The Internet and ICT has become embedded in every aspect of our day- to-day lives and the way we interact with others.

Notwithstanding the positive impact of the internet and ICT on peoples lives, it is also being negatively used for bigotry, racism, exclusion, xenophobia and discriminatory thoughts and values.

Fake news, misinformation, deception, hoaxes, propaganda and satire are used to package false information as authentic to influence the youth to radical ideology and violent motives. In Ghana, about 87.1% (Ahiabenu, 2018) of newsrooms report their stories from social media or user- generated content, this makes the media houses more susceptible to fake news.

We believe that the Internet is the one of the platforms the youth are recruited because it is used as a tool for both active and passive communication and outreach.

Attacking or pulling down their sites could be a temporary solution, but not a permanent one. To counter those radical activities and violent promoting sites, Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) believes that one should start from the bottom; Education, Media and Information Literacy (MIL) and empowerment of young people to do it by themselves, which will be the most efficient tool to counter and fight such extreme ideologies and radical narratives.

This project aims at countering the propaganda of the radical groups and their ideology by providing counter narratives to diminish their extremism ideas and cut the road on increase on negative societal peer influence.
• 300 young leaders (50% women) have received training on active citizenship, ICT, technical Media know-how and researching techniques.
• 300 young leaders are equipped with the necessary technical and knowledge skills and able to launch online “No Hatred words campaign”.

http://gifec.gov.gh

• Ghana

• Youth
• Remote and rural communities

From 2008 to date, there has been an increase in use of internet especially in communities in Ghana. Regrettably, school children in Ghanaian communities, nationwide are dropping out of school and are actively participating in online activities which provide avenues for cyber grooming, bullying, stalking, online gambling and sharing violent ideas. The resultant effects are high alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, empowerment of extreme groups, child abuse which has led to an increase destruction of individual, children and the government.

The activities to be implemented to educate the youth and curb the challenge above will be carried out through series of workshops, which is replicable in any community, for young men and women in communities through;
• Outreach and awareness creation on occurrences in the neighbouring countries
• Online campaign on “No Hatred Words” which will act as a virtual platform for young people who have ideas to share on how to counter the extreme groups and radical techniques and diffuse their plans.

GIFEC has commissioned ICT Centres and trained centre managers to embark on intensive educational/awareness programme . This project, in an attempt to ensure its sustainability, seeks to rely on the already existing ICT centres as platforms to regularly train and equip the citizenry especially the youth with the requisite knowledge and expertise to use ICTs in a more professionally way.

By offering the youth the opportunity to develop their skills and broaden their knowledge over a period of time on an ongoing basis, will ensure that the program will have a deep, sustainable and multiplying impact, where the indirect beneficiaries will exceed several thousands.

Through this intervention, WSIS values in Ghanaian communities is strongly adhered and promoted extensively. This is done through building the capacity and equipping the of the youthful population with the requisite tools and knowledge to use ICTs professionally.