Advocates Redesign

Category: Ghana

  • CiCoNet welcomes new members

    From a humble beginning of memberships in seven communities in the then Brong Ahafo Region and the Eastern region in 2018, the Citizens Committee Network (CiCoNet) can now boast of branches in 62 communities in Ghana.

    CiCoNet currently has 14 branches in Nkoranza South Municipality, ten in Atiwa West District, 17 in Abuakwa South Municipality and 21 in the Fanteakwa South District – all contributing to an estimated membership of 340.

    At the inauguration of new CiCoNet members drawn from Abuakwa South, Atiwa West and Fanteakwa South districts at a ceremony held at Osino, ACA’s Senior Trainer, Francis Fernaldinho Manu, explained that members of the Committee serve as watchdogs in their communities and resist any act that poses as a threat to their lives and livelihoods.

    He also said CiCoNet members actively participate in, supervise and monitor the effective execution of development projects in their community and always ensure accountability and transparency in their line of work.

    “You’re to play a lead role in educating your community members on their fundamental human rights, act as intermediary between community and local government and also serve as the official mouthpiece of community”, he further said.

    Mr. Manu assured CiCoNet of ACA’s continuing support towards the effective running of CiCoNet, adding that copies of constitution and guidelines will soon be made available to them for thorough study and application.

    Touching on some successes chalked by CiCoNet since its inception in 2018, the Senior Trainer mentioned a recent media campaign by members which resulted in the refilling of some abandoned mining pits in Juaso, Sagyemase and Nsuapemso and compensation payment to some landowners in the Fanteakwa South district as well as the reversal of the sale of some 400 acres of land by the queen mother of Donkro Nkwanta for cashew plantation without following due process.

    Another Senior Trainer of ACA, Mr George Mpoah, also encouraged the CiCoNet members to keep themselves abreast of the country’s legal frameworks on lands, minerals and mining.

    He further asked them to demonstrate a high sense of commitment to their work and attach maximum seriousness to meetings, keeping in mind that all that CiCoNet does is geared toward development of their communities.

    A similar ceremony was held in Nkoranza to welcome 30 new CiCoNet members from ten communities in the Nkoranza South Municipality of the Bono East Region.

  • New CiCoNet executives sworn into office

    The newly elected executives of the Osino Citizens Committee Network (CiCoNet) have taken over from the out-gone executives at a ceremony at Asiakwa near Kyebi.

    The new executives, who will steer the affairs of the Committee till 2026, took over from their predecessors who recently ended their term of office. They were elected a few weeks ago during one of the committee’s meetings.

    Chaired by Stephen Gyekye Appiah, the other executives include Antwi Boasiako, Vice-chairman; David Aboah, Secretary; Grace Adu, Treasurer and Samuel Gyeketey, Organizer.

    They took over from George Owusu Asante, Bartholemew Boakye, David Aboah, Grace Adu, Matilda Asantewaa and Ebenezer Tetteh.

    The out-gone Chairman, George Owusu Asante, congratulated his successor and his team, and urged them to serve with humility and selflessness.

    “I worked with you during my tenure as the Chairman and I have no doubt in my mind that you can deliver. Continue to dedicate your time, energy and other resources to the course of CiCoNet and trust me, you will never regret doing so”, he added.

    Stephen Gyekye Appiah, on behalf of the new executives, pledged to continue the good works of the outgone executives and called for the total support of all CiCoNet members.

    Certificates of recognition were presented to all the outgone executives as a sign of appreciation for their hard work and dedication to duty.

  • Atiwa West Assembly renders accounts to residents through Town Hall Meeting

    The Atiwa West District Assembly in the Eastern region of Ghana has held its maiden annual Town Hall Meeting at Kwabeng as part of measures to deepen local governance, transparency and accountability.

    The Town Hall meeting was funded by Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA), a non-profit-making organization, that has a long-standing partnership with the District Assembly.

    The District Planning Officer and the Budget Officer took turns to explain the projects executed by the Assembly in 2023 vis-à-vis the revenues generated or accrued during the period.

    The projects executed by the Assembly during the period under review were mainly in the areas of education, health, agriculture, economic empowerment and infrastructural development.

    Mr. Paddy Amponsah Douglas, the DCE for the area, noted that through the meeting, citizens would have the chance to demand accountability from the local government authority.

