Ghanaians have been implored to avoid hate speech in order to maintain peace and security as this year's elections get nearer.
The Director of Capacity Development and Outreach of the National Peace Council (NPC), Mrs Janet Samey, said: "As citizens of this country, we should be very mindful of our speech. Someone might react to what you have said, and before you realise it, there's a whole violent scene based on hearsay, something someone has said, which may not even be true."
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday, Mrs Samey said: "It applies to all Ghanaians, whether you are male, female, youth, politician, traditional leader, church leader, or whoever."
She mentioned that hate speech could be based on many factors such as religious thoughts, ethnic biases, and personal animosity towards others.
"Sometimes when somebody say things, people don't take the time to verify whether what has been said is really true before reacting to it," she added.
Mrs Samey said that as part of efforts to curb hate speech, the NPC had developed guidelines on hate speech and other forms of indecent expressions and was working on intensifying public education about the dangers of hate speech and its potential effects on the country, especially during this election year.
She said that with these guidelines, the NPC was collaborating with the National Media Commission and other media outlets, like the Media Foundation for West Africa and the Catholic Relief Services sponsoring sensitisation on hate speech in the Northern sector of the country.
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She emphasised that they were collaborating on sensitisation campaigns to ensure that the majority of citizens understand why it was necessary to avoid hate speech and the problems it can cause for the whole nation.
"We will have to depend on the Media Commission and other media organisations to help create sustainability and also to be able to hold accountable those who violate these guidelines," she said.
Mrs Samey said the media should not promote such speeches on their platforms to curtail the tendencies of inflaming violence before, during and after these elections.
She said that journalists should uphold professional standards to reduce hate speech, adding that as gatekeepers of news, they should advocate for zero tolerance for hate speech to maintain the continuous peace and stability the country is enjoying.
"When someone has said something inflammatory, do you have to report it if it's hate speech? Sometimes, somebody may have said something, but nobody heard it. However, if the media picks it up and spreads it everywhere, the situation becomes even worse, and the effects become more negative," she said.
She said stakeholders should partner with the NPC to address the menace of hate speech during this election year.
