Penplusbytes, under its MIL capacity-building initiative, themed “Building Media Literacy and Empowering Rural Youth in Ghana,” is bringing young voices to the forefront of governance through a series of Community Dialogues in rural communities in the Volta and Eastern Regions of Ghana.
These interactive sessions will bring together rural youth and local government authorities to openly discuss post-election issues, share concerns, and explore peaceful, practical solutions. By creating a safe space for conversation, the dialogues aim to bridge the gap between young citizens and decision-makers. They also aim to empower youth to become active participants in governance, both online and offline, while fostering transparency, accountability, and peace within their communities.
Rural youth are often underrepresented in governance processes despite being directly impacted by policy decisions. Through these dialogues, participants will gain skills to engage constructively with authorities, promote responsible online behaviour, and advocate for community-led change.
According to the project coordinator, Rebecca Avusu, “these dialogues are expected to strengthen collaborations between young people and the local governance structures in their communities. It will also help bridge the information gap often filled with misinformation that leads to tensions and sometimes conflicts in these rural areas.”
Implemented by Penplusbytes with support from UNESCO under its participation programme, this Community Dialogues for Civic Engagement, follows an earlier Media Literacy Training for Rural Youth activity where selected youth leaders from the Eastern, Oti, and Volta regions were equipped with critical skills to identify and combat misinformation and disinformation and promote responsible media consumption.
The Building Media Literacy and Empowering Rural Youth in Ghana project forms part of Penplusbytes’ ongoing commitment to strengthening media and information literacy, civic participation, and digital resilience in Ghana.
For any press enquiries, please contact
Mercy Aba Blankson
Email: aba.blankson@penplusbytes.org
Tel: +233 (0) 302 922620/1, +233 (0) 302 798995
About Penplusbytes
Penplusbytes is a not-for-profit organization driving change through innovations in the following key areas: using new digital technologies to enable good governance and accountability, new media and innovations, climate and well-being, and enhancing oversight for effective utilisation of mining, oil and gas revenue and resources.