    “Pursuant to the Local Government Act, ACT 936 (2016), the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies are mandated to organize Town Hall meetings at least twice a year to afford the local people the opportunity to engage the District Assembly officials on the Assembly’s Public Financial Management and service delivery outcomes”, he stated.

    Stakeholders’ engagement

    The Director for Community-Driven Development (CDD) programs of ACA, Nana Ama Nketia-Quaidoo (Mrs), stated that her organization places much premium to stakeholders’ engagements such as the Town Hall meeting.

    “This is because such engagements promote accountability, builds trust, saves cost and ensures a well-informed decision-making process.”

    She therefore reminded the Assembly that it owed it as responsibility to make conscious effort to improve on existing structures that would allow the participation of the citizenry in every stage of development.

    She disclosed that a recent Chiefs Council meeting organized by ACA at Asiakwa for chiefs in Fanteakwa South, Abuakwa South and Atiwa West districts revealed serious communication and participatory gaps between the assemblies and the chiefs and called for pragmatic measures to rectify this anomaly.

    Some of the issues raised by the citizens focused mainly on health and sanitation, revenue mobilization, effectiveness of the National Health Insurance Scheme, drug peddling in the area and improvement in educational standards, among others.

  • Nkoranza South: FCAP Leadership Committees back community development pathways

    Story by So Abapa Boateng, Nkoranza

    Members of Leadership Committees in ten communities in the Nkoranza South Municipality, in the Bono East Region of Ghana, have pledged their commitment to lead their communities to create community development proposals to achieve a communal development vision.

    The Leadership Committee members held a meeting last week in Nkoranza to deepen their knowledge of the Facilitated Collective Action Process (FCAP), also known in Ghana as Oman Yie Die.  FCAP is a methodology that helps communities articulate a development vision, gain skills to implement that vision, and pursue projects consistent with that vision in a transparent and inclusive manner.  They vowed to leave no stone unturned to solidify their commitment by hard work and perseverance in the execution of the task ahead.

    Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA), a non-profit-making organization that helps West African communities that are threatened by the destructive impacts of extractive projects to take control of their futures, is partnering with the Nkoranza South Municipal Assembly to roll out Oman Yie Die in ten communities in the Municipality: Asuano, Akuma, Abuontem, Akumsa Domase, Bredi No. 1, Bonsu, Barnufour, Brahoho, Kyekyewere and Nkwabeng.

    The FCAP Leadership Committee members and a selection of officers from the Nkoranza South Municipal Assembly Planning, Social Welfare and Community Development, and Works and Engineering Departments met to discuss strategic ways that they could support the Oman Yie Die development processes in their various communities. They also reviewed steps for the proposal development subphase of the FCAP and the various roles the Leadership Committee can play to make this sub-phase successful.

    The Leadership Committee members will use the information shared during this meeting to guide their chiefs, elders, and community members on the proposal development sub-phase and support community-based facilitators to implement FCAP activities.

    As part of the meeting, the participants were taken through different leadership styles and how that can impact the Oman Yie Die in terms of participation and the mobilization of the needed resources for the chosen community development pathways.  They also discussed procurement processes, implementation action plans and budgeting, maintenance plans, transparency and accountability, cost tracking and how to request micro-grants.

    Smooth implementation

    For the smooth implementation of Oman Yie Die in Ghana, each partner community has elected a team of a five-member or seven-member leadership committee to spearhead the FCAP implementation process.

    Each of the ten communities was represented at the meeting by the chairperson, secretary and treasurer of the FCAP Leadership Committee.

    These proposal development sub-phase meetings will last for two months, after which the communities will be able to begin implementation of their community development projects.

  • Nkoranza South CBFs undertake field work on FCAP

    Story by So Abapa Boateng, Nkoranza

    It was yet another grueling and enduring moment for Community-Based Facilitators (CBFs) from ten partner communities in the Nkoranza South Municipality of the Bono East Region of Ghana. These CBFs, together with selected members of staff of the Nkoranza South Municipal Assembly, gathered once again in Nkoranza to deepen their understanding of the Facilitated Collective Action Process (FCAP), which aims at strengthening local participation in the implementation of the assembly’s medium term development plan.

    One of the key highlights of the meeting was field practicing proposal development, which primarily provides an opportunity for the CBFs and the local government staff to interact with community members on the practicalities involved in community meetings in relation to the smooth implementation of FCAP.

    The field practicing proposal development phase provides an opportunity for a community to delve deeper into the choice of its development pathway and how it will aid in the fulfilment of the community’s development vision in line with the local assembly’s medium-term plan.

