Ghanaian authorities are alarmed about the proliferation of arms, especially, the influx in the use of fire-arms related incidents in the country. Even more distressful are reports of gun -related violence in some Senior High Schools, triggering calls for urgent action. There is a School of thought that suggests enacting an effective gun legislation, however, beyond promulgating laws, what concrete actions can drive the discourse to discourage proliferation of arms.
Rebecca Ekpe has been reading some of the findings that suggests that Community-based Initiatives, Security Measures, Socio-economic Interventions, Collaboration and Partnerships, are some of the practical strategies to curbing gun-violence in Ghana.
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Research is pointing to the fact that besides enacting legislation, Ghana can manage gun violence through well thought out community -based initiatives. The strategy here is to establish student-led Peace Clubs in the educational institutions to promote non-violence and conflict resolution among the young people in our schools, especially Senior High Schools that seem to be experiencing some appreciable level of violence.
Currently, Research is showing that O’Reilly Senior High School, in Accra’s example of a student-led Peace Club to promote non-violence and conflict-resolution can be replicated across the country to empower students to become ambassadors of peace.
Another strategy to curb gun-violence is to promote continuous Community Engagement.
Peace experts are pointing to the need to increase engagement with local communities, civil society organizations, and mainly faith-based groups to help raise awareness about the dangers of gun violence and promote peaceful conflict resolution.
Security Strategies:
On Security Measures, there are calls for a strengthened arms tracking system, an identification procedure for firearms that can help law enforcement agencies to better monitor and control the circulation of illicit arms. This can be achieved through improved record-keeping, surveillance, and intelligence gathering.
The strategy is also to Secure Storage of Firearms by encouraging gun owners to store their firearms securely, a move the experts trust can help to prevent unauthorized access and reduce the risk of gun violence.
Socio-Economic Interventions:
Socio-Economic Interventions are a huge strategy to curing gun-violence according to the research. The onus lies with the state to address the fundamental causes of gun violence in Ghana. Tackling issues such as Poverty, unemployment, and inequalities within the society can help to reduce the incidence of gun violence. This can be achieved through economic empowerment programs, job creation initiatives, and stepping up social welfare services.
More importantly is Supporting At-Risk Youth populations by providing support and mentorship to these at-risk youth can help steer them away from violence and crime. This can include programs focused on education, skills development, and counseling.
Collaboration:
Above all, there is the need for Inter-Agency Collaboration and Partnerships. These are essential in curbing gun-violence. Collaboration between law enforcement agencies, security services, and civil society organizations can help in intelligence sharing, best practices, and maximizing resources to combat gun violence.
Furthermore, through International Cooperation: Partnering with international organizations, such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), can provide access to expertise, funding, as well as resources to support sustainable initiatives against the proliferation of arms and curb gun violence.
