STAR Ghana Foundation has organized two stakeholder consultative meetings on Thursday 11^th July and Tuesday 16^th July 2019 in Tamale and Accra respectively. The aim of the consultation was to share information on the purpose and strategy of a proposed Elections 2020 Call with key stakeholders and collate inputs from same to inform the design of the Call.

The Foundation intends to launch a Call for Proposals targeting civil society organizations (CSOs) and focusing on the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections in Ghana. The Call for proposals will be the Foundation’s first since it was launched in November 2018.

Speaking at the event held in Accra, Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu, Ag. Executive Director of STAR Ghana Foundation, outlined the rationale for the Election 2020 Call to include: maintaining the momentum generated by Civil Society around issues of governance and inclusive development as well as responding to critical national priorities timeously. He indicated that:

“it is also an opportunity for the new STAR Ghana Foundation to build its curriculum vitae for fundraising and test its systems for programming and for financial and grants management.”

Participants at the event shared their input and selected three (3) out of five (5) proposed priority issues that could provide the most impact for the 2020 general Elections in group discussions.

The group discussions, facilitated by Teiko Sabah, Ag. Programmes and Policy Director of STAR Ghana Foundation focussed on five proposed priority issues highlighted in a presentation shared by Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu. Participants also shared suggestions for effective collaboration among CSOs that could contribute to a transparent, credible, inclusive and peaceful Elections 2020 in Ghana.

Three (3) key issues were unanimously identified as the topmost priority issues that could provide the most impact for the 2020 general Elections:

• Addressing vigilantism and election-related conflicts
• Inclusion and active participation of GESI-groups in all stages of the elections (value-chain)
• Influencing manifestos at constituency and national levels, including debates.

Participants were of the view that issues of inclusion and active participation of GESI-groups should be mainstreamed across all thematic areas that would be decided on.

In attendance were: Subscribers and members of the STAR Ghana Foundation Governing Council, members of the Academia, representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs) including the Media, and political parties.

Next Steps

Nicholas Ayensu-Appiah, Grants and Due Diligence Manager of STAR Ghana provided some insights on the immediate next steps post stakeholder consultation.

Nicholas Ayensu-Appiah stated that:

“STAR Ghana Foundation will officially launch the `Election 2020` Call in August 2019. The Call for Applications will span a three-week period. Prior to the official launch, STAR Ghana Foundation will organize a series of information sessions at various locations across the country to explain the Call requirements and introduce prospective applicants to relevant Call documents and templates”.