The Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) Ghana has embarked on a campaign urging the youth to exercise their democratic rights in the December 7 general elections.
The campaign which was dubbed “Participate Ghana! Youth Voice, Vote Ghana” was done in partnerships with Students Representative Councils of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), University of Ghana, representing Political Science Department, Department of information studies and Department of the Study of Religion and some students from University of Professional Studies, Accra(UPSA).
The walk which commenced at Accra Mall and ended at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium had enormous youth engaging with the people as they shared flyers among others to create the awareness on the upcoming elections.
Addressing the youth, the Country Representative of KAS , Anna Lena Sabroso- Wasserfall observed that they did this campaign in order to encourage the youth, especially first time voters to take part in the election in order to exercise their democratic rights as means of promoting democracy
“Your participation in today’s engagement is a very powerful reminder of the vital role young people play in shaping the future of Ghana.
You have helped to bring a very important message across today, namely that in a democracy, your voice matters, and your vote is its most powerful expression.
When you vote, you choose leaders who represent your vision for Ghana’s future—leaders who will champion the causes that matter most to you.
Ghana’s democracy is one of the strongest in Africa, a beacon of hope and stability. Yet, this strength depends on your participation. Without the engagement of young people, democracy loses its vibrancy. Your involvement is not just desirable—it is essential.
Today’s engagement and voting is however just one step. Democracy is a daily effort, and there are countless other ways you can foster its growth beyond today and elections”, she added.
The KAS Programs Director, Dr. Joseph Darmoe advised the youth to ensure they vote in order to be part of decision making.
“The youth constitute majority of the electorates who would be voting this year, as such, it was paramount to engage them in this campaign. We are not interested in who they vote for, what we are interested in is for them to exercise their rights as means of promoting democracy in Ghana.
I would advise the youth to ensure they vote in the coming elections. Failure to do that would mean allowing others to take decisions for them. They also need to eschew any violent acts before, during and after the elections,” he stated
KAS is a German political foundation. Starting in Ghana in 1966, KAS supports socio-political reforms and promotes popular participation in the political process and law security as well as the integration of traditional structures into the modern state.
With more than 70 offices abroad and projects in over 120 countries, KAS makes a unique contribution to the promotion of democracy, the rule of law and a social market economy.
