Bolgatanga, July 14, 2026 – FactSpace West Africa has trained 30 media professionals on conflict-sensitive reporting under the UNESCO-supported International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) – EMBRACE Peace Project.
The project is an initiative aimed at strengthening responsible journalism and promoting peacebuilding in conflict-affected communities.
The training which took place on July 14, 2026, at Ganass Hotel in Bolgatanga, brought together journalists, media practitioners from across the Bawku enclave to enhance participants’ capacity to report on conflict in a manner that promotes accuracy, balance, and peace while reducing the risk of misinformation and harmful narratives.
Delivering the keynote address, the Upper East Regional Peace Council chairman, Alhaji Sumaila Issaka, urged all participants to see the workshop “as a call to be agents of peace … especially knowing the potency of the platforms we work with and for.” Alhaji Sumaila further noted that “the peace we enjoy as a nation must not be taken for granted.”
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The Bolgatanga Municipal Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Omar Jafar, urged the journalists to embrace the knowledge shared during the training to help in becoming responsible citizens.
For her part, the Programmes Officer of the NCCE, Monica Akpanaba, entreated the participants to always seek to collaborate with the Commission when it comes to sharing information of public relevance.
A representative from the Upper East Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Inspector Abdur Rahaman Sumaila, graced the occasion and asked participants to fully engage with the lessons from the facilitators.
Executive Director of FactSpace West Africa, Rabiu Alhassan, highlighted the project’s objectives and expected outcome, noting that it seeks to strengthen the capacity of journalists for conflict-sensitive reporting.
Leading the session on conflict-sensitive reporting, the Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Associate Professor Eliasu Mumuni, helped participants to appreciate the need for peace.
His presentations explored the principles of conflict-sensitive reporting, the responsibilities of journalists in conflict situations, and the importance of accuracy, context, fairness, and ethical decision-making when covering sensitive issues. He urged participants to “Say NO to conflict and contribute to peace.”
Professor Mumuni also led a session on de-escalation and peacebuilding, where participants examined the media’s role in preventing violence, like “reporting warning signs before violence; verifying carefully during crisis; and tracking accountability, reconciliation, and recovery after violence.”
The discussions encouraged journalists to critically assess how language, framing, and source selection can influence public perceptions during periods of conflict.
The training forms part of the EMBRACE PEACE Project and reaffirms FactSpace West Africa’s commitment to promoting information integrity and supporting peacebuilding through responsible journalism.
