By George Ernest Asare, Domeabra
YOUTH Network for Human Rights and Democracy, a non governmental organisation (NGO), in collaboration with the German Development Service (DED) has organised a forum at Domeabra in the Asante Akim North District of the Ashanti Region to sensitise the youth in the area to the need to refrain from actions likely to cause violence and disturb the peace.
The seminar, which was attended by traditional rulers in the Domeabra Traditional Area, departmental heads, members of the district assembly, heads of institutions, as well as a section of the police, fire officers, students and farmers, among other groups, was also meant to bring the traditional authorities and district assembly on the same platform to dialogue to enhance transparency in decision making, thereby facilitating socio-economic development in the area.
Not even a four-hour heavy downpour moments before the beginning of the forum could disrupt the programme, which was the second in a series organised by Peace and Governance and its collaborators in the Ashanti Region since May this year.
The heavy downpour, however, forced the organisers to relocate the venue of the forum from the Presbyterian School Park to the spacious Presbyterian Church where all the participants, including the Domeabra Paramount Chief, Nana Frimpong Afoakwa, and his sub chiefs converged.
Apart from Domeabra, other participants from Adiembra, Pekyerekye and Kwaikoko also attended the forum in their numbers.
In the first forum organised at Adankranya in the Amansie East District, political heads, traditional rulers, students, security officers, the youth and farmers in the surrounding communities at Adankranya traditional area attended in their numbers and interacted positively.
In their interaction through poetry recitals, drama and speeches, the youth, traditional rulers and politicians as well as the peace officers promised to eschew any form of action likely to inflame passion in the traditional area, especially during election years.
In his address, the programmes officer of Youth Network for Human Rights and Democracy, Mr Sefa Boama, urged the youth to be actively involved in activities that enhance socio-economic development in their respective communities instead of indulging in actions likely to lead to violence and the destruction of lives and property.
He pointed out that by taking actions that promoted socio-economic development in their communities, there would be transparency in decision making on issues that affected their welfare, thereby demystifying the issue of governance.
Mr Boama explained that because the youth “are sometimes alienated from decision making on issues that affected their welfare, and are not regularly given any platform to seek tangible explanations, they sometimes fall prey to adventurers who use them to promote their selfish interest.”
He said while some of the youth were used as tools to cause mayhem over political issues, others used to fan ethnic violence and chieftaincy disputes, thus undermining the peace that prevailed in their immediate environment.
He, therefore, urged the youth to collaborate with traditional rulers, the district assembly and security officers in their localities so as to create a peaceful environment for meaningful socio-economic development in their areas.
He said it was equally important for the district assemblies to see traditional rulers as development partners by collaborating with them on issues that affected the development of the various communities in the district.
The Divisional Crime Officer of Asante Akim North, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr Maxwell Agyemang, urged the youth to see the police as partners in the socio-economic development of their respective communities by offering them useful information that could lead to the prevention of crime.
He said since the perpetuation of crime undermined socio-economic development, there was the need for the youth to always offer useful information to the police so as to prevent crime or help the police to detect them.
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