Call for Participation - " African Local Summit " - Empowering Africa to Achieve the MDGs

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

AFRICAN LOCAL SUMMIT

April 1-4, 2012 - Kumasi, Ghana, West Africa

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)

“Of course, it is not just developed countries, but also developing countries that must do their part. That means devising national strategies bold enough to meet the development goals. It also means promoting accountable and transparent governance, adopting policies that will stimulate the private sector, and investing in human capital through education and health.” – Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General.

Global Challenge - African Solutions

While rich in culture, resources and human potential, Ghana—like all of Africa--is in danger of failing to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which were put in place to ensure a sustainable and equitable future.

Since 1957, several policies and programmes to accelerate the growth of the economy and raise the living standards of the people have been pursued with varying degrees of success in Ghana. These include Ghana Vision 2020: The First Step (1996-2000); the First Medium-Term Plan (1997-2000); Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (2003-2005); and the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (2006-2009).

Under these strategic programmes, substantial progress was made towards the realisation of macro-economic stability and the achievement of poverty reduction goals.

However; Structural challenges characterised by large fiscal and balance of payment deficits have remained.

Ghana has now developed a medium-term development policy framework which is known as the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA, 2010 – 2013) and anchored on the following:

• Ensuring and sustaining macroeconomic stability;

• Enhanced competitiveness of Ghana’s private sector;

• Accelerated agricultural modernisation and natural resource management;

• Oil and gas development;

• Infrastructure, energy and human settlements development;

• Human development, employment and productivity; and

• Transparent and Accountable Governance.

It is assumed that in spite of the prospects of increased revenue from oil, Ghana will continue accessing development assistance on account of the existing large deficit in economic and social infrastructure, there is therefore the need to intensify efforts to achieve the MDGs as well to reduce spatial disparities in development.

Ghana is currently saddled with various constraints in reaching the MDGs including barriers in human development, infrastructure development, transparent and accountable governance, good health, tourism and creative industry, productivity and employment, and  the engagement of existing private sector in solutions.

Due to these constraints confronting the country, Ghana is in danger of failing to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) -- ensuring a sustainable and equitable future.

The problems identified above are shared with most countries in Africa.  To exchange existing solutions and forge an ongoing, cohesive forum for sharing what works across the continent is needed.

To provide this collaborative forum and thus help empower the people of Africa at large to utilize their own rich human and natural resources and realize Africa’s potetnial to thrive, the first “African Local Summit” will be held from April 1st through April 4th 2012 at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, the capital city of the Ashanti Region in Ghana.

Elizka Relief Foundation (www.elizka.org), a capacity building and human empowerment registered non-governmental organization based in Ghana, has partnered with Empowerment WORKS (www.empowermentworks.org) to organize this event, and hereby invites your vital participation.

Opportunity: African Local Summit:

 The primary objectives of the “African Local Summit” are:

1)      To achieve sustainable and equitable development and also attain the Millennium Development Goals in Ghana and Africa at large through the application of best practices (globally recognized professional standards) and innovative tools

2)      Promote wider participation of Africans in The Global Summit events to ensure the voices of those most affected by global policies are heard – not just in the UN, but in the main stream media, fostering a real understanding of the rich diversity of Africa

3)      Establish a sustainable and vibrant development oriented professional network, fostering economic opportunities, attracting appropriate technology transfer and investments and access to markets in a way that honors and protects local heritage

Furthermore, the event seeks to create communities which would be able to optimize their indigenous resources in sustainable ways and build economic stability, and thus thrive socially, politically, and culturally.

The three day Summit shall involve a training symposium to empower members of various sectors of the country including government agencies, civil society, private entities, educational institutions, entrepreneurs, media, traditional leaders, community leaders, artisans and artists.

The training symposium incorporating locally appropriate best practices based on Asset Based Community Development will be delivered as a global collaboration strategy, also known as “Seven Stages to Sustainability (7SS)”. Inspired by traditional self-governance systems from west Africa, and further advanced through years of locally-led community development research, this best-practice delivery and training system combines elements of Social Business, Sustainable Development and mirrors proven innovation science methods used for private sector industry and Business Development.

