The Regional Coordinator of Research and Capacity Building at the West Africa Network for Peace-Building (WANEP), has stated that true peace in a country involves more than just the absence of violence.

According to Dr. Festus Aubyn, there are a lot of structural challenges that undermine peace.

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Speaking at the JoyNews National Dialogue on "Peace Beyond Election 2024: The Role of the Ghanaian Citizen," he pointed out various structural challenges that undermine peace, such as governance issues, unemployment, unmet expectations, and marginalization.

“In this country, when we talk about peace, people think that you have peace when there is absence of violence, but peace goes beyond the absence of violence,” he stated on Saturday, September 21.

He added that despite our relative stability, there are challenges that ought to be addressed.
Dr. Aubyn commended Ghana’s peaceful political transitions over the years, noting that “our successive political transition since 1992 has contributed to Ghana’s positive reputation.”

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He added that civil society organizations, the media, and institutions like the National Peace Council and NCCE have all contributed to the country's relative stability, especially in comparison to other nations in the Sahel region.

“When you compare Ghana within the region that we find ourselves, then, you are tempted to say that we are doing relatively better than those countries despite the challenges that confront us,” he added.

Despite this relative stability, he stressed that Ghana still faces challenges that need to be addressed to ensure lasting peace.