Youth-led communication for social change: empowerment, citizen media, and cultures of governance in Northern Ghana

ABSTRACT

This article critically assesses the possibilities and limitations of strategic communication initiatives to enhance cultures of governance among youth in Northern Ghana. The analysis is embedded within contemporary debates about communication and social change, with particular focus upon dynamics between citizen media development, youth-centred citizen journalism, and processes of community mobilisation and development. Findings suggest that the project has opened up to dynamic, youth-led social change processes, evidenced by the creative, proactive enactment of citizen engagement. Youth changed not only their self-perception around agency and ability to act, but also influenced community development in a variety of ways.

Cet article présente une évaluation critique des possibilités et des limites des initiatives de communication stratégique visant à renforcer les cultures de la gouvernance parmi des jeunes au Ghana. L’analyse est ancrée dans les débats contemporains sur la communication et le changement social, avec une attention particulière sur la dynamique entre le développement des médias citoyens, le journalisme citoyen centré sur les jeunes, et les processus de mobilisation et de développement communautaires. Les résultats suggèrent que le projet s’est ouvert aux processus dynamiques de changement social conduits par des jeunes, comme en témoigne la mise en œuvre créative et proactive de l’engagement citoyen. Les jeunes ont non seulement changé leur propre perception, relativement à l’agentivité et la capacité à agir, mais aussi influencé le développement communautaire de plusieurs manières.

Desde una perspectiva crítica, el presente artículo valora las posibilidades y las limitaciones que conllevan estratégicas iniciativas en comunicación destinadas a mejorar las culturas de gobernanza entre los jóvenes del norte de Ghana. Este análisis forma parte de los debates actuales en torno a la comunicación y el cambio social, centrados particularmente en las dinámicas surgidas con la evolución de los medios ciudadanos, el periodismo ciudadano centrado en la juventud y los procesos de movilización y desarrollo a nivel comunitario. Los hallazgos al respecto sugieren que tales iniciativas han respondido a dinámicos procesos de cambio encabezados por jóvenes; los mismos son evidenciados por la participación ciudadana creativa y proactiva. Además, los jóvenes no solo transformaron su autopercepción sobre su autonomía y capacidad para actuar, también incidieron en el desarrollo comunitario de múltiples maneras.

KEYWORDS:

• Civil society – Participation
• Gender and diversity – Youth
• Technology – Media
• Sub-Saharan Africa

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Lise Grauenkaer is a Program Coordinator at Ghana Friendship, Denmark.

Thomas Tufte is a Professor in the School of Media, Communication and Sociology, University of Leicester, UK.

Notes

1. This is done through a media and communication-oriented project funded by Denmark’s Ingathering and the Danish NGO, Ghana Friends. It is implemented in the Northern Region by three local organisations, YEfL, Hopin Academy, and Rural Media Network (RUMNET). While this specific project ran for only two years (April 2015 to October 2017) YEfL has been working with youth in Northern Ghana since 2010, and the partnership between Ghana Friends and local associations and organisations has existed since 1986 in a variety of collaborations.

2. The gender parity index for primary education is 0.94; and in rural areas only 29% of women are literate compared to 52% of men.

3. According to the implementing organisations, citizen or community journalism are used interchangeably and have the same meaning. For them it is a question of using the most relatable term for their target groups.

4. Data from the endline survey, FGDs from fieldwork.