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A national campaign to promote decent and temperate language ahead of the 2024 general election has been launched.
The campaign will include activities such as training workshops and fora with political parties, communities, youth groups and all stakeholders on the topic, with engagements with the National Peace Council, National Commission for Civic Education and National Media Commission, among others.
It is an initiative of the Queen Mothers’ Foundation, a non-profit organisation made up of queenmothers from the 16 regions.
At a news conference in Accra last Wednesday, September 13, 2023, President of the foundation, Nana Ama Serwaa Bonsu, explained that as mothers and custodians of cultural and traditional values they were concerned about the rising spate of the use of intemperate language on media platforms such as social media, radio and television, hence the campaign.
Consequently, she said the group would be calling out and rebuking groups, political parties and pressure groups which exhibited indecent conduct on any platform as part of the campaign.
“From now to the next elections in 2024, we know the political temperature will be high and may give rise to some of these unaccepted language and behaviour,” she said.
The Foundation — established 16 years ago — seeks to champion the empowerment of women, pursue human rights, justice and create social and environmental change.
It also seeks to promote growth through the projection of cultural and traditional values and generally run programmes to alleviate the plight of the underprivileged in society.
Nana Bonsu assured citizens, development partners and the global community that the foundation would be the regular and consistent moderating voice.
“We will encourage, praise and commend decent and good conduct in the same way we will condemn, discourage and recommend for sanction erring persons, groups and political parties.
When we say decency or decent language in politics it should evoke respect, kindness, courage, integrity, reason and tolerance.
It is an unquestionable duty and belief for all of us to promote and protect the dignity of all people irrespective of social status, political persuasion, gender and religion,” the president said.
As part of efforts to ensure a violence-free elections, Nana Bonsu urged the public to uphold the principles of fairness, tolerance and decency.
She also called on politicians to engage in acts that sought to unite, and not polarise and tear down the very country they sought to govern.
“Finally, we call on the fourth estate of the realm, the media, in their pursuit of higher listenership, readership and viewership not to allow themselves to become a destabilising medium or factor,” she said.
