Ghana Bishops Lead Call for Peace Through Youth Empowerment

Accra – The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) last Tuesday convened the 2025 Sahel Peace Initiative Forum at the Christ the King Parish Hall in Accra, calling for urgent, coordinated efforts to address youth unemployment and prevent the spread of violent extremism in Ghana.

Held under the theme The Political Economy of Conflict: Youth Unemployment as a Catalyst for Insecurity,” the Forum brought together a wide array of stakeholders, including government ministers, security experts, clergy, youth leaders, and development partners.

The event forms part of the Sahel Peace Initiative (SPI) – a regional effort spearheaded by Catholic bishops from West African countries affected by insecurity, particularly Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Côte d’Ivoire. The Ghana forum marked a continuation of the Church’s commitment to proactive peacebuilding by addressing the root causes of unrest.

In his keynote address, Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah stressed the need for inclusive economic policies:

“We must invest in our youth and ensure that opportunities are not skewed. Injustice and unemployment are silent triggers for insecurity.”

Fr. Michael Quaicoe, Executive Secretary of the GCBC’s Governance, Justice and Peace Directorate, which organised the event, warned against complacency:

“Ghana’s stability is a blessing, but it is fragile. If we ignore the cries of jobless young people, we risk opening the doors to forces that thrive on despair.”

A Call to Action from the Church

In a powerful collective message issued at the close of the Forum, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference called on government, private sector, civil society, and religious groups to treat youth empowerment as a national emergency:

“We appeal to all who hold influence—our political leaders, business community, traditional authorities, and our fellow faith-based institutions—to work with urgency and unity to invest in young people. We must convert concern into concrete commitments. Let us create spaces of learning, employment, and purpose for our youth—before frustration becomes fuel for violence,” the bishops declared.

Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, added:

“We pledge the Church’s continued support, not only in prayer and preaching, but in action and advocacy for structural change that secures lasting peace.”