Steps Towards Peace – Bolgatanga Street Youth Carry Forward Message of Hope

Youth with signboards

The Youth in Governance project is in full swing at the mid-year mark in the lead up to the December 2012 elections in Ghana. The partnership project with STAR Ghana is operating across all three Northern regions to educate and engage young adults in peaceful participation before, during and after the voting season. Members of Bolgatanga’s (Bolga) youth community recently added their voice to the call for peace to ensure the safe, progressive and democratic development of the nation.

Main procession

Mother & child taking part

Thursday, June 14 saw the gathering of YA’s constituents from the Bolga lorry park and Ghana Private Road Transport Union leading their friends, colleagues and community members in a march through the city’s main street. Featuring colourful and prolific banners painted with peace slogans, the procession danced the streets accompanied by a brass band to draw attention to their cause. The sheer enthusiasm of people from all walks of life was in full unison as believers of the cause carried the message of peace forward.

The street youth leaders addressed the crowd by highlighting some of the current barriers to a peaceful election and urged the community, individual parties and governing bodies to implement necessary solutions to ensure a free and fair democratic process. Registration issues including double registration and soliciting of minors brought forward the need for security agencies to be present at polling stations to monitor activities. Additionally security would ensure enthusiastic party supporters do not instigate conflict with rival party supporters. 

The youth called on each political party to avoid the common practice of opponent-bashing and to rather focus on the plans to implement positive changes in the lives of millions of Ghanaians. Finally they addressed the need for the Electoral Commission to implement a feedback system for the public to file complaints instead of resorting to violence. 

Petition presentation

Representatives from the national Inter Party Advisory Committee were present to receive a petition signed by the street youth and their community members.  The committee’s mandate is to advise political parties to comply with the rules and regulation laid down in each parties’ code of conduct. The youth vowed to comply with electoral rules and regulations by discouraging violence (physical and verbal), refusing bribes and abiding by official procedures during each stage.