Mr. Emmanuel Bombande, Executive Director of West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP) has asked media practitioners to consider themselves first as Ghanaians and endeavour to take the necessary measures to secure the country from conflict.

He therefore urged them to take the responsibility of churning out information that would bring about national integration and cohesion to promote development.

Mr. Bombande was addressing media practitioners from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions at a two day training workshop in Tamale on Thursday.

The workshop is aimed at building their capacity for peace in the 2012 elections.

He said as agenda setters’ of national pride and security, their number one priority is to bring about peaceful co-existence in diversity.

He said if Ghanaians are to make any meaningful difference, all must play their roles appropriately by maintaining individual integrity before collective responsibilities.

He called on the practitioners to stand firm against self-seeking politicians who would want to misuse them to undermine the security of Ghana.

Mr. San Nasamu Asabige, Deputy Northern Regional Minister lauded WANEP Ghana for championing peace initiatives in the three northern regions through mediation and capacity building of the youth, women groups and the media.

He noted that conflict had become a household word in the North and expressed the hope that such initiatives would help change the perception of the people.

The Deputy Minister observed that land and chieftaincy disputes were the major causes of conflicts in the north that sometimes take political dimensions.

“Conflict for me is a must but the types f conflicts that bring about destruction to human lives and property must be avoided,” he noted.

Mr. Asabigi tasked the media to adhere to the principles and values of the profession when reporting on issues of conflict in order not to inflame passions.

Mr. Justin Bayor, National Coordinator of WANEP Ghana, expressed the need for Ghanaians to make all efforts to promote peace for Election 2012.

He said similar workshops would be organised for youth and women groups as well as the media in the southern sector.

The participants were taken through topics such as Introduction to Concepts in Peace and Conflicts, the Media and Mediation Process/Facilitating Dialogue and Reconciliation, Fundamentals of Journalism, Promoting Responsible Journalism, Peace Journalism and Human Security Early Warning.**