The National Peace Council (NPC) has launched Intemperate Language Guideline (ILG) on Thursday in Accra to guide hate speech and other forms of indecent expressions.
The Chairman of the NPC, Rev. Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, who the guidelines said democratic governance structures all over the world have at various stages of their emergence suffered some form of vulnerability due to the use of hate speech with its attendant consequences.
According to him, hate speech, for example, is known to be one of the major causes of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and also played a substantial role in the political crisis in Kenya in 2007-2008 and that of the Ivory Coast in 2011.
Rev Adu-Gyamfi said the story is not different in Ghana, as the phenomenon of hate speech and indecent forms of expression have suddenly grown and have become a threat to Ghanaian society.
The proliferation of such behaviour is more noticeable and enhanced during election years.
He said in some instances, there had been derogatory remarks and insinuations cast by one ethnic group or tribe against another. These have resulted in some tension between ethnic or tribal groups that have the potential to disturb the peace of the country.
The National Peace Council Act, Act 818 of 2011 mandates the Council to facilitate and develop mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution and to build sustainable peace in the country. The Act also mandates the Council to increase awareness of the use of non-violent strategies to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts and build sustainable peace in the country.
This is to guide all of us as citizens, officials of various institutions and political actors in the performance of our duties and engagements with each other, particularly in the media space.
Rev Adu-Gyamfi said the role of the media could not be ignored in this process since they provide the public access to information, create awareness and facilitate public debate and discussions with strict adherence to professionalism and ethical standards.
In addition, he said the guidelines would help improve the capacity of the media in peacebuilding, conflict-sensitive journalism, enhance decent communication between and among political stakeholders and help sanitize public discourse. It seeks to enhance Ghana’s efforts at consolidating peace, democracy and development.
On her part, the Deputy Minister for the Interior, Naana Eyiah, said the impact of hate speech is now amplified by new communications technologies, adding that the internet has become one of the most common ways of spreading divisive discourse on a global scale, threatening peace around the world.
She commended the National Peace Council for taking the initiative to curtail hate speech in the country and urged it to find innovative ways to ensure the guidelines are observed by the media.
The Danish Ambassador to Ghana, Tom Norring, said the NPC plays a key role in conflict prevention and resolution in Ghana and was happy that the Council came up with such guidelines to prevent hate speech in Ghana.
He said the embassy acknowledged the steps in securing peace in the society and hoped the guide would not end on shelves but would be available to guide all Ghanaians against hate speech.
Dzifa Hukporti, ISD