While the training content at the African Regional Summit will be led and created based on local needs and issues, it is also universal, enabling trainees to engage globally. In fact, the 7 Stages curriculum was first delivered in Fall 2009 in partnership with the World Academy for the Future of Women as the primary curriculum to train young women leaders to achieve the MDGs.

Designed to serve as a bridge for those communities searching for ways out of poverty, inequity, environmental destruction, social justice, environmental stewardship, and economic stability, the original Service Learning curriculum was developed and taught by Melanie St. James, CEO of Empowerment Works.

Leveraging this collaborative educational and action oriented development framework, the “African Regional Summit” shall establish an all-inclusive sustainable, efficient and effective local and regional development based network which shall serve as a catalyst platform for developmental activities in Ghana and Africa at large.

Furthermore; the “African Regional Summit” shall ensure maximum participation of local and regional (Africa) development practitioners in the forthcoming Global Summit 2012 to be held August 15-17 in London, England.

The event which shall be highly interactive will include other sessions like presentations on sustainable human development, working and leadership learning groups with one-on-one meetings with leading personalities from the six (6) sectors of PIE across the Region; debates; exhibition; and a host of corporate networking.

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

The “African Local Summit” secretariat calls government agencies, civil society, private entities, educational institutions, entrepreneurs, media, traditional and community leaders, artisans and artists, youth groups,social and popular movements from all across Ghana, Africa and the World at large to join the process that will lead to achieving sustainable and equitable development, attaining the Millennium Development Goals in Ghana and Africa at large and also ensuring maximum participation of Africans in The Global Summit 2012.

Call for proposals on Paper Presentations on Innovative Solutions for achieving the MDGs are now being invited on the following tracks - environment, information communication technology, natural resources, good governance, poverty reduction, health, education and culture, private sector development, agriculture, science and technology, youth development, women empowerment, economic and social development, population, peace and security.

Local capacity building tools supported by the 7 Stages to Sustainability Framework LIST:

Additionally, the main Plenary/ key note dialogues will present and discuss Pan-African and global policy issues & advocacy solutions.

Abstracts for Capacity Building Presentations and Training Tools can be submitted via email to als@theglobalsummit.org.  

The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2012 and applicants will be notified of acceptance by March 01,2012.

Keynote presentations are by invitation only, however, nominations and feedback is welcome.

Interested participants may register at www.africanlocalsummit.org

Interest in Exhibition, Sponsorship, and Partnership should be directed to the “African Regional Summit” secretariat at als@theglobalsummit.org

Volunteers willing to help moderate sessions and/or promote awareness of the event are invited to contact the secretariat.

For further information about the event; please kindly  visit the congress website at www.africanlocalsummit.orgor email als@theglobalsummit.org

Africa Leading the World: From Ghana to the Global Summit

The Global Summit which is a biennial event organized by Empowerment Works – www.empowermentworks.orgsince 2008 with a mission of serving as a catalyst for a global partnership and local program support system by uniting the most powerful and those most affected by decisions made, to co-create a sustainable future.

Moreover, it is a gathering that catalyzes a whole system approach to elevate the primary vehicles of social, economic and environmental change through empowering new voices to be heard in shaping the solutions to the issues that affect them most and also uniting  people hands-on, and online.

Reducing duplication & increasing collective social, economic and environmental impact, The Global Summit delivers “7 Stages to Sustainability” – a whole system educational framework empowering a global partnership network to achieve the Millennium Development Goals & The Earth Charter from the ground up.

Furthermore, through its innovative sessions of discovery and cross-sector exchanges of green, clean and grass-roots friendly technologies via efficiency based awards, exposure of what works and investment forums, advances both effective climate change solutions & sustainable economic development.

Through The Global Summit, each participant meets their specific, individual goals within the broader context of creating a more sustainable future for Humanity.

The next global summit is scheduled for August 15 through August 17, 2012 in London England.

Regards

 

Kofi Kankam

African Local Summit Secretariat

www.africanlocalsummit.org

+233-247-661440

Skype:kofi.kankam1

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