Renowned media personality, Mr. Bernard Avle has emphasized the critical importance of applying knowledge in ways that directly benefit local communities.
“If you can’t use that knowledge to liberate your people, you don’t really know it because the only purpose of knowledge is usability,” Mr Avle said.
“Go back to your hometown and say, okay, how can I use this to help the farmers in their farm gate pricing? How can I use this to unlock markets for them? That’s the true purpose of knowledge. That’s what an activist intellectual does. Not to come on city breakfast show, news file and just speak English,”he added.
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Mr Avle said these while delivering a key note address at this year’s Akoto-Ampaw Active Citizenship Dialogue (AAACD), organised by STAR- Ghana Foundation in Accra on Wednesday, February 19, 2025.
The 2025 Dialogue was held on the theme, “Inter-Generational Dialogue for Active Citizenship: Lessons and Opportunities for the Future.’
While encouraging activists to leverage their platforms to advocate for the well-being of the Ghanaian people,Mr Avle also called on citizens to recognize the power they hold as conveners and use it responsibly for the betterment of the society.
“I see society and media together. They must understand and harness it. Convening power is very, very important. If you have access to politicians, don’t use it to ask them for scholarships. Bring them and ask them hard questions.” he added.
Mr Avle noted that at the core of any successful civic movement is education, thus, if people do not understand their rights, responsibilities, and the importance of collective action, they will remain vulnerable to misinformation and manipulation.
He added that Civic education is not just about informing people, it is about empowering them to challenge injustices and demand better governance.
Hajia Hamdiya Ismaila, Chairperson of the Governing Council of STAR Ghana Foundation, informed participants that the dialogue marked the foundation’s first public activity of the year, emphasizing the significance of engaging their constituents in the civic space.
She stated that the foundation is committed to promoting active citizenship as a vital tool for driving change and empowering citizens for national development.
On his part, the Executive Director of STAR- Ghana Foundation, Mr Amidu Ibrahim-Tanko, used the occasion to announce that after the AAACD, the Foundation would be convening the Ghana Civil Society Forum in June this year, which is expected to bring together all civil society organisations in the country to discuss issues of national importance.
There was a panel discussion which included veteran journalist and human rights activist Prof. Kwame Karikari, gender and human rights specialist at FIDA, Ms Susan Aryeetey, investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure-Awuni, and youth activist and governance advocate Ms Felicity Nelson.
The Annual Active Citizenship Dialogue is a key feature of STAR-Ghana’s calendar, based on its strategic focus on promoting active citizenship and local philanthropy.
By: Mohammed Suleman/ Publicagenda.news
