Global MIL week: GIJ organizes workshop for youth leaders in Kumasi

The Department of Communication Sciences of the Faculty of Integrated Communication Sciences (FICS) at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) has organized a two-day training workshop on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) for selected youth leaders in Kumasi as part of activities marking the 11th Global MIL week celebration in Ghana.

The training workshop was held from the 27th to 28th October 2021, at Excelsa Hotel, Ejisu, Kumasi. It sought to equip youth leaders with the skills and competencies to discern and understand media content effectively. The youth leaders were also trained to apply social responsibility and ethical principles in media content production and distribution.

A total of fifteen (15) youth leaders participated in the 2-day workshop. The participants were selected from Youth Based Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Social Enterprises, and identifiable youth networks.

The organizations represented include RU Care Foundation, Inspire Before You Expire (IBYE), Women's Haven Africa, Kumasi Hive, Hapa Space, and Global Youth Network, Ghana. The workshop participants could not hide their excitement when they received their certificates after completing the training.

The MIL training workshop is the third successive training GIJ has organized to promote media and information literacy beyond the classroom or lecture hall, but it is the first time the event was held outside of Accra. This year's training was supported by the Penplusbytes and DW Akademie.

Both organizations are passionate about media literacy, and they have supported the MIL initiatives in Ghana in diverse ways including the establishment of an online MIL Hub and the production of ‘Rumors’, a film series designed to teach young people how to resist misinformation and disinformation.

In a brief pre-recorded address, Ms. Abena Benewaa Fosu, MIL Project Manager at DW Akademie, said, daily, individuals, groups, and organizations must scrutinize information before they utilize it. She also encouraged the participants to share their newly acquired knowledge with their peers and continually improve their media literacy levels through self-study.

Media and information literacy is a set of competencies that enables people to use media and information effectively. The Global MIL week celebration was instituted by United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2012 as an annual celebration of progress made in achieving the global target of MIL for all.

MIL week also presents an opportunity to encourage the effective use of media and information. The 2021 MIL week was marked globally from 24th to 31st October under the theme "Media and Information Literacy for the public good."