    The CBFs literally put into practice the activities learnt during the proposal development process. As part of the field practice, a topic from the proposal development sub-phase is selected for a facilitator to plan and come up with a meeting guide to facilitate it at a community meeting.

    As part of the field practicing proposal development, the CBFs visit selected project sites identified by the communities for their development pathways. This provides yet another opportunity for community leaders to delve deeper into the choice of the pathway and how it will aid in the fulfilment of their community development vision.

    The core objective is to equip the CBFs and the assembly staff with practical experience during the proposal development sub-phase. The CBFs plan their meetings by outlining the topics to be discussed, the facilitation techniques to be used and go further to figure out possible challenges that might come their way and how they will be addressed.

    The Director for Community-Driven Development (CDD) programs of ACA, Nana Ama Nketia-Quaidoo (Mrs), noted in an interview, that such an activity offers ACA the opportunity to assess the level of understanding of the CBFs on the various topics treated during the training sessions and how they will put the knowledge acquired into practice.

    “The assessment is done on their level of preparedness before the meeting, their understanding of the topic, the techniques used during the facilitation and how well they engaged the communities during the community meeting. It enables the trainers to identify areas that need improvement during the facilitation and promptly work with the facilitator to identify ways of improving upon it before the actual proposal development meeting in the communities start.”

    “It also builds the confidence of the CBFs in facilitating the various steps of the proposal development sub-phase and enables the assembly staff supervise them appropriately and further details the role of the technical advisor during the proposal development sub phase, which is guiding the communities to strategically tailor their implementation action plan and budget to their desired projects or development pathways.

    Bonsu and Nkwabeng hosted the team for the field practice, which was generally very successful. The team visited the Nkwabeng community development site where a proposed Out-Patients Department (OPD) is to be built under FCAP.

    At Bonsu, the visit took the team to the Bonsu water site to get firsthand knowledge on their proposition for an extension of water to their households.

    The ten communities which participated in the training programme were Akuma, Akumsa Domase, Abuontem, Asuano, Barnufour, Brahoho, Bredi No. 1, Bonsu, Nkwabeng and Kyekyewere.

    Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA), a non-profit-making organisation, which helps West African communities that are threatened by the destructive impacts of extractive projects to take control of their futures, is partnering with the Nkoranza South Municipal Assembly to roll out FCAP, which is also called “Oman yie die” in Ghana, in these ten communities in the area.

    Community meetings are expected to be facilitated for two months by the CBF under the supervision of an ACA trainer and the Nkoranza South Municipal assembly staff.

    (Note: The writer is a CDD Trainer based in Nkoranza in the Bono East region of Ghana)

  • CiCoNet calls for allocation of 20% of Minerals Dev’t Fund proceeds to mining communities

    The Citizens Committee Network (CiCoNet), an interface group of concerned citizens who help protect their communities’ development vision, is calling for the allocation of 20% of proceeds into the Minerals Development Fund to be disbursed to mining communities.

    This proposed allocation, according to CiCoNet, is to be used for sustainable development projects chosen by each mining community under the supervision of the managers of the Fund.

    CiCoNet believes that this will ensure fair and equitable use of proceeds into the Fund under the Minerals Development Fund Act, 2016, Act 912.

    This was one of the advocacy action plans agreed upon at a three-day training session for the nine-member national executives held at Asiakwa near Kyebi in the Eastern region of Ghana.

    Code-named “Legal Learning Workshop”, the training session was organised upon the request of the of CiCoNet to sharpen the group’s advocacy skills on laws about mining, land and general understanding of Ghana’s constitution.

    Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA), a non-profit-making organisation, which helps West African communities that are threatened by the destructive impacts of extractive projects to take control of their futures, facilitated the training through its Legal Office and the Community-Driven Development Department.

    The CiCoNet national executives noted that after nearly ten years of the setting up of the Minerals Development Fund, very little can be shown for it as most mining communities which are bearing the brunt of the devastating effects of mining operations can barely boast of any development project executed under the Fund.

    The group believes that if the communities are directly involved in the usage of their share of the Fund, it will go a long way to engender communalism and cost-effectiveness in the execution of sustainable development projects in their respective areas.

    Paul Uthan, National Secretary of CiCoNet, in an interview after the training, said the Minerals Development Fund, created by the Minerals Development Fund ACT, 2016 Act 912 to provide financial resources for the direct benefit of mining communities, among others, must be judiciously used to inure to the benefit of the intended beneficiaries.

