Ernest Kissiedu
21 November 2008
Students from the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) have launched a peace coalition campaign as part of the school's social corporate responsibility to the society.The campaign is expected to promote peace and violence-free elections in December and beyond.
Interacting with the media, a spokesperson for the coalition, Mr. Michael Adu Poku appealed to political parties and politicians to be more sincere about peace campaigns.
"....The growing numbers of peace campaigns this electoral season, we bemoan the extent to which peace campaigns have been reduced to fanfares and popularity concerts," he said.
He said peace campaigns are organized as a medium to inform people about the dangers associated with conflicts, the need to avoid chaos and promote national unity.
The issue of peace, he said, should be seen as an important issue that cannot be underestimated. "The Ghanaian community must be informed that peace, like success cannot be wished, every drop of it must be earned deliberately," he said.
Mr. Adu Poku said Ghanaians face challenges, especially in getting good health care, food to eat, affordable accommodation, employment and education and "an addition of burden of war or instability of any magnitude makes suicide a preferred option".
He said the development and progress of the life Ghanaians seek are only conceivable within a peaceful environment.
The spokesperson said Ghana is not only faced with challenges of defending its integrity as a peaceful country and the role played in facilitating peace internationally but also to create mechanisms that would help develop the economy as well.
The nation has a challenge to sustain the right environment necessary for the education and growth of the people and the industrialization of the economy.
He said towards a peaceful election, every citizenry must be committed to ensuring peace and called on the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary to place national interests ahead of their personal interests.
"Work to win the confidence of every Ghanaian and be neutral as well," he said.
He urged journalists to continue to play their watchdog roles and balance their freedom of expression with responsibility to the nation.
"We must not inflame passions so that we all come out of this process clean," he advised.
He said security agencies must exhibit professionalism in the discharge of their duties during the December polls to make it a success.
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