Bolgatanga: The Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre (Norsaac) has initiated the formation of a Youth and Media Coalition in the Upper East Region as part of efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism. The formation of the coalition under the Strengthening Resilience to Violent Extremism (STRIVE) project aims to raise awareness on counter-terrorism, strengthen traditional conflict resolution and peacebuilding mechanisms, and ultimately contribute to resilient populations and communities against violent extremism.

According to Ghana News Agency, the initiative, with funding support from the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), is being jointly implemented by AfriKids and CAPECS in the Bolgatanga Municipality and Nabdam, Talensi, Tempane, Builsa South, and Kassena Nankana West districts of the region. Similar activities are also being carried out in the Nadowli-Kaleo and Daffiama-Bussie-Issa Districts in the Upper West Region, and in the Mamprugu Moagduri District in the North East Region.

Ms Yatasu Maltiti Amidu, Project Officer at Norsaac, speaking at the engagement in Bolgatanga, explained that the project seeks to build resilience in communities vulnerable to radicalisation, given the region’s proximity to conflict-prone Sahelian countries. ‘The media and young people are key stakeholders in this process because they have the power to shape narratives, provide accurate information, and prevent the spread of extremist propaganda,’ she stressed.

Ms Amidu noted that progress so far included stakeholder profiling across all implementing districts, capacity-building training for community actors, and the formation of a Media coalition for Preventing Violent Extremism. ‘We have also inaugurated a steering committee to provide technical guidance and oversight for project activities,’ she added.

Mr Edmond Alagpulinsa, Senior Principal Investigator, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), presenting on the drivers of violent extremism, highlighted youth unemployment, perceived marginalisation, and political vigilantism as the key drivers of radicalisation in northern Ghana. Citing data from the Ghana Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey, he revealed that the North East Region recorded 92.1 per cent of youth not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET), followed closely by the Savannah Region with 90.6 per cent, the Northern Region with 84.2 per cent, and the Upper East with 22.9 per cent.

‘These alarming figures show that the absence of jobs and training opportunities creates fertile grounds for extremist groups to recruit young people,’ Mr Alagpulinsa said. Mr Nicolas Nambirigya Azebire, a co-facilitator of the engagement, charged media practitioners to be responsible in their reportage, stressing that sensational reporting could easily inflame tensions and play into the hands of extremist groups.

‘The way you frame a headline or a story has the power either to calm a situation or to escalate it. As media professionals and young people with a voice, you must be conscious that your words can shape perceptions, influence decisions, and even determine whether peace is maintained or conflict is triggered,’ he emphasised. He urged participants to embrace ethical journalism and constructive storytelling as tools for peacebuilding in northern Ghana.