Bad language can subvert nation-building – Director
Professor Henrietta Mensah-Bonsu, Director of the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy of the University of Ghana, has said the use of bad language could subvert the nation-building agenda.
She urged Ghanaians to be tolerant of divergent opinions as the national Constitution was based on democratic tenets of political pluralism.
Prof Mensah-Bonsu made the remark when she delivered a paper entitled: “Language that denigrates, language that threatens and the challenge of nation building,” at a media encounter organized by National Commission on Civic Education.
She said language whose purpose goes contrary to the enlightened interests of the nation could foul up the stream that nourishes the polity, block its channels and thereby impede its ability to reach and nourish all sectors of society.
She said any acts or policies that had a tendency to demand uniformity in reaction or approach to national issues would be contrary to those tenets as they would end up smothering difference and even stifling dissent.
Prof Mensah-Bonsu said in a heterogeneous society such as ours, it was incumbent upon all to uphold pluralism and tolerance of difference, as democratic ideals.
“Language that denigrates or threatens must of necessity involve the “othering” a segment of the population, for no one describes him or herself in uncomplimentary terms; nor do people threaten their own selves.
“Comments such as “these people are this, or these people are that”, necessarily means the speaker is describing a group of which he or she is not a part, and from that notional distance, is pointing accusing fingers at “others”,” she noted.
Prof Mensah-Bonsu said this depicts stereotyping of the most offensive kind, for putting everyone in the group together, under the description of “these people” shows no respect to their individuality.
“It is said that in all the genocidal civil wars, the use of epithets that dehumanised and denigrated the target population preceded the efforts to exterminate them,” she said.
Prof Mensah-Bonsu said basing criticism of individuals on ethnic stereotypes is a form of violence, for it attacks the dignity of people who have not done any wrong and pronounces them guilty by association, whilst wrongdoer’s blame is increased by reason of being held up as a representative of a group.
She said such violence towards co-citizens can only lead to their alienation from the polity, and be subversive of their loyalty to the state that permits such ill-treatment.
Prof Mensah-Bonsu said: “Speech and expression that denigrates other groups within the country; speech that threatens the well-being of the body politic; speech that threatens harm to others; speech that threatens dire consequences should a person fail to perform an act demanded by another, among others, cannot claim the law’s protection”.
The Director observed that language that promotes values such as respect for diversity, respect for law and authority, tolerance of difference – especially cultural; tolerance of divergent opinions and the worth of self sacrifice, is what the nation-building agenda would require of all who control the pen and the microphone.
Source: GNA