Parliament, Junior Graphic launch project on democracy

Parliament has partnered Junior Graphic to launch an educational series known as ‘Parliament and You’ aimed at providing parliamentary education for young citizens across the country.

The initiative, being implemented by the Parliamentary Services through the Public Engagements Department (PED) and Junior Graphic, the children-friendly publication of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd (GCGL), seeks to deepen young people's understanding of parliamentary democracy, governance and civic responsibility.

The launch of the initiative at Parliament House last Tuesday attracted the leadership of the House.

Present were the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor; the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga; the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, and the Clerk-to-Parliament, Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror.

The rest were the Managing Director of GCGL, Ato Afful; Editor, Graphic, Theophilus Yartey; Parliamentary Service Staff; pupils from selected schools in Accra; and staff of the GCGL.

The initiative is being run on the theme: "Promoting Parliamentary Education Among the Young".

Valuable national asset

Launching the initiative, the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, touted the partnership between Parliament and Junior Graphic, as it aimed to deepen democratic governance in the country by investing in “one of our most valued national assets”.

He said Parliament remained the central institution of Ghana’s democracy, the House where the voice of the people was represented, where laws were made, and the government was held accountable.

Mr Ahiafor, however, said the strength and sustainability of such an institution depended not only on those who served in it today but also on how “well we prepare the next generation to understand and appreciate its work”.

As a result, he said, Parliament launched its corporate strategy for 2026 to 2030, which set up a five-year plan to guide Parliament and the Parliamentary Service in enhancing legislative effectiveness, institutional governance, transparency, accountability and service delivery.

One key development, the First Deputy Speaker said, was to improve access to parliamentary information and encourage inclusive participation, especially among young people and vulnerable groups in decision-making.

Mr Ahiafor was optimistic that the programme would complement school curricula and offer first-hand experience in the legislative process.

The Clerk-to-Parliament indicated that over the years, the Parliamentary Services, through the Public Engagements Department (PED), had undertaken several initiatives, such as public education programmes, community outreaches, social media engagements, town hall meetings and others, to strengthen the relationship between the citizenry and parliament.

However, Mr Djietror stated that citizens, particularly children, were unfamiliar with how parliament worked and how to engage effectively with democratic institutions.

He added that the ‘Parliament and You’ was one practical response to make parliamentary information more accessible, understandable and available.

“It is a child-friendly platform for young people to gain a practical understanding of parliament in a way that is engaging, relatable, educational and enjoyable,” he said.

Create opportunities

Mr Djietror said across the world there was growing recognition that children should not just be recipients of policies but participants in shaping them.

“This commitment aligns with Parliament’s agenda which promotes transparency, accountability, inclusiveness and citizens’ participation,” he said.

Leadership

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, said the Majority Caucus welcomed the initiative and supported all such efforts that built parliamentary democracy.

He stated that there was a need to build an edifice of citizens who would defend Parliament and democracy any day it was challenged.

Mr Afenyo-Markin was optimistic that the “Parliament and You” educational initiative would be relevant in helping to address the perceptions and realities of parliamentary procedures and practices for the citizenry.

“Through the Junior Graphic, Parliament will now walk into classrooms, sit at breakfast and travel on school buses and find its way into the homes of children across Ghana every Wednesday.

“The Parliament that once seemed distant and complex will become familiar, and our children will be able to read and understand the powers, functions and procedures of Parliament,” the Minority Leader said.

No easy endeavour

The GCGL MD said the company was in the business of producing high-quality newspapers for high learners to enrich their knowledge.

Mr Afful added that GCGL would continue to support initiatives such as ‘Parliament and You’ with information that readers could trust, make informed decisions with, and set the national agenda.

He explained that the company, therefore, was proud to partner Parliament to further enrich Ghana’s governance architecture and “make us a better nation with informed people”.

He, however, acknowledged that achieving such ambition was not an easy endeavour to sustain and therefore courted Parliament’s support for the initiative.

In spite of financial constraints, Mr Afful said GCGL continued to support initiatives such as the “Parliament and You” with trusted news to help people and institutions make informed decisions.