Events

Symposium Reflecting on the First Hundred Days of Prof. J.E.A. Mills’ Presidency, 20 April

This symposium was the Danquah Institute’s first public event, held on Monday 20 April 2009 at the Alisa Hotel, North Ridge, Accra.

After an opening speech by Presidential Spokesman Mahama Ayariga, there were three forums featuring the following speakers:

• Dr Kwesi Aning, Head of the Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution Department at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre
• Nana Ato Conduah, IMANI Fellow & CEO of Ato Conduah & Associates specialising in management, investment, communications and governance
• Nana Bediatuo, Senior Partner at Ampem Chambers, an Accra-based law firm specialising in constitutional law and corporate law
• Nana Akomea, NPP Member of Parliament for Okaikoi South
• Dr Yao Graham, Coordinator of Third World Network-Africa, a pan-African research and advocacy organisation
• Sampson Akligoh, Databank Economic Analyst with responsibility for Economic & Fixed Income Strategy
• Kwaku Kwarteng, NPP Communications Director and former Government Spokesman on Finance
• Bright Simons, Director of External Development and Research Fellow for IMANI
• Dr Arthur Kennedy, former Chairman of the Communications Committee of the 2008 NPP Election Campaign
• Professor Kwame Karikari, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, a Ghana-based media advocacy organisation
• Kwaku Sakyi Addo, Communications Specialist, two-time Journalist of the Year and winner of over a dozen profession awards
• Raymond Archer, Editor-in-Chief of The Enquirer newspaper

The event succeeded in providing a forum for a more academic and intellectual analysis of developments in the first hundred days of Mills’ Presidency, characterised by a serious and substantive discussion with notably high-quality presentations from panellists.

Furthermore, the programme attracted considerable public interest, with the auditorium full to capacity throughout the day, reaching a total estimated crowd of 300 over the course of the day. As well as being carried live on the day Citi FM and Oman FM, it was also covered by the television stations as well as being the centre of discussion on all of the major radio stations the next morning. The print media also gave the event wide coverage with substantive pieces in The Daily Graphic and The Times and prominent reporting on the front pages of The Daily Guide, The Statesman, The Ghanaian Chronicle, The Daily Searchlight, The Independent and The New Crusading Guide.

Symposium on the Media and Elections, 3Q

The DI has already demonstrated its ability to hold major, successful national events which attract considerable media and public interest. Our second event on the Media and Elections will capitalise on this to further raise the profile of the DI as well as providing an opportunity to present our research on the Media and the 2008 Election. We have strategically timed the event to ensure it is characterised by considered reflection rather than inflammatory rhetoric, whilst remaining timely.

Well-respected media practitioners, communications experts and prominent commentators will be invited to speak on our research and present their own analysis.

The event will be open to the public as well as being carried live on radio to ensure as wide an audience as possible.

National Symposium on Biometric Voting, February 2010

The Danquah Institute will convene a major national symposium to examine and advocate for biometric voting for the 2012 elections. Bringing together experts on biometric technology with prominent decision-makers from Ghana, this event will seek to advance understanding of the benefits of utilising biometric data to enhance the reliability and security of elections. The Government of Mozambique will be invited to speak on their experience of using a biometric voting system, in the wake of their October 2009 election in which they will use this technology for the first time. Comprehensive analysis of the cost, risks and requirements of the system will help address existing concerns and hopefully overcome remaining reservations.

The primary target audience for this event will be high-level representatives of the major political parties and Government, key figures from bodies such as the Electoral Commission, National Identification Authority and Ghana Police Service, and diplomats from international partners’ whose support – financial and otherwise – will be crucial for the changeover to biometric voting.