Support of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Ghana: The APRM is an extensive, voluntary process of self- and peer evaluation applied in each participating country. The goal is to create and effectively implement a National Plan of Action (NPoA), based on the feedback and evaluations of the review processes. Ghana was one of the first African countries to successfully undergo the complete APRM process. It decided to undertake a decentralized approach to implement the NPoA. As part of this, the Hanns-Seidel-Foundation supported the establishment and training of district oversight committees (DOC’s) in each of the 170 districts of Ghana, which was successfully completed in 2010. Subsequently, the main focus of the foundation’s efforts has been on capacity building of the DOC’s, to effectively evaluate the implementation of the NPoA. Furthermore, it supports the dialogue and exchange of information and experiences concerning the mechanism among different member countries. This enables participating countries to inspire themselves with successful experiences, and avoid the difficulties and obstacles encountered by others. The long-term goal of such a dialogue is the elaboration of development strategies that are likely to stimulate the synchronization of the disparate development levels, thereby promoting regional integration and fostering a climate of harmony beyond linguistic and cultural cleavages.

Competitive Showcases as Part of Project Citizen: Project Citizen was initiatives with the aim  to enhance young citizen’s understanding of their political and social opportunities and duties, and to promote participative community affiliates. In cooperation with the 'National Commission for Civic Education’ (NCCE), regional showcases have been developed. These consist of competitive presentations mostly about problems and challenges in the local community. One group per school or community, coordinated by a pre-trained teacher, faces the challenge to identify and agree on a problem of their community and to outline a proposal on how to solve the issue. The skills of the students to take up own initiatives and to work with official institutions is thereby enhanced. Since the initiation of Project Citizen, more than 3000 students from 147 schools, including two schools of blind pupils and three of deaf pupils, have participated. 

Soft-Skills Training Programme for the Police: Ghana’s police training curriculum mainly focuses on technical expertise, with soft-skills often remaining disregarded. The police force therefore generally lacks the skills on how to interact with the citizenry in a trustful and supportive way. In cooperation with the Hanns-Seidel-Foundation, the Ghana Police and other stakeholders developed training programmes for police officers on crucial topics not covered by the police curriculum. These include client care, democratic policing principles and investigations into gender-based violence. 

The training programme was officially launched on March 20, 2012, with a Training of Trainers (TOT) Course for twenty-one (21) selected officers from different police units across the country. This was followed by the first major course in April 2012 with 35 District Commanders. So far, two hundred and twenty-one (221) officers have been trained. The number comprises twenty-one (21) trainers from the various Basic Training Schools and the Community Policing Unit, twenty-five (25) Divisional Commanders, one hundred and five (105) District Commanders and seventy (70) Station Officers. 

The trainings aim to enhance the police force’s “citizen friendliness” and their ability to react knowledgeably in complex situations. Ultimately, a relationship of trust between the police and the citizenry shall be re-established. In order to change the attitudes and behaviours within Ghana’s police units in a sustainable way, the training programmes shall eventually be integrated into the overall course curriculum of the standard police training. 

Watch the TV Production on the project activities in 2012 here. 

Regional Exchange between the Constitutional Courts of Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Togo and the Supreme Court of Ghana:  With the organisation of meetings of judicial members with their colleagues in the project countries Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Togo, the Hanns Seidel Stiftung aims to enhance the regional dialogue between national judiciaries. The Hanns-Seidel-Foundation initiated a regional dialogue platform between experts of the judiciaries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo and Ghana, commencing in early 2012. The goal is to prioritize six relevant subject areas after thorough discussions. Each country’s judiciary is then to develop one area further. Meetings are held regularly to exchange information and improve the understanding of each other’s judicial laws, regulations and practises. Best practices may thus be identified and spill-over effects be stimulated.  The local partners in Ghana are the Supreme Court of Ghana and the African Network of Constitutional Lawyers (ANCL).

Endorsement of Environmental Awareness of the Youth in Coastal Fishing Communities: The understanding of effective environmental management is often limited, especially among migrated coastal fishing communities, which are frequently neglected in public initiatives. These communities consequently possess a lower average educational level and face greater challenges to be an active part of civil society. In cooperation with the Institute of Sanitation and Environmental Studies (IESS) of the University of Ghana, the Hanns Seidel Foundation is developing workshops and interactive learning platforms for these community groups, such as competitive theatre plays. The focus is on the youth of five Anlo communities with the goal to enhance their environmental awareness. The initiatiove also aims to empower the youth in these communities to be more involved in the decision-making processes at government level.

Sensitisation and Protection of Balanced Vegetation through Afforestation: In the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region, agricultural activities are mainly located next to the riverside. The tree vegetation at the rivers has drastically decreased in recent decades, for reasons such as deforestation and bushfires, and worsened the impact of climate change in these areas. Especially along the White Volta River, the devastating effect of climate change has left its marks. The Hanns-Seidel-Foundation, together with the Environmental Protection Agency and the District Assembly of the West Mamprusi District, therefore initiated a project aiming at re-establishing a balanced biodiversity in the District. Numerous tree seedlings have been planted at the riverside of two targeted communities. Additionally, interactive training courses have been held to enhance the understanding of the importance of environmental engagement and re-afforestation. Disaster management courses, addressing measures how to control a bush fire etc. are to be held as well. Also, farmers are introduced into the rational of preserving trees for income-generating activities. Finally, radio transmissions to promote a wider understanding of the project and to spread awareness of the consequences of bad environmental management have been undertaken.