Workshop for journalists and civil society actors on Election 2012

Accra, June 21, GNA-The International Institute for ICT Journalism (Penplusbytes) would on Thursday June 21, hold a workshop on “Connecting civil society and media for credible 2012 Ghana Elections.” in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region.

The workshop forms part of African Elections Project (AEP), “Enabling Peaceful Transparent and Credible Elections in Ghana Using New Media Project” with funding from STAR-Ghana, a release issued and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday by Mr Kwami Ahiabenu I, Team Leader, Penplusbytes said in Accra.

It would bring together journalists and civil society actors around the upcoming elections from the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.

The next workshop is expected to be held in the southern sector of Ghana.

The Connecting Media And Civil Society for Credible 2012 Ghana Elections workshop aims at facilitating an effective and efficient civil society interaction with the ultimate objective of serving citizens better by providing them with an elections information resource that would enable them make informed choices and sensitise the electorate against electoral violence.

“Based on African Elections Project experience in covering the Ghana 2008 elections, it was noticed that majority of civil society and media interaction was through traditional media press releases, press conferences, Radio, TV and Print interviews.

This workshop is intended to bring the media, civil society organisations and citizens together to deliberate on better ways of exchanging information and knowledge, using integrated ICT platforms to ensure Ghana goes through peaceful, transparent and credible elections in December 2012” Mr Ahiabenu indicated.

Key presentation would be made by the Brong Ahafo Regional Director of Electoral Commission, Mr Samuel Boadu whilst Professor Peter Amponsah, Head of Communications of the Department of the Catholic University would moderate a focus group discussion on “How to effectively facilitate better working relations between the media and Civil society through networking”.

AEP established in 2008 is coordinated by Penplusbytes and covers elections using Information and Communication Technologies across the continent.

It has successfully covered elections in Botswana, Namibia, Ghana (2008), Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Mauritania, Mozambique, Malawi, Togo, Niger and Liberia.

STAR-Ghana is a multi-donor pooled funding mechanism supported by DFID, DANIDA, USAID and the EU to increase the influence of civil society and parliament in the governance of public goods and service delivery with the ultimate goal of improving the accountability and responsiveness of government, traditional authorities and the private sector.

GNA