Let's safeguard the peace - Ark Foundation
Accra, May 30, GNA – The Ark Foundation, an advocacy based women's organisation, has called on Ghanaians to endeavour to maintain peace before, during and after Election 2012.
It said peace was vital to Ghana's democracy because the absence of peace would bring untold hardships to the citizenry particularly women and children as well as underdevelopment.
The Foundation made the call at a Photo Exhibition and launch of “The Nuisance Project – Young Women Speak Peace to Power” sponsored by Star Ghana in Accra on Wednesday.
Ms Angela Darko, Representative of Young Women for Peace, said the Project initiated by the Foundation was to get leaders across Ghana to commit to the importance of peace and security for Election 2012, enhance the capacity of young women in ensuring credible issue based electoral process.
It would demand accountability from political and party heavy weights and bring to the fore the role of women in preventing electoral violence in enhancing peace in the communities, in addition to sensitising the public on the dangers of conflict to women and children particularly and other vulnerable groups in society.
Ms Darko said the exhibition was to convey the impact of war and conflict on civilians especially women and children and the challenges they undergo during such conflicts.
She said the photo exhibition would bring about greater understanding and appreciation of the peace Ghana enjoyed, the high cost of war, violence and strife and an increased desire to maintain peace that was taken for granted.
Ms Dorcas Ansah, Results and Communications Manager, Star Ghana, indicated that they recognised the extreme importance of ensuring peaceful, transparent, free and fair elections hence allocated over 4.8 million dollars to Civil Society Organisations and Non State Actors including Ark Foundation towards consolidating Ghana's democracy.
She noted that Ghana had been commended for conducting herself through free, fair, efficient and transparent uninterrupted elections since 1996 with full participation of political parties and majority of the citizenry.
Ms Ansah expressed concern that after two decades of democratisation in Africa, recent assessments seemed to point to formidable challenges in consolidating democratic governance on the continent with the resurgence of military coup d'etats, rancors, violence and manipulations.
She cited countries such as Kenya, Cote d'Ivoire, Zimbabwe, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo whose elections degenerated into violence.
Ms Millicent Adzimah, representative of Ark Foundation Ghana urged Ghanaians to opt for peace and appealed to the media to be responsible in their reportage in order not to inflame passions.
The war library photos exhibited depicted the effects of war such as disability, malnutrition, disease, unemployment, displacement of people and underdevelopment.
A Liberia civil war victim shared her nightmarish personal experience with participants.
Some activities earmarked for the Project include, a thousand leaders' petition, quiet peace vigils, banner line hangings, “Azonto for peace” street dance, polar ball, inter-generational women's peace forum and grandmother's speak peace documentary.
GNA