Editorial
COMMENT: Let’s give peace chance
The United Nations observed the International Day of Families on Thursday, May 15, and the International Day of Living Together in Peace last Friday, May 16.
The good news is that both festivities call for an action-driven strategy to resolve disputes and advance harmony in order to foster peace, understanding, and unity.
The International Day of Families is a celebration of all kinds of families with the goal of fostering closer ties between them. That the United Nations (UN) plans and encourages a range of events to honour the Day on this unique day is inspiring.
More encouraging is the fact that the celebration contributes to increasing awareness of the various family-related and family-affecting issues, such as gender inequality, healthcare, education, violence, and prejudice.
It is a public holiday in other countries, and the intention is for parents to spend an additional day with their children and extended family, which surely strengthens the bonds within the family. This bolsters the theme for this year’s International Day of Families, “Family-Oriented Policies for Sustainable Development.”
Since living together as a family offers its members warmth, love, friendship, emotional support, and security – especially amongst couples and their children – the celebration should be encouraged.
In a similar vein, the International Day of Living Together in Peace is observed to consistently mobilise the global community’s efforts to advance tolerance, peace, inclusion, understanding, and solidarity.
Every year, May 16 is celebrated globally to support the goal of living and acting as one, unified in variety and differences, in order to create a sustainable world of harmony, peace, and solidarity.
Around the world, people observe a minute of silence at noon on this day. Peace conferences and workshops are arranged to commemorate the day, and others participate in intercultural dialogue.
Saying no to violence, embracing diversity, understanding one another even during disagreements or conflicts, avoiding discrimination, appreciating others, and treating everyone with decency and respect are all necessary for living in peace.
Since unresolved disagreements result in strained relationships, stress, and even mental health difficulties that eventually influence productivity, creativity, and general well-being, every effort must be made to coexist peacefully.
The Spectator believes that an act of compassion, forgiveness, and tolerance that results in the cessation of conflicts is necessary for peace to reign.
Therefore, in order to facilitate the work of the National Peace Council, we implore families, communities, ethnic groups, religious organisations, government representatives, and other parties involved in conflicts to give peace a chance and encourage reconciliation.
A more peaceful and successful society will result from our acceptance of peace since it will encourage collaboration, economic expansion, social stability, improved well-being, less conflict, and trust.
Dear Editor,
The recent shooting to death of Javits Frimpong, a 15 year old Ghanaian student in Bronx, USA, is a heartbreaking reminder that bullying should never be dismissed as a normal part of growing up.
Reports indicate that the teenager had allegedly been subjected to bullying at school before he was fatally shot on his way to class.
While investigations continue and the exact motive yet to be officially established, the circumstances surrounding this tragedy have raised serious concerns about the impact of not checking bullying.
What makes this loss even more painful is that Javits Frimpong, had moved from Ghana to the United States with hopes of a brighter future through education. Instead, his life was cut short at an age when he should have been pursuing his dreams and preparing for adulthood.
Bullying is often viewed as harmless teasing, but its effects can be severe and long-lasting. Victims may suffer emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, poor academic performance, and, in extreme cases, become entangled in violence.
This incident should serve as a wake-up call to schools everywhere. Complaints of bullying must be taken seriously, investigated promptly, and addressed decisively before situations escalate.
Parents, teachers, school authorities, and community leaders all share a responsibility to create safe environments for young people.
Open communication, counselling services, anti-bullying education, and effective disciplinary measures can help protect vulnerable students.
Equally important is teaching young people respect, empathy, and peaceful conflict resolution.
As we mourn the loss of Javits Frimpong, let us also commit ourselves to ensuring that no other child loses their life because warning signs were ignored. The fight against bullying is not merely a school issue; it is a societal responsibility.
Yours faithfully,
Dansoman
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The recent report that 294 teenage girls in the Ayawaso West Municipality failed to receive their Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is a depressing reminder of the gap between medical progress and public trust.
In a focused campaign with 997 girls the Roman Ridge Sub-Municipal Health Directorate reached a 70 percent coverage rate. Our public health professionals deserve praise for reaching 703 girls, but the remaining 30 percent pose a serious threat.
This shortfall is not due to a lack of institutional effort, logistics, or resources. The directorate had sufficient logistics, as highlighted by Public Health Nurse Patience Adoli Kporxah. Rather, the barrier was completely human: a lack of parental approval.
In Ghana, one of the top causes of cancer-related mortality for women is still cervical cancer. Ironically, it is also one of the most avoidable. The HPV vaccine is widely acknowledged as a safe, highly effective barrier that, when given early, can prevent up to 90 percent of cervical cancers.
Parents are unknowingly leaving their daughters vulnerable to a virus that they will probably come into contact with in the future by withholding approval.
This initiative was not initiated in secret by the health directorate. They coordinated with churches, mosques, and media outlets, spoke at Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings, and sent letters to schools as part of their broad public outreach efforts. However, around 300 parents continued to withhold their signatures in spite of these multi-dimensional approaches.
Why is this resistance still present? Fear, cultural taboos, and false information about vaccines and reproductive health on the internet are the main causes of vaccine hesitation rather than an intent to hurt a child. When a vaccination is administered to young teenagers in schools, it may cause unjustified concerns about fertility and sexuality.
Our public health initiatives need to change in order to close this gap before the November and December phases.
Letters and the mass media are important, but they are unable to provide precise, worried answers. During PTA meetings, health staff could think about holding direct question and answer sessions so parents may express their worries without fear of being judged.
In order to normalise the vaccine, community elders, religious leaders, and reputable local physicians must do more than simply impart knowledge; they must openly support it.
We must present the HPV vaccine as a standard, life-saving cancer prevention tool that is now completely incorporated into Ghana’s regular immunisation programme.
The entrance is still open, according to public health officials. Daughters who did not participate in the school-based activity can still get the vaccination at no cost by taking them to any government health institution.
We must work together to prevent cervical cancer in the future generation. The infrastructure, education, and dosages have been supplied by public health teams. The trust must now be provided by the parents of Ayawaso West and Ghana as a whole.
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