A groundbreaking initiative, “Democracy 360: Sustaining Inclusive Civic Engagement to Track Party Manifestoes Beyond Elections in Ghana,” has been launched in the Upper East Region by RISE-Ghana in partnership with the STAR-Ghana Foundation. The project is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).
This project aims to ensure sustainable access to inclusive and quality social services for excluded and underrepresented groups in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Nabdam, and Bongo districts.
By leveraging civic engagement and self-advocacy, “Democracy 360” seeks to bridge the gap between citizens and policymakers, ensuring that the needs of vulnerable communities are addressed. This collaborative effort builds on STAR-Ghana Foundation’s existing work in promoting inclusive dialogue and equitable societies.
Speaking at the launch in Bolgatanga, Awal Ahmed Kariama, the Executive Director of RISE-Ghana, stated that the project would help the youth, ethnic minorities, media, informal sector traders, artisans, and persons with disabilities in these districts hold the government accountable for their manifestoes after elections.
“We realize that we only hold our duty bearers accountable during elections, and election cycles are every four years. After each election, we tend to ‘go to sleep,’ and then they campaign again, we vote, and the cycle repeats. But we are supposed to take their party manifestoes and continue to engage them about what they are doing and what they promised. The party manifesto is what we call a social contract, and it’s a social contract because nobody forces them to make those promises.”
The Upper East Regional Director for the Electoral Commission, William Obeng Adarkwa, who helped launch the project, recognized its value in promoting democracy and good governance.
“As the Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, I recognize the immense value of this project in promoting democracy and good governance. The active participation of all citizens, especially those traditionally excluded, is essential for inclusive development. I commend RISE-Ghana and its partners for this important initiative and encourage all stakeholders to support this novel project.”
James Abdulai Ayaala, the Upper East Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education, described the project as laudable. While highlighting his office’s contributions to successful elections, Mr. Ayaala urged the people of the Upper East Region to avoid violence during the upcoming election season.
The Head of the Education Committee of the Upper East Regional Peace Council, Sir Alfred Ndaago, also emphasized the significance of the project, calling on the public to embrace peace as his team continues to work tirelessly to maintain harmony.
The project will benefit communities and have a long-term impact beyond the project’s cycle by creating a culture of civic engagement that extends beyond elections. This will be operationalized through civic engagement action plans, leveraging local governance frameworks such as medium-term development plans, and building strategic alliances formed as a result of the project.
Activities under the project include:
1.1 Holding a two-day Civic Engagement and Advocacy training for representatives of excluded groups (PWDs, market women, youth groups, and minorities).
1.2 Supporting excluded groups to develop and implement Civic Engagement Action Plans (CEAPs).
1.3 Facilitating four excluded-group-led parliamentary political party debates on party manifestoes.
1.4 Supporting Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPWDs), hard-to-reach communities, and other excluded groups to hold two accountability and feedback meetings with Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) on inclusive elections and accessibility issues.
2.1 Training 30 members (10 per district) of identified groups on group dynamics, inclusive election provisions, citizen-led non-partisan advocacy for quality services, party manifesto tracking, and social audits.
2.2 Conducting scoping visits to Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPWDs), among many other activities.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com | 101.1MHZ | David Azure | Bolgatanga
