THE Ghana Journalists Association in partnership with STAR-Ghana, an NGO, has held a training workshop for about 10 selected media practitioners in the Volta Region on ‘Enhanced media-civil society organisations partnership for inclusive local governance’, in Ho.
It was also attended by representatives of some civil society organisations (CSOs) in the region.
Speaking at the function, Mr Kojo Impraim, Programmes Manager of GJA-STAR-Ghana Project, pointed out that the role of CSOs, including the media was critical for effective economic governance.
However, he noted that CSO-media advocacies in Ghana, in many instances, were characterised by apparent weak collaboration, which affect the pro-activeness to demand accountability from state officials.
“These weaknesses are sometimes attributed to inadequate policy literacy and capacity among journalists, civil society actors and citizens, particularly at the local government level,” Mr Impraim added.
According to him, there was a general weak appreciation of policy issues which affected the manner in which some journalists and CSOs analysed and framed community and policy issues for public deliberation.
Consequently, the programmes manager said that weak capacities had affected the quality of responsible journalism, civil society activism, and developmental governance, particularly at the local government.
He announced that the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) as a membership organisation, and a major stakeholder of the Fourth Estate of the realm, was implementing an 18-month project with funding from the Strengthening Transparency and Responsiveness (STAR-Ghana), aimed at strengthening media and CSO collaboration for inclusive and accountable local governance in Ghana.
Under the project, he said, GJA was carrying out integrated set of media interventions in partnership with civil society actors, in order to foster and strengthen the seemingly weak collaboration between them, and strategically drive the vehicle of public advocacy to demanding effective accountability from duty-holders.
Also, the partnership is expected to enrich citizens’ access to quality information through structured media platforms and CSOs outlets, Mr Impraim maintained.
He insisted that journalists and CSOs were expected to build capacity on critical local governance issues such as the constitutional review processes of the District Assembly election, proposed election of Metropolitan Municipality and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), as well as the creation of new regions.
Mr. Impraim said that the intervention would position media-CSOs to gain further insights into the political-economy of Ghana, especially at the local level and frame issues from informed perspectives to influence policy-making and implementation.
Mr Anthony Bells Kafui Kanyi, Volta Regional Chairman of the GJA thanked the GJA-STAR Ghana Project for the programme, saying its most relevant to the contemporary social and political trends in the country.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO
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