    “We are therefore going to create a lot of awareness about this Fund and push for the 20% allocation to mining communities”, he further said.

    The National President of CiCoNet, Emmanuel Antwi, disclosed that the group will also be advocating the need for the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to be well-resourced to effectively carry out its functions as mandated by law.

    “This training has been very fruitful. It is in our plans as CiCoNet to educate our community members about their fundamental human rights, so our main aim is to ensure community development. In this regard, we, as CiCoNet executives, need to be well equipped with the legal aspects of what we intend doing so we came for the workshop to keep ourselves abreast of the rights of people living in communities threatened by mining activities”, he explained.

    From here we’re setting the ball rolling by sharing the knowledge gained here with all CiCoNet members and going down to the communities to educate community members on their rights under the country’s legal regime on mining.

    CiCoNet

    The Citizens Committee Network (CiCoNet), an interface group of concerned citizens who help protect their communities’ development vision.  CiCoNet members are trained to speak with government officials and other stakeholders on behalf of their communities, raising concerns in ways that allow local authorities to help resolve key community concerns.

    Through CiCoNet, some communities have won key victories, such as prompting the suspension of a highly polluting mining company’s operating permit and inducing companies to fill over 40 abandoned pits that endangered the welfare of children and livestock in places such as Juaso and Nsuapemso in the Eastern region of Ghana.

  • Nkoranza South CBFs undergo training on microgrant pathway proposal development

    It is yet another interesting and educating session for our Community-Based Facilitators (CBFs) from ten communities in Nkoranza South as they gather to go through the Microgrant Pathway Proposal Development sub phase, a key component of the Facilitated Collective Action Plan (FCAP).

    Also called “Oman yie die” in Ghana, FCAP aims at strengthening local participation in the implementation of the Assembly’s medium term development plan.

    Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA), a non-profit-making organization that helps West African communities that are threatened by the destructive impacts of extractive projects to take control of their futures, is collaborating with the Nkoranza South Municipal Assembly to roll out the Oman Yie Die project in Asuano, Akuma, Abuontem, Akumsa Domase, Barnufuor, Brahoho, Bredi No. 1, Bonsu, Nkwabeng and Kyekyewere.

    The CBFs are currently undergoing a week-long training at Nkoranza on Microgrant Pathway Proposal Development sub phase to ensure that they can effectively spearhead the development of a full project proposal plan to implement and sustain their Microgrant pathway.

    As part of the training, the communities will create a risk and mitigation plan for their pathway and elaborate on the by-laws they will need to govern their pathway effectively as well as work with a technical advisor to develop their Microgrant pathway proposals.

    Topics being treated during the week-long training session are procurement guidelines, developing implementation action plan and budget, developing maintenance plan and budget, sustainability (including risk assessment and mitigation strategies), transparency and accountability, community engagement plan and Microgrant pathway bylaws.

    The training will also cover areas such as measuring success, setting annual targets for the Microgrant pathway, creating data collection plans for the Microgrant pathway, and proposal review.

    The participants will also be taken through the process of disbursing and ensuring transparent management of the microgrant itself.

    ACA’s Community-Driven Development Team led by Nana Ama Nketia-Quaidoo and supported by Godfred Osei Nimako and So Abapa Boateng are the main facilitators of the programme. Also in attendance are four staff of the Nkoranza South Municipal Assembly.

    The ACA team will also engage the Nkoranza South Municipal Chief Executive, Dr. Augustine Amoateng on the smooth implementation of FCAP in the ten selected communities later during the week.

  • CiCoNet sharpens its advocacy skills on Ghana’s mining laws

    A three-day training for national executives of the Citizens Committee Network (CiCoNet) is underway in Asiakwa in the Abuakwa South Municipality to keep CiCoNet members abreast of Ghana’s Minerals and Mining Act (Act 703 as amended).

    The training, referred to as Legal Learning Workshop, is being organised upon the request of the of CiCoNet to sharpen the group’s advocacy skills on laws about mining, land and general understanding of Ghana’s constitution.

    Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA), a non-profit-making organization, which helps West African communities that are threatened by the destructive impacts of extractive projects to take control of their futures, is facilitating this training through its Legal Office and the Community-Driven Development Department.

    This is to enable CiCoNet to embark on its planned nationwide advocacy on the fundamental human rights of mining communities, among others.

