SPEECH BY THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE NDC ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF THE PARTY SCHOOL ON THURSDAY, 10TH AUGUST, 2017, AT THE NDC HEADQUARTERS, ADABRAKA – ACCRA.
Mr. Chairman;
National Executives present;
Regional and Constituencies Executives present;
The media;
Comrades;
Ladies and gentlemen;
In February 2016, FEC approved the formation of the Party School Working Committee to be convened by the Research Directorate of the Party. The committee was charged among other things, to work out the modalities of establishing and running party school of international repute.
Today, we are here to launch the GHANA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL DEMOCRACY, an institution of higher learning and research into politics, social democracy and governance.
The 15- member Working Committee proposed to roll out the Saturday Institute Lecture Series, with the maiden edition delivered by Hon. Nana Ato Dadzie.
Subsequently in April, 2017, the Party School Working Committee based on its previous report proposed the formation of the Ghana Institute of Social Democracy as an institution of higher learning and research to train mainly party comrades and other interested stakeholders in the fundamental principles and philosophy of the party, as well as other relevant programmes related to politics, social democracy and governance.
The institution hopes to serve as a centre for research into the changing global ideological perspectives of the social democratic tradition and realign itself with the emerging global trends in order to promote and strengthen the Social Democratic philosophy in Ghana and in Africa.
The School currently has as its, Acting Rector, Dr. William Ahadzie, who is also the Party’s Director of Research and a renowned academician with several years of experience in academia and in corporate governance.
He is supported by the Deputy Director of Research, and Acting Registrar, Peter Boamah Otokunor, who is also a, researcher, an astute politician, and an academic.
The institute in the interim shall be ran from the party headquarters, until our permanent campus is completed for its relocation.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, as you may be aware, political parties articulate public concerns and mediate the delivery of goods and services by the state to its citizenry. Ultimately, they aim to influence public opinion to earn the trust of the electorate so as to win power and to govern. In our pursuit of these objectives, it is imperative that we establish a well-structured educational, training and research institution based on the ideological and philosophical underpinnings of the Party.
The aim of this School therefore, shall be to contribute through its programmes, modules and activities, to strengthening further the social democratic ideology, which underpins the work of the National Democratic Congress.
The NDC was formed in 1992, essentially as a transformation of the revolutionary government of the PNDC to continue with the political agenda of PNDC and its principles of probity, accountability, equity, solidarity, social justice and the egalitarian treatment of all persons, irrespective of their social, cultural, educational, political, religious and economic background.
Social Democracy was not mentioned in the party’s constitution. The party therefore drew its membership and supporters from all the existing political traditions.
The main attraction then, was the achievements of the PNDC government and the personality of the leader Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, from the days of the June 4th Uprising.
The situation persisted until the party suffered its first electoral defeat in the 2000 elections.
In 2002, the NDC held its first congress after the parties defeat in 2000, at the Accra International Trade Fair Center, La. As part of the effort to reorganize the party, the congress adopted several reforms, key amongst which was the formal proclamation of Social Democracy as the party’s ideology.
This has necessitated the need to instil and imbibe in our members and the youth of Ghana, the knowledge, understanding and practical application of our core principles to allow for the mainstreaming of the Social Democratic philosophy in the NDCs policies and programmes.
Vision
The vision of the GHANA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL DEMOCRACY is to become an institution of choice in the study of politics, governance and social democracy in Africa.
The School shall be opened to all Ghanaians, especially cadres of the NDC, as well as all progressive political parties, civil society groups, who share in the social democratic philosophy.
The key objectives of the School is to:
a) Provide continuing education for members and appointees on the ideology of the Party
b) Build the capacity of party members, in areas of leadership, party organization, management and governance
c) Generate new ideas to expand the knowledge base of the Party and its functionaries
d) Support the party in the formulation of policies and in the preparation of Party Manifestoes and other sector-specific policy documents
e) Conduct research and analysis on national, and global development issues and advise the party and its government accordingly
f) Undertake different forms of publications (Technical notes, Discussion Papers, Working papers, brochures, books, magazines, journals, newsletters, annual reports, policy briefs and monographs)
g) Identification of talent and mentoring
Proposed Programs
The Institute shall run courses including but not limited to;
• Philosophy, Principle and Practice of Social Democracy.
• Political Economy of Development
• Elections and Electoral Systems
• Gender Mainstreaming
• Youth Development
• Development and Environment Sustainability
• Grassroots Political Mobilization and Activism
• Public Sector Management
• Public Policy Formulation and Implementation
Just to mention a few.
Conclusion
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen of the Press, the Ghanaian electorate has become more sophisticated and discerning, thus winning their hearts and minds goes beyond the mundane political rhetoric. The NDC as a party is challenged to equip our activists with the right working tools, which is the knowledge on the philosophical underpinnings of the party.
Ladies and Gentlemen the future of our democracy lies in the conscious effort to shift our politics away from personalities, ethnicity, religious identities and physical might towards a regime of ideas, knowledge, policies and programmes. Our hope is that, as our democracy matures political parties in Ghana will be able to offer the electorate clear distinct and implementable policy choices. The electorates on the other hand in making a choice will also be fully aware of the implications of the vote they cast. Our contribution as a party towards realizing these national objectives is the establishment of the Ghana Institute Social Democracy.
On this most important note, Mr. Chairman, I crave your indulgence to declare the GHANA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL DEMOCRACY duly launched.
Long Live the NDC!
Long Live the Ghana Institute of Social Democracy!!
Long Live Ghana!!!
God bless our homeland!!
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