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Paper short abstract

Informal community actors are reshaping counter-terrorism responses. In border communities in northern Ghana, Chiefs, faith-based organisations, and community groups demonstrate that security can be co-produced from below. pointing to an alternative security paradigm.

Paper long abstract

This study explores the role of soft power strategies in mitigating terrorism threats in Ghana through the lens of community agency. The study argues that conventional top-down security and development paradigms are inadequate for addressing the complex sociopolitical drivers of violent extremism. Instead, it emphasises how indigenous institutions, and informal community actors are reshaping counter-terrorism responses by offering grounded, culturally resonant alternatives. Drawing on the soft power theory and the Human Security framework, the research employs a qualitative case study design to investigate how non-military tools embody forms of local agency against violent extremisms and enhance resilience. Preliminary findings reveal that within Ghana, soft power strategies increasingly rely on bottom-up processes that elevate communal voices, indigenous knowledge, and informal governance networks. Chiefs, faith-based organisations, and community groups not only complement state efforts but also critique and transform dominant policy narratives by demonstrating that security can be co-produced from below. The study points to an alternative security paradigm that centers on community agency, leverages indigenous problem-solving mechanisms, and embraces approaches beyond state-centric frameworks. Realising this vision, however, demands deliberate localisation of best practices, shared ownership among citizens and state institutions, and strategic coordination to ensure that grassroots innovations meaningfully influence national policy and practice.