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Showing posts from 2015

Enhancing African and African-led capacity for disease surveillance meeting opens in Arusha

10 December 2015   Enhancing African and African-led capacity for disease surveillance  stakeholder conference 14- 15 December, Arusha, Tanzania   An unprecedented outbreak of the Ebola virus has shocked the world; MERS is spreading; and Africa continues to suffer from chronic neglected tropical diseases   ·       How can we work together to enhance African-led capacity for disease surveillance and ensure earlier, faster, smoother and smarter management of epidemics?   ·       Bring frontline One Health voices to the policy table?   ·       Ensure sustainable, community-led African solutions to African challenges   Frontline experts will be gathering to showcase best practice for managing disease outbreaks and exploring ways of enhancing African and African-led capacity building, during a ground-breaking Enhancing African and African-led Capacity for disease surveillance stakeholder conference in Arusha, Tanzania , 14 – 15 December 2015.   The Conference

Expert warns of improper oil, gas planning

Experts in mineral sector have observed that mineral-rich countries required good corporate governance structures to be able to properly convert their natural resource wealth into sustainable economic development.   The Media Capacity Development Officer of the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), George Lugalambi said recently that natural resources such as oil, gas and minerals, hold great potentials for development, which, when properly managed would help transform economies.    "Transforming oil, gas and mineral wealth into sustainable development requires a complete chain of economic decisions and strong foundation of good governance," he said at the sixth regional media training on oil, gas and mining in Ghanaian capital, Accra.   He said economic decisions on the exploitation of natural resources could make a base for policy making in the future, apparently calling for thorough consideration prior to their implementation.   "You must understand the decisi

Use ICT to promote governance - IT Expert advises

Mr. Kwami Ahiabenu, Executive Director of Penplusbytes has admonished Ghanaians especially the youth to take advantage of the sprawling opportunities of Information Communication Technology (ICT) to deepen good governance and parliamentary democracy in Ghana. Penplusbytes is a non-governmental organisation that seeks to promote citizen participation in democracy through the use of ICT He said exchange of communication was no longer a barrier and