Security personnel undergo training in communication strategy
About 20 defence and security actors in the Northern Region are undergoing training in effective communication strategies as part of efforts to prevent violent extremism in the country.
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The five-day course, which is being held in Tamale, is aimed at developing practical skills of personnel to enable them to craft and deliver effective gender-sensitive communication strategies for the prevention of violent extremism.
Dubbed "Effective Communication for Defence and Security Actors in Preventing Violent Extremism and Terrorism,” it also seeks to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop and implement communication strategies that are culturally relevant to challenges faced by communities in the country and West Africa at large.
Participants were drawn from the Police Service, the Armed Forces, the National Fire Service, the Immigration Service, the Bureau of National Investigations and other intelligent units.
It is being organised by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPT) in collaboration with the US Embassy.
The initiative forms part of “Strengthening community resilience: Preventing violent extremism through effective communication” project.
Rationale
In a speech read on his behalf, the Commandant of KAIPTC, Major General Richard Addo Gyane, explained that the course sought to address the multifaceted challenges posed by violent extremism and terrorism which undermined security and eroded the social fabric of communities.
He said effective communication was crucial in fostering understanding, promoting resilience and preventing the spread of extremist ideologies.
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"The participants would be engaged in intensive learning sessions designed to equip them with skills and knowledge to develop communication strategies that are both effective and culturally relevant to the unique security challenges faced by communities in coastal West Africa" the commandant added.
Bolstering security
For her part, the Country Coordinator of US Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability (SPCPS), Kaitlin Kitchen, said the initiative formed part of the US government’s commitment to support the government of Ghana to bolster the capacity of security services to ensure that the country remained resilient in the wake of increasing threats from violent extremists in neighbouring sahel countries.
She said the course was basically about using a non-kinetic action to achieve a more peaceful, stable, and prosperous community, and not a tactical course on how to fight violent extremism.
Writer's email:mohammed.fugu@graphic.com.gh