A workshop on developing
effective communication strategies and interventions to alter the impact of
prevalent narratives encouraging violent extremism in Sub Saharan Africa has
ended in Accra-Ghana assembling Civil Society Organisation CSOs from the sub
region.
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| UNDP Mobile App Launch Accra Ghana |
Organised by the United Nations
Development Programme UNDP in partnership with Albany Associates, the workshop from
the 16 - 21st of April had the approval and launching of a Mobile
Application to help design campaigns to prevent violent extremism as the major
outcome.
Speaking at the workshop, Lamin Manneh,
Director, UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa, stated, “We contribute to
the prevention of violent extremism by supporting development solutions that
target the root causes and structural drivers of violent extremism. From 2011
to 2016, it caused 33,300 fatalities as well as widespread displacement,
creating situations of pronounced and critical humanitarian need.”
On his part Jem Thomas, Albany’s
Director of Training & Research said, “We are delighted to work together
with UNDP to produce such an innovative toolkit and App for countering violent
extremism. We look forward to seeing the app being used and feel
privileged to be part of such an important cause”.
According to the Mobile App, tackling
extremist narratives should ensure local voices are captured in
developing counter narratives. With funding from the Japanese government, the
mobile app provides guidance to development practitioners like Civil Society
Organisations to develop effective communication strategies and interventions
in Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE).
The
Executive Director of Hope for the Needy Association HOFNA Cameroon -
Christelle Bay C who participated in the regional workshop told The Guardian
Post in Bamenda upon return from Ghana that “is was a timely regional workshop which
is a continuation of the work HOFNA and other CSO's from over 15 other
countries in Sub Saharan Africa started in Uganda in 2016.” She admitted that
during the various workshops around the subject of violent extremism she
learned targeted and focused campaigns, planning, messaging and narratives.
Appraising
her organization’s participation in the workshop and the development of the
mobile app she added “HOFNA is truly privileged to have contributed to the
development of the content of this app and look forward to working with CSOs
and other related stakeholders and engaging them in using this app in planning
and running more sustainable and effective Preventing and Countering Violent
Extremism P/CVE campaigns and spreading counter narratives.”
Being the first of its kind, the app
provides a practical, step-by-step, guide on strategic and communications
elements – from basic concepts of narrative to campaign planning; and
incorporates a number of case studies, tips, templates and online resources.
This mobile app intends to serve as a
resource base for stakeholders intending to use communication means in an
effort to counter and prevent violent extremism. At the launch, participants
discussed the challenges and different contexts in which extremism occurs and
the approaches taken by national and international actors in developing tools
suitable to their country context. They all acknowledged that the app is
designed to close this gap.
The Mobile App is available for
download, free of charge at: Google Play https://goo.gl/ZiKVDf or Apple https://apple.co/2H374KG