CSD REFORM engages leadership of Minority Ethnic Groups and Excluded in Northern Ghana On Its PAVE Project
The Centre for Social and Development Reform (CSD Reform), a NGO has held an inception meeting with various stakeholders and leadership of minority ethnic groups and excluded in Northern Ghana.
The meeting which formed part of CSD Reform’s project dubbed; “Promoting Action to Address Vulnerabilities in Elections (PAVE) in Northern Ghana,” took place in Tamale, Northern Regional Capital.
Sponsored by the Coastal States Stability Mechanism (CSSM), the inception meeting drew representatives from 27 communities in nine (9) districts from the Northern, Northern East and Savanna Regions, as well as traditional authorities, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and Regional Peace Councils.
PAVE has been designed to; “achieve an overall goal of improved peace and security in Ghana’s electoral process through transparency, inclusion and civic consciousness geared towards a credible outcome.”
The Executive Director of CSD Reform, David Issaka in an address read on his behalf by Killian Braimah, a Project Officer at CSD Reform, said the PAVE project was an integral part of the NGO’s overall goal of working towards the promotion of social inclusion and economic justice for poor and vulnerable groups.
Accordingly CSD Reform is collaborating with various actors and identifiable communities towards an intermediary objective of increasing civic awareness among minority ethnic groups and excluded groups such as the Fulbes for inclusive electoral outcomes.
Among others, Mr. Issaka noted that PAVE in Northern Ghana, would formulate and disseminate post-election messages and materials in local languages, and alongside, establish interfaith civic awareness and delivering other crosscutting interventions, which are aimed at improving social cohesion.
Mr. Issaka, hailed the outcome of the 2024 presitial and parliamentary elections saying; “the polls were generally peaceful, except some skirmishes recorded in some constituencies. This therefore, calls for more vigorous pre-election engagements to seal cracks, restore broken relationships and secure peace and security.”
Explaining the rationale behind the concept, the E.D of CSD Reform said; “this has been designed to increase stakeholders understanding on the project framework, mobilize communities around the activities and recognize the contribution of minority ethnic groups to nation building by working to eliminate all forms of discriminatory practices against them”
During the inception meeting, there was an update on the Pre-election voter education awareness, which was undertaken by the NGO within the 27 targeted communities in the three regions.
A Civic Educator and member of the Northern Regional Peace Council, Alhaji Razak Shani who facilitated the meeting, encouraged the stakeholders particularly community members to help consolidate the peace and democratic process path that the country had chosen.
“As the 2024 general elections is over, what is necessary now is for communities to begin to work together to develop our nation (Ghana). Whether you voted for president-elect and his party or not, the important thing is for us all to unite and promote a cause that will enable the country to develop,” he remarked.
Alhaji Shani, who is a retired Regional Director of NCCE, stated that communities should begin to appreciate each other’s existence, cultures and languages through improving relationships that are devoid of suspicion and mistrust.
During an open forum, the Stakeholders commended the CSD Reform’s intervention, especially as it target minority and marginalized communities in order for their voices to be heard.
Some participants said through the NGO’s interventions their communities recorded a reduction in rejected ballot, arising from the vigorous voter education undertaken prior to the 2024 general elections. Also they testified that tensions that characterized political party electioneering activities and campaigns, reduced significantly, and thus enabling voters in the targeted communities to come out of the elections peacefully.
By: Nelson Adanuti Nyadror
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