Obama visit to Ghana, what it means for civil society
by hayford - 17/05/2009
The President of United States of America, Barack Obama will make a historic visit to Ghana between July 10 - July 11, 2009.
According to Ghana's Foreign Ministry, the first Black US President will hold bilateral talks with Ghanaian President, John Evans Atta Mills aimed at strengthening the fraternal relations existing between the two countries.
The visit to be the first trip to sub-Sahara Africa by President Obama and wife Michelle Obama since assumption of office will be symbolic to advance the strategic role Ghana has grown to play on the world stage.
It is an indication of strong democratic governance and freedom that thrives in the fibre of Ghanaian society. It is also a manifestation of the fundamental role that governments and non-governmental organizations have played in moulding Ghana as a success story on the African continent.
Ghana should however take the opportunity of getting the first African-American President personally aware of the most challenging issues confronting the nation and the African continent. It is important that, we make clear cut statements with our needs with specific time frame and budget to achieving such goals. Simply asking for support without plan action and budget will be like making noise in the ears of the US President.
For those of us in the civil society and especially campaigning for Malaria Eradication in Ghana and Africa, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, has indicated that President Obama will highlight critical role that ''good governance and civil society play in promoting development'' and this affords us an opportunity to make our voice heard by requesting for new and refreshing strategy in tackling malaria through the President Malaria Initiative (PMI) by the United States. It is estimated that, Ghana alone will be receiving a $ 17million grant this year from PMI towards malaria projects and it is time we call for proper utilitarian of the US tax payer's money on malaria in Ghana and Africa while urging African governments to take lead by adopting policies that is geared towards eradication of the disease which kills 1 person every 2 hours on average in Ghana and 2 people per minute globally with 90% of this deaths occurring in black Africa.
It is instructive to point to the US President whose authority, the PMI is been managed to consider adopting strategies that his country used after the second world war in eradicating the disease also on the African continent rather than going the conventional ways which has failed over the years hence an increase in Malaria deaths for instance in 2007 in Ghana according to the WHO.
In this vain, Ghana should take lead as it has always done in difficult times of the African continent to move from policies of controlling the disease to policies of eradicating the disease since it is that which will propel a change in donor rules of controlling the disease which has failed and continues to fail to a more compelling policy to eradicate it.
Ghana should therefore immediately call for a holistic approach in eradicating the disease by investing in treating people with existing malaria parasite, conduct aerial insecticide dispersal and embark on intensive public education.
This should help Ghana to eradicate the disease within 3 years.
Hayford Siaw Executive
Director Volunteer Partnerships for West Africa (VPWA)
+233 24 3340112
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USAID, Obama and local
USAID, Obama and local economic development. Hayford and Jason, thanks for raising the issues and potentials around President Obama's upcoming visit to Africa. Jason, you raise a great question, what about LED and Obama? I am currently in Washington and am visiting USAID, World Banks and others to talk about local economic development.
Over the last few months I have posted a number of interesting lending and non- lending LED programmes from the African Development Bank, World Bank, EU, USAID and others - these have been dedicated to local economic development strategies and projects or programmes that have LED as key elements within broader projects. It is encouraging to see LED becoming more important in multi-lateral and bi-lateral programmes focussed on developing countries and those in transition, especially Africa. However, compared with the massive LED investments ongoing in advanced countries by natonal and sub-national governments, Africa especially is very underserved indeed.
One of the roles of LEDNA is to raise the profile of local economic development, build capacity and share knowledge so that Africa can also benefit from much larger and more comprehensive LED programmes. We the LEDNA family know the opportunties and challenges that we face to achieve this, but working together, sharing and lobbying for LED where ever we can are essential steps we are all trying to take.
So, for the Obama visit, do we have LEDNA members in Ghana who may have a chance to engage somehow with the Presidential team? Do LEDNA members have ideas on how we can do this? I will of course keep the agenda moving in Washngton, and the more interest we can get from Africa, the sooner we will have our ultimate goal- MORE AND BETTER LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ESPECIALLY IN AFRICA!
OBAMA AND POST VISIT IMPACT:
OBAMA AND POST VISIT IMPACT: [im] POSSIBILITIES
This is by all means interesting...Obama's visit to Ghana. I think the hero that he is...in the least the hero African activists see him to be, which links much with his legal background, will serve to upscale the energies of activism. But i think more importantly, we could focus on two reverse sides (a) what his visit will 'not do' and (b) what his non visit in other strategic countries will mean, for who. On the first point, there has been a consistent tendency by Africans to expect so much from Obama...the Nigerians had sent money for his campaign in which case he declined, Kenyans thought, he must surely allow few extra visitors from his fatherland in his inauguration, both of which never got through the gates they hoped. There is so much that he cannot do for Ghana, hence the need for a pragmatic and realistic approach to his visit. In this case, it might be more useful to establish an explorative approach, to 'see' what will happen to the civil society after his visit, and to see what will not happen to the civil society + other 'expectant' bodies. These are interesting trends to look out for.
And why is Obama visiting Ghana and not Kenya? Why not the largest economy in Africa, down South? Nigeria, Egypt? Was this a deliberate ommission? Also important questions to ask. What will these do to development? I am yet to hear Obama speak to Africans about the Millenium Development Goals, and about doubling efforts for a 'second development decade' in Africa...and what about LED and Obama? Any possible links?