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MPEC organises three-day retreat to deepen capacities of CSOs in conflict prevention and resolution
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A picture of some participants
A three-day retreat to deepen the capacities of Civil Society Organisations(CSOs) and minority activists to contribute to conflict prevention and resolution has ended in Accra on Wednesday.
It was necessitated to address issues concerning exclusion and discrimination of minoritiesand indigenous communities, migrants, internally displaced persons.
The retreat was organised by the Media Platform on Environment and Climate Change(MPEC) with funding from the European Union(EU) under the implementation of ‘Engaging Media and Minorities to Act for Peacebuilding’ (EMMAP) programme.
The participants included disability right activists, youth activists, gender activists, child rights activists, migrants’ right activists and journalists.
Topics treated were ‘Overview of Conflict in Ghana’, ‘Conflict and Minority Communities and Groups in Ghana’, ‘Policy and Legal Frameworks on Conflicts’, ‘Community Tensions’, ‘Understanding Ethical’ and ‘Privacy Standards’ among others.
In a presentation, Ms. Charity ForiwaDwommoh,a legal practitioner, and Chief Executive Officer of Women Uplifting Women, said the position of minorities across the world was grave and it was getting worse with a rise in hate speech and hate crimes targeting minorities around the world.
She noted that root causes of most violent conflicts were linked to violations of the human rights of minorities and called for mainstreaming of minority issues in conflict prevention efforts.
To address the common root causes of most conflicts, Ms. Dwommoh explained that it was essential to deal with the grievances, real or perceived, before these could be instrumentalised by political forces or created explosive conditions that led to violence.
“Since most contemporary violent conflicts involve aggrieved minorities, strategies to prevent conflicts involving minorities should figure prominently in international, regional and national initiatives and address directly the root causes of exclusion and injustice” she stressed.
Dr Joana Larry-Afutu, Clinical Psychologist and Lecturer,indicated that minority group activists begin advocacy because of the passion they had to see others live a more fulfilling life however, at a point they seemed to break down.
That she explained,could be referred to as compassion fatigue which could be managed by havinga positive outlook, asking for help, making time for routine screening , discourage activities that may be hurtfulor destructive to stress management process, like substance abuse, revenge or isolation among others.
“Advocacy takes a lot from advocates and they is the need for such advocates to take care of themselves so they can be the voice for the voiceless,” Dr Afutu stated.
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY
Ghana Post on Tuesday launched the ‘Skool Box’ initiative, one aimed at supporting education and delivery services to students in Accra.
The initiative forms part of Ghana Post’s broader transformation agenda to diversify its services and provide innovative solutions to everyday challenges faced by Ghanaians.
Launching the initiative, the Managing Director of the company, Mrs Rita Sraha, said the idea was inspired by the practical difficulties students and parents often faced in transporting school items, particularly at the beginning of the academic term.
According to her, the increasing space constraints in schools also makes it difficult for students to carry large quantities of belongings with them, creating the need for parents to find alternative ways of sending additional items to their children.
Mrs Sraha said the initiative aligns with the broader national agenda of using digital technology and innovation to expand opportunities, improve public services and strengthen Ghana’s economic capabilities.
The Managing Director however, stressed that the success of the initiative would depend on Ghana Post’s willingness to listen to users, learn from experience and continuously improve the service.
Mrs Sraha explained that Ghana Post was gradually expanding beyond its traditional postal operations through partnerships and services in areas including last-mile delivery, agency banking, logistics and insurance.
She said the School Box Service was another example of how the organisation was using its institutional capabilities to develop solutions to practical challenges within communities.
The Acting Chief Commercial Officer of Ghana Post, Mr Benard Yaw Atta-Sonno, said the service was designed to provide convenient and reliable delivery of school-related items while creating new business opportunities within the education sector.
According to him, the company was also strengthening its focus on digitalisation, customer experience, strategic partnerships and data-driven commercial decision-making.
“Our objective is clear: to build multiple sustainable revenue streams around the assets and capabilities that Ghana Post already possesses, while developing new capabilities for emerging markets,” he said.
He explained that, in the short term, the initiatives were expected to increase transaction volumes, improve the digitalisation of the company’s network, attract new customer segments and generate additional revenue from services that complemented its traditional postal operations.
He noted that the School Box, in particular, provided an opportunity for Ghana Post to develop recurring business around the annual school cycle, while creating opportunities to cross-sell other logistics and delivery services.
The launch forms part of Ghana Post’s wider efforts to modernise its operations and position the company as a diversified logistics and service provider beyond its traditional postal business.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
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The Ghana Education Service (GES) has asked heads of schools not to turn away newly admitted students or refuse to accommodate them over metal trunks or wooden chop boxes.
“These practices may impose unnecessary financial burdens on parents and guardians who may be unable to afford alternative storage containers prescribed by individual schools,” the GES said in a statement.
“All students admitted to boarding accommodation should be treated fairly and accommodated without discrimination based on their economic circumstances or ability of their parents or guardians to purchase a particular brand or type of personal effects.”
The statement, signed by Professor Mrs Smile Dzisi, the Deputy GES Director-General, comes after Management of the Service received reports that some senior high schools and senior high technical schools (SHS/SHTS) were turning newly admitted students or refusing to accommodate them because they brought metal trunks, wooden chop boxes or other personal storage containers to school.
Consequently, the GES has asked regional directors to inform all heads to desist from turning away or refusing admissions to duly admitted students solely on the basis of the type of trunk, chop box, or personal storage container they bought to school.
Provided the item was reasonably sized, safe and did not pose risk to the health, safety or welfare of other students, those students must not be refused accommodation, it added.
The statement said: “Any reported case of a duly admitted student being denied accommodation or turned away solely because of the type of trunk, chop box or personal storage container brought to school should be investigated and same reported to management.”
“Any head of SHS/SHSTS who flouts this directive shall be dealt with in accordance with the applicable standards, regulation and laws of the service.” –GNA
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