Background Study
An electoral process is
a democratic procedure which gives citizens the right to elect their preferred
political leaders by exercising their franchise. The common interest of every
citizen is economic transformation and progress that will bring jobs, reduce
the burden of high taxation, huge utility bills, high cost of living and others
to make the country a better place to live in. However, the story becomes
completely different immediately after these politicians are elected into
office. Several media reports have emerged showing how corruption has permeated
in the political economy with several being prosecuted and punished after being
found guilty of the crime.
Citizens have lost hope
and confidence in our politicians because of the failure to bring the needed
development to their communities which are usually marked by promises made by
the politicians. Historically, and for the past 15years, Ghanaians have lost
trust in these politicians because of the challenges the communities faces since
time immemorial with regards to poor sanitation, bad roads, lack of school
buildings, lack of portable drinking water, lack of basic health facilities, no
electricity and lack of social infrastructure.
Tactically, politicians
try to find easy ways and they do so by exploiting the citizens with money,
gifts and others to get them to do their biding which do not end up peacefully
when realised.
Research has proven
that a great number of illiterates and
especially the youth living in rural communities are the victims who are stired
to engage in these electoral and political violence due to inadequate knowledge
and understanding of political conflicts ,violence and it's adverse
consequences .
This is manifested in
various forms such as arson, physical assault and murder which poses threat to
security and development.
In Ghana, Information
gathered by various media houses on election happenings so far recorded some
scary incidents. Even though they may have not led to wars, the fear of it
happening has clouded the minds of many as the 2016 general election period is
drawing nearer.
Scope
of Study
The Medie community can
be found in the Ga west municipality of the Greater Accra Region with a total
population of 2631 comprising 1006 males and 1625 females with alot of youths
.The religions found in Medie include Christianity, Islam, traditional religion
and Hindu with the population dominated by Christians. The Medie people
originated from Chorkor. However, ethnic groups present in the community
include the Gas, Akans, Hausa, Ewes and Busangas. The main occupation of the
majority is farming while the few are involved in menial jobs with most having
attended school to the basic level.
As the project demands
the scope to be rural, Medie was considered due to its a past history of
political anarchy, making it a highly on stable area amongst several other
characteristics.
Situation Analysis/Problem
statement:
The perception gathered
so far from public discourse after the 2012 elections in the media, press
releases and conferences, demonstrations ,political parties and expert opinion
shared by security analysts point to the fact that, if care is not taken, the
2016 general elections in Ghana may be marred by chaos and violence and this
might start from highly volatile rural areas like medie which has a past record
of such activities.
Media objective/Strategies:
To use Posters (Print (outdoor media)) and Broadcast media specifically
the local Information centers to generate and advocate for peace by creating
awareness on the reprecautions of electrol violence and the importance of Peace
before and after elections admist the Youth within the of ages of 18 and above
by 100% in the Medie area within 5months Under the theme "Vote Not
Fight" No Gidi Gidi meaning "No unwanted or uncalled for activities
or behavior "
This is going to be implemented by:
1.By designing a campaign poster to sensitize 100 % of
residents of Medie within the period of 5 months.
2. Trained personells will be brought in to educate
and create awareness in the people of medie especially the youth about
activities that can lead to conflict and it's negative impacts.
3. To generally promote peace amongst the people of medie.
Why posters and broadcast media(local information centers):
Posters:
1. Long message life.
2. Repeat exposure
3. Easy and increased visibility.
4. Encourage active response.
5. Wide and broader reach.
Broadcast(Information centers):
1. Reach
is higher and quicker.
2..Large amounts of information
can be desemeted within a short time.
3. Easy comprehension.
4. Active response.
5. Easy to get message across to the target audience.
To accompany the Posters and information centers ,will be a number of
trained person ells who will be visiting the medie area on specific days to
help with the campaign.
Advertising objective:
As the 2016 elections gathers momentum with its attendant apprehension
it stirs within the polity, the “Vote Not Fight, No Gidi Gidi” campaign,
is targeted primarily at the youths that constitutes a great deal of the voting
population in the country, and ironically are the main culprits in election
violence, The main aim is to generate awareness and advocacy for Peace before
and after elections by 100% within a period of 5 months amongst the youth of
medie.
Conclusion:
This peace campaign dubbed, “Vote Not Fight, No Gidi Gidi” seeks
to mobilize young people not only in medie but across Ghana to create
awareness, advocate, take action and commit to an everlasting era of peace. The
project also aims to build a coalition of like-minded stakeholders from all
sectors of society that are committed to ensuring peace and tranquility,
especially in this year’s Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
