Curious Minds Ghana, a youth-led non-governmental advocacy organization with support from the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU) has launched a peace campaign dubbed 'Vote Not Fight'.

This is geared at advocating for peace and active youth engagement before, during, and after the 2020 general elections.

Addressing the media at the launch in Tamale, Advocacy and Communications Officer at Curious Minds Mr Cecil Ato Kwamena Dadzie, said that, the youth who make the majority in the country play a major trole in electoral peacebuilding.

“As a youth-led organisation, we believe that young people have a crucial role to play in maintaining the peace we enjoy as well as meaningfully contribute to the electoral process.

"Instead of being manipulated to fight for and by politicians, through this campaign, many young people will research, read the manifestos, engage candidates, step out in their numbers to vote as well as track their promises and hold them accountable".

"The youth of Ghana have a lot to contribute and should be seen as resources and not problems. Curious Minds would continue to set the young people’s development agenda and make the voice of the youth relevant in the corridors of power,” he stated.

This comes as the general elections scheduled for December 2020 approaches.

One of the campaign’s peace ambassadors, Adiza Fuseini expressed hope that manifestos will offer sustainable solutions to the many challenges face by the youth, particularly young women - unsafe abortions, unplanned pregnancies and sexual and gender-based violence.

"The peace campaign is an opportunity to strengthen the peacebuilding process to ensure a violent-free election as well as hearing the voices and views of young people from across Ghana and in the diaspora,” she said.

Mohammed Hafiz Musah, another peace ambassador and member of Curious Minds retreated the need to involve young people in the quest to make the election a contest of ideas.

“More engagements are needed especially among young people in rural and hard to reach communities, discussing the urgency to mobilize, share ideas and contribute meaningfully to the upcoming elections and beyond, to promote social and community development as well as national progress,” he indicated.

Curious Minds through this Social Media Peace Campaign seeks to reduce the incidence of violence especially among youth while increasing youth voter turnout, encourage positive engagement with a political candidate on issues, mobilize commitments to and pledges for peace.

The six-month campaign is expected to commence in August and last until January 2021.

The organisation works to ensure that all young people are well informed and meaningfully participate in decision-making that affects their lives at local, national and international levels