Editorial
Create enabling environment for families to live in peace
Yesterday was the International Day of Families (IDF), a global celebration of families and their significance that aims to increase awareness of social and economic challenges.
Every year on May 15, the United Nations observes IDF, a day that emphasises the value of families in social development and advocates for family-friendly legislation.
The UN General Assembly created the Day in 1993 to bring attention to economic, demographic, and social issues that impact families, such as urbanization, digital transformation, and climate change.
Because of this, the government, local communities, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) utilise this day to advocate for family-oriented policies like childcare and financial assistance to strengthen communities and advance health and education.
Children must live in a positive home setting that offers affection, love, care, support, pleasant relationships, discipline, and fairness since they are vulnerable and require assistance in a variety of ways.
In support of this year’s theme, “Families, Inequalities and Child Wellbeing,” The Spectator thinks that providing this supportive atmosphere for children will help advance their wellbeing.
In the meantime, today, May 16, is the “International Day of Living Together in Peace,” which aims to uphold the desire to live and act together, united in variety and differences, in order to create a sustainable world of harmony, solidarity, and peace.
This year’s theme, “Living Together in Peace: Building Trust through Dialogue, Inclusion and Reconciliation,” is appropriate since the day serves as a reminder of how crucial it is to promote compassion, understanding, and connection despite differences.
“Living together in peace is all about accepting differences and having the ability to listen to, recognise, respect, and appreciate others, as well as living in a peaceful and united way,” according to UNESCO.
In order for peace to prevail, individuals must choose to listen to and uphold the dignity of those whose experiences, opinions, and histories may differ from their own. We must recognize that coexisting peacefully is a practical endeavour rather than an abstract one. And in order for peace to prevail, individuals must decide to pay attention and uphold the dignity of those whose backgrounds, experiences, and opinions may differ from their own.
Respecting people’s opinions is important because it fosters trust and improves relationships. After a quarrel, most people find it hard to make amends, but The Spectator encourages people to talk, which is one approach to mend broken relationships. Tensions are reduced and the circumstances for peace are established through dialogue.
Each of us has a part to play in creating peaceful environments therefore as the theme draws attention to the daily work of peace in diplomacy, in institutions, families, schools, workplaces, communities, places of worship, and public life, let us uphold peace in high regard.
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
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
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.
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Buy Maps
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
