonstrate more interest in advocating for accountable governance by ensuring that the skills acquired were put to good use to help promote sustainable growth and development of the country.
The workshop was also used to present findings, observations and recommendations made by Simba Ghana during the just ended general election.
Amongst the recommendations were the need for more electoral reforms to prevent issues of vote buying during elections, increased visibility on anti-vote buying campaigns, and strengthening effective monitoring mechanisms at the polling stations.
Mr Awal Abdul Mugis, Gushegu Municipal Director of the National Commission for Civic Education lauded the training for targeting the youth, who were mostly vulnerable to issues of misinformation and disinformation.
Mr Hafiz Yussif, a Programmes Officer at the Ghana Developing Communities Association, an NGO, who participated in the training, encouraged the youth to ensure that the digital platforms in their hands were used to promote peace, tolerance, and stability.
Source: myghanadaily
