Posted by Chester Morton / Tuesday 16 August 2016 / No comments
How to prevent conflicts
Ensuring
accountability
As the media criticizes and exposes Government's
actions, they are forced to render accounts to the people. Other means by which
governments are made accountable to the people is through periodic elections at
both local and national levels.
Tolerating
competing political and religious views must be promoted.
This can be achieved through discussions over the
media and through other means of communicating with the masses.
The use of dialogue
Another very good way of preventing conflict is the
use of dialogue. It is important that encouragement should be given to the
people to use dialogue in the settlement of disputes. This has the added
advantage of eliminating the acrimony and loss of friendship that is sometimes
associated with the use of the traditional courts.
Abiding by the laws
of the land
The laws of the land are established to ensure
peace and harmony. To prevent conflicts, every person must be encouraged to
respect the laws of the land. If this is done there would be very few grounds
for people to disagree.
Strengthened security
The country’s security system must be
strengthened. E.g. The Police must be well equipped to effectively play their
role in maintaining law and order.
Equitable
distribution of national resources
People agitate when they think they are being
denied something that is due them according to the laws of the land. Apart from
that some others have a certain sense of entitlement and become frustrated when
their expectations are not met. To avoid conflicts emanating from such feeling
of neglect, the Government must distribute the resources of the land equitably.
Codification of
customary laws
One of the major conflicts that afflict Ghana is
chieftaincy conflicts stemming from different claimants to the throne. It is believed
that when the laws of the traditional people are written down, it can reduce
the rival claims that lead to conflicts.
