After four years of programme implementation, STAR-Ghana Phase 2 has made substantial progress in the roll-out of key thematic grant calls including the Election 2020 Call, the ‘3C&L’ approach and Learning Framework (Communities of Practice and Learning - CoPL). It has successfully launched the STAR-Ghana Foundation in November 2018.
The programme continues to support a wide range of strategic and small grant partner initiatives across the country – engaging with national and district level actors to strengthen civil society engagement with the government for increased transparency, accountability and responsiveness.
As experience accumulates from collaboration with grant partners, the establishment of the new Foundation and application of the 3Cs&L mission (convening, coordination, catalyst, and learning), this event affords the STAR-Ghana team – together with Programme Consortium Partners and other key stakeholders, the opportunity to pause once again for strategic reflection to harvest and apply lessons from practice.
The event was held in Accra from Tuesday 25th to Wednesday 26th February 2020 on the theme: “Celebrating success; resourcing active citizenship for the future”
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From Project to Public Trust: Internal Launch of STAR-Ghana Transition Process
From Project to Public Trust: Internal Launch of STAR-Ghana Transition Process
On the 26th of April 2018, the STAR-Ghana programme and its internal key stakeholders (Programme Management Team (PMT), Steering Committee (SC), Christian Aid (CA), the Consortium and the Funders Committee (FC) held a one-day workshop to co-create a common description on the way forward for the Independent National Entity (INE). The goal was to clarify what is to be expected and the roles and responsibilities of each structure (PMT, CA, SC, FC) in implementing the transition agenda towards the creation and effective functioning of the proposed Public Trust (INE).
The workshop which was facilitated by Rev John Nkum of Nkum Associates created a safe and an open space that enabled each person to share their views about what the transition meant for them using the narrative methodology approach (use of field texts, such as stories, field notes, letters, conversations, interviews, and life experience, as the units of analysis to research and understand the way people create meaning in their lives as narratives). This approach was guided by believe or shared understanding of subjective reality (the reality inside your mind. It is the meaning you assign to things and events. All objects, dreams ideas and “truths” are different for each person). Individual and group work methods were used to draw out the narratives. Members shared their personal and group understanding of what the transition means for them in terms of: concerns/questions, opportunities and suggestions. This enabled the group to identify generally agreed issues as well as issues on which they had different opinions.
Issues raised and discussed included the structures and processes required to continue the programme such as our 3C & L (Convening, Catalyzing, Coordinating and Learning) roles, financing and fund-raising strategies, grant making and branding mechanisms that would to see to the smooth running and sustainability of the entity. Other areas deliberated on included the Membership component of the Board of Trustees, the legitimacy and credibility of the entity and the management of the change process and expectations of the PMT.
In the end, participants acknowledged the need to revise the timelines for the entity transition work plan from June to October 2018 to ensure that key actors in civil society are consulted. This is to inform and feedback to them on the reason of the legal identity of the Entity being a Public Trust. This process is to be carried out in the form of structured meetings with representatives of all CSOs and stakeholders that were consulted last year. The aim of this is to bridge the communication gap and seek their buy-in and ownership of the entity when it is established.
Leadership of Parliament interacts with the Media with support from STAR Ghana Foundation
The Leadership of Parliament, with support from the STAR Ghana Foundation, has engaged with representatives of various media houses in Ghana. The event, which was on the theme: “Bringing Parliament closer to the Media: The Role of the Parliamentary Press Corps,” forms part of the efforts to ensure that Parliament engages regularly with members of the Parliamentary Press Corps as key stakeholders in reaching the citizenry.
The Majority Leader of Parliament, Hon. Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu in his address indicated that the current session of the house would have 35 Bills for presentations within eight weeks of sitting, adding that, because of the tight schedule of the House, it would have to prioritize the list of urgent bills in the legislature.
Hon. Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, Ranking Member on Constitutional and Legal Affairs who represented the Minority Leader, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu commended the media for “shining the light on the ignorance of darkness.” He said given the opportunity, the media should be able to assess the performance of Parliament as well as the output of the lawmakers.
Participants at the event had the opportunity to get feedback and updates on issues such as the Affirmative Action Bill, the Customs Amendment Bill, etc from the Leadership of Parliament.
STAR-Ghana Foundation advocates citizens activism ahead of Election 2020
Acting Head of Policy and programmes, STAR Ghana Foundation, Teiko Sabah, has called on Ghanaians to “stand up and take their stance as Ghana gears up for general elections this year”. She said by doing so, politicians will take them seriously. She noted that consensus building is the way forward and urged Ghanaians to put the country first and make it work. Mrs. Sabah was moderating the final edition of `WE THE PEOPLE,` a television platform that discussed “the aborted Referendum to amend Article 55 (3) and lessons for Ghana’s local governance”.
`We the People” on GTV and GTV-News is a platform instituted by the Ghana Journalists Association, GJA with support from STAR-Ghana Foundation, as part of an 18-month project dubbed, “Enhanced Media-CSO Partnerships for Inclusive Local Governance”. Under the project, the GJA built the capacity of Journalists who worked meticulously with CSOs to influence critical local governance policies and other developmental issues that directly affect women, youth, and persons with disability, children, and socially excluded persons in the communities. Overall, the interventions contributed to enrich citizens’ access to quality information through structured media platforms and CSOs outlets.
Speaking as a panel member on the show, the UNDP Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Dr. Eric Oduro Osae, said that the country’s governance system must be redesigned and structured to create space for minority parties to operate. He said Ghana is gradually drifting to becoming a two-party state, which is inimical to the country’s democratic growth, adding “the subject of political party’s funding needs to be revisited’’.
Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Democratic Governance, IDEG Dr. Kwesi Jonah, on his part bemoaned the lack of consensus leading up to the intended referendum to amend article 55(3). He said: “There was the lack of coordination among institutions that championed the campaigns… for the suspended referendum to amend article 55 (3) to have successfully gone through, it should have been pursued as a national project.”
The President of the GJA, Roland Affail Monney, expressed concern about the “over politicisation of issues”, in Ghana. Mr. Monney said the over politicization is issues, dominated by entrenched positions of the two major parties, NDC and NPP opposing all initiatives of the other party, is inimical to development. Mr. Monney said unless the two close gaps and ‘’create a common ground with a nationalist message, achieving national consensus would be a mirage.’’
Private Legal Practitioner, Samson Anyenini, affirmed that amendment to article 55(3) was not a panacea to breaking the winner takes all system, stating there are no scientific basis for making such conclusions. He called for the empowerment of marginalised groups to participate in local governance.
In attendance were representatives of Civil Society Organisations including Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), members of the Ghana Journalist Association, representatives of STAR Ghana Foundation, Students among others.