Jules Armand seated with Jeroen Verheul and Irchad Razaaly
The European Union (EU), together with the Embassies of the Netherlands and France, has activated a campaign to combat disinformation ahead of Ghana’s 2024 elections.
The campaign was launched on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at Jambo Spaces, Accra.
Dubbed “Check the Facts; Don’t Get It Twisted”, the campaign aims to promote and amplify credible information in the electoral discourse. In true Team Europe spirit, the partners seek to enhance media literacy, critical thinking, and fact-based information sharing, particularly among young voters. The initiative is part of broader EU and Member States’ efforts to promote credible, transparent, inclusive, and peaceful elections in Ghana.
Ghanaian celebrities, including Dr. Likee, Kuami Eugene, Akrobeto, Fancy Gadam, Camidoh, Ama Burland, Gisela, Kojo Jnr, and Wiyaala, will leverage their platforms to create awareness, promote critical thinking, and foster fact-based discussions.
The campaign features informative skits, jingles, and podcasts, all infused with humor, to enhance media literacy skills. It will be conducted in English, Ga, Twi, Ewe, Sissala, Hausa, and Dagbani, running throughout the election period and its immediate aftermath.
EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, emphasized: “This initiative helps to promote responsible reporting and fact-based information sharing in Ghana. We are committed to supporting Ghana’s democratic development and look forward to a successful collaboration with Ghanaian celebrities and civil society organizations.”
The French Ambassador to Ghana, Jules Armand Aniambossou, added: “France is committed, alongside its European partners, local players, and celebrities, to support transparent and inclusive elections that uphold democracy. It is crucial to strengthen access to reliable information in all of Ghana’s most popular languages to counter the pernicious effects of misinformation.”
The Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, Jeroen Verheul, stated: “The Netherlands is pleased to support this campaign as part of Team Europe and recognizes its importance in motivating young voters to engage in the democratic process and make their votes count.
“To trust the process, it is essential to be well-informed and know how to fact-check the information available. When young citizens are empowered to seek factual information, they become ambassadors against misinformation and can actively contribute to Ghanaian democracy.”
In the end, the “Check the Facts; Don’t Get It Twisted” campaign will not only sensitize Ghanaians to the tactics of deceitful actors intending to mislead and manipulate but also build resilience in combating the menace of misinformation and disinformation, which has been identified as one of the greatest global risks in the coming years.