Difference between revisions of "Ghana NGO Sector"
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==Historical Background== | ==Historical Background== | ||
| − | From the mid-1980s to the end of the 1990s, government policies and laws towards NGOs lacked a standard or coherent framework. This period of disagreement between NGOs and government was characterized by concerns on both sides. | + | From the mid-1980s to the end of the 1990s, government policies and laws towards NGOs lacked a standard or coherent framework. This period of disagreement between NGOs and the government was characterized by concerns on both sides. The government was concerned about unregistered NGOs, allegations of fraudulent practices, and violations of nonprofit rules. Some NGOs were not consulting district and regional planning authorities before starting projects, and there was a general lack of reports and [[NGO Information Management|information]] from NGOs on their operations. NGOs were concerned that government attitudes and actions threatened their status, autonomy, and right to participate. They charged that the government did not consult NGOs, on issues that might have affected their operations, before putting policies into place. They stated that the government did not keep adequate records of NGO reports. NGOs also alleged that the government overlooked their need for financial support. |
| − | NGOs were concerned that government attitudes and actions threatened their status, autonomy, and right to participate. They charged that government did not consult NGOs | ||
| − | It was in this atmosphere that the NGO Draft Bill of 1993 was rejected. NGOs felt the existing Companies Code/Act 179 was sufficient to regulate them. They also objected to sections in the Bill | + | It was in this atmosphere that the NGO Draft Bill of 1993 was rejected. NGOs felt the existing Companies Code/Act 179 was sufficient to regulate them. They also objected to sections in the Bill that they believed violated their constitutional rights. NGOs campaigned against the NGO Draft Bill in 1995 and it was never enacted into law (Draft National Policy for Strategic Partnership with NGOs: 19-20). |
| − | Although there was no official legal framework in place, NGOs still operated among themselves and with government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). In February 1999, the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare (MESW), as it was known then , circulated the “Ghana National Policy on Non-Governmental Organizations” and invited NGOs to discuss a broad range of issues. The NGOs and the MESW agreed to form a joint working committee to discuss the document. In April 1999, at the “Beyond Aid: Strategies for Sustainable Support of Community Development,” held in Accra, representatives from NGOs resolved to hold consultations on the issue of a national NGO policy and make recommendations (Comprehensive Policy Framework for the Non-Profit Sector in Ghana. Draft Discussion Document, 2000: 5). | + | Although there was no official legal framework in place, NGOs still operated among themselves and with government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). In February 1999, the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare (MESW), as it was known then, circulated the “Ghana National Policy on Non-Governmental Organizations” and invited NGOs to discuss a broad range of issues. The NGOs and the MESW agreed to form a joint working committee to discuss the document. In April 1999, at the “Beyond Aid: Strategies for Sustainable Support of Community Development,” held in Accra, representatives from NGOs resolved to hold consultations on the issue of a national NGO policy and make recommendations (Comprehensive Policy Framework for the Non-Profit Sector in Ghana. Draft Discussion Document, 2000: 5). |
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| + | Thus, the years 1999-2000 saw a renewed cooperation between the government and NGOs. A National Consultative Group (NCG) made up of national, regional, sector networks, and umbrella organizations, along with government representatives, worked in a joint consultation process. The Ghana Association of Private Voluntary Organizations in Development (GAPVOD) Secretariat was chosen as the operational coordinator (IDEG Framework Draft Document, 2000: 6). In August 2000, NGC organized a series of workshops across 10 regions with broad representation of NGOs and government representatives. | ||
==Civil Society in Ghana== | ==Civil Society in Ghana== | ||
Revision as of 09:33, 13 August 2008
As early as Ghana's pre-colonial era, civil society has shaped, and been shaped by, the country’s political developments. After independence in 1957, the government created economic and social reconstruction development plans. This included putting local development committees and the emerging nonprofit sector in charge of providing education, health and social services to the country’s citizens. During the period of political and economic instability that followed independence, citizens were dependent on humanitarian aid and emergency services provided by churches and charities (Atingdui 1995:11-12).
By the early 1980s, the country’s subsequent reorganization of the public and private sectors directly affected religious and church-related organizations, requiring them to reapply for registration with the government (Atingdui 1995:12). Despite the government’s move to exert more control over NGOs, local groups continued to grow and expand unabated. A sharp increase in international development assistance to Ghana occurred between 1989 and 1990, with a significant amount of funds going to the nonprofit sector (World Bank, World Tables). The 1990s saw an exponential growth in the non-profit sector and non-governmental organizations in Ghana, in both the number of groups and their range of activities. By the mid 1990s, the number of registered nonprofit organizations grew to over 700 (Atingdui 1995:15).
Today, the sector encompasses thousands of organizations of all sizes and types. Nonprofit organizations in Ghana are defined as “civil society organizations that are formed independently of the State but register voluntarily under specified laws in order to gain official recognition to pursue purposes that are not self-serving but oriented towards public benefit.” (NGC National Draft Policy). As Ghana moves into the 21st century, civil society in the country is a sector that is still growing and defining itself.
