STAR Ghana Foundation Holds 3rd Strategic Learning Event

The Star Ghana Foundation has organised the 3rd Annual Strategic Learning Event that brought together Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to share what is happening in the Civil Society space.

The event was scheduled from February 25 through to 26 at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra under the theme "Celebrating Success; Resourcing Active Citizenship for the Future."

The event also sought to ascertain the success stories and challenges of the various CSOs in the line of their duty.

The said meeting afforded the CSOs the opportunity to recalibrate their approaches to be more successful, identify critical areas of Civil Society work in the days ahead.

Executive Director, STAR-Ghana Foundation, Ibrahim - Tanko Amidu indicated that "we need citizens groups to continue that drive of raising the issues of concern in order to get the attention of politicians by way of hammering out their policy positions which will go a long way to the benefit of the citizenry."

According to him, per how we respond to issues that people feel strongly about, it demonstrates that people are willing to support and fund Civil Society works but was quick to add that another challenge they face is in the area of accountability which needs to be tackled effectively so as to win the trust of the citizens to support their activities.

“Talking about the funding… seeing money as the solution of all actions; it is important for some specific activities but when it put at the centre, we risk destroying the vitality of whatever that makes citizens movement so effective,” he admonished.

Kofi Bentil, Vice President, IMANI Africa in his remark stressed that without civil society active pressure on leaders; consistent watch over our leaders; and holding up an existential threat to our leaders, they will not do the right things.

Michael Ohene – Effah, Co-Founder, Lead Afrique International said there is the need for CSOs to address the issue of organizational system strengthening that makes them entities and not just a couple of individuals that have come together.

Touching on the funding arrangements of Civil Society activities, he suggested that donors need to have flexible funding that can respond to issues quickly and also advised Active CSOs to make it easy to receive funding in their cause through the various payment platforms available.

Rev. John Nkum, Nkum Associates noted that they are going to make sure they restrategize and reprioritize to get Civil Society to work to advance good governance, accountability and transparency in Ghana.