    ACA’s Legal Team led by Lalla Toure welcomed the participants to the workshop and expressed the hope that they would be in the right position to embark on their planned advocacy on land and mining related issues at the end of their training.

    The team said all mineral resources are vested in the government in trust of the citizenry, adding that every land has an owner whose rights cannot be infringed upon by anyone and explained the differences between customary law and common law to the participants.

    The ACA Legal Team took the participants through various processes involved in land acquisition for mining or other purposes by the state.

    Some topics being covered during the three-day training program, which will end tomorrow Friday May 17, 2024, include land leasing process, compensation, land reclamation as well as land rent and land sale.

    “This training is very timely and I believe strongly that at the end of the training, participants will properly understand what the law says about the processes involved in the acquisition of land for mining activities and the role of each party in the acquisition of land for mining activities (land renters, land owners, chiefs and mining companies)”, Nana Ama Nketia-Quaidoo, the Director for Community-Driven Development, said in on the sidelines of the workshop.

    She was also hopeful that they will have a better appreciation of what the law says about the conversion of waste land created by the mining companies into land suitable for use of habitation or cultivation.

    About CiCoNet

    The Citizens’ Committee Network (CiCoNet) is an interface group of concerned citizens who help protect their communities’ development vision.  CiCoNet members are trained to speak with government officials and other stakeholders on behalf of their communities, raising concerns in ways that allow local authorities to help resolve key community concerns.

    Through CiCoNet, our communities have won key victories, such as prompting the suspension of a highly polluting mining company’s operating permit and inducing companies to fill abandoned pits that endangered the welfare of children and livestock.

  • Press Release – ACA Partners Ghana Government to Accelerate Development in 100 Communities

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    Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA) has launched a massive expansion of its community-driven development (CDD) work to one hundred communities in Ghana.  The project will put communities threatened by extractive development in control of their own development and give them the tools to advocate for their own vision of the future.

    ACA’s community-driven development programs revolve around two key elements.  The first element, the Facilitated Collective Action Process (FCAP), is a process that was developed and popularized in East Africa by ACA’s partner organization, Spark MicroGrants.  FCAP is a two-year program that encourages communities to create a common development vision and equips them with skills and financial resources – including a USD 9,000 microgrant – to pursue it.

     

    Read More….

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  • ACA rewards community members

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    In recognition of their exemplary roles in championing development in their communities and also serving as role models to others, four individuals have been awarded by the Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA) as part the maiden annual national delegates’ conference of the Citizens Committee Network (CiCoNet), which took place at Osino in Fanteakwa South District of the Eastern Region.

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    George Asante of Juaso emerged as the Over-all Best Community Member as a result of his dedication, tolerance and consistency in mobilizing support for Juaso community members, especially with regards to FCAP meetings.

    Although he is from Juaso, Mr. Asante has been extending his support to other FCAP communities such as Nsuapemso and Segyimase, especially when those communities are confronted with challenges.

    He offers the necessary assistance without asking for any honorarium in return.

    As an FCAP Chairperson, he has worked hard to increase attendance and participation of women in meetings and more importantly during decision-making in his community.

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    Another resident of Juaso, Lydia Opokuaa, received the Most Inspiring Community Member award. She is a self-motivated female whose phenomenal interest and contributions in decision-making in her community cannot be over-emphasized.

    Madam Opokuaa Lydia fully attends FCAP meetings every week and participates in all activities for the development of her community.

    In her view, activities of the FCAP and CICONET are both geared towards her own community development. She also considers ACA’s methodologies to be non-discriminatory, giving everyone the opportunity to speak.

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    According to her, the FCAP methodology has helped her to believe that disability is not inability. Madam Lydia has a stammer – a speech impediment that could otherwise discourage her from participating – but the FCA encourages her to get involved in decision making and contribute to the success of her community’s development in the long-term. She therefore entreats other community members with similar speech difficulties to learn from her and be encouraged as well.

    Emmanuel Antwi of Nwoase community in Nkoranza South Municipality of the Bono East Region and Rose Addo of Nsuapemso community in the Eastern Region were also recognized as the Most Dependable Community Members.

    Hon. Edward Kuyiweh of Salamkrom won the Most Disciplined Community Member award, while the Over-all Best Community award went to Segyimase. Records show that Segyimase community has the full participation of its chief in all FCAP meetings, with members being punctual and well-organized.

    All the award winners received Certificates of Recognition.

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