Speakers at a youth forum in Tamale have admonished the youth to leverage social media as a strategic tool to enhance active citizenship to influence policy and decision-making in the country.
They intimated that social media, when used strategically and responsibly, could serve as a powerful platform for mobilising young people, shaping public discourse and holding leaders accountable.
According to them, effective digital activism required organisation, credible information, and sustained engagement to ensure that youth participation went beyond online commentary and influenced real policy outcomes.
The speakers made the observation at the sixth annual Akoto Ampaw Active Citizenship Dialogue (AAACD), organised by the Star Ghana Foundation in collaboration with YEFL Ghana and the University for Development Studies (UDS).
Held on the theme: “Beyond Partisanship: Youth, Active Citizenship, and Ghana’s Democratic Future”, the event sought to map out practical strategies to promote constructive, non-partisan active citizenship and strengthen collective engagement in governance beyond electoral politics.
It brought together youth groups, students and civil society organisations from the five northern regions to prioritise meaningful youth participation in governance processes.
Digital tools
In his remarks, the Executive Director of the Star Ghana Foundation, Ibrahim Tanko Amidu, said that when used responsibly and strategically, digital platforms could amplify citizens’ voices, shape public discourse and compel leaders to respond to pressing national concerns.
A section of the participants
He said, “If youth do not become active citizens, the solutions will not favour them because others will sit elsewhere and prescribe solutions for them — people who may not have a stake in the present and the future”.
He stressed that young people had a direct stake in national development and must therefore co-create solutions to societal challenges.
Alhaji Amidu indicated that political partisanship had been weaponised in ways that discouraged citizens, particularly the youth, from speaking out on governance issues.
He observed that civil society organisations were frequently labelled as partisan whenever they expressed opinions on public matters, saying, “when you post something slightly critical of the government or the opposition on social media, instead of debating the ideas, people resort to personal attacks”.
Mr Amidu advised youth-led groups and civil society organisations to develop clear advocacy strategies and build online communities around issues of public interest to influence constructive debate.
Youth participation
For his part, the Founder of the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA), Ibrahim Mahama, said it could be difficult for young people to actively participate in governance when supportive policies and frameworks were lacking.
He added that “in the absence of inclusive policies, many young people feel they are passive observers rather than active participants in national development”.
A youth advocate, Sualisu Faizatu, said it took courage for young people to use social media to speak on national issues, as online engagement often attracted negative reactions.
She, therefore, encouraged them to be bold in expressing their views to shape discourse on issues affecting their communities and the nation at large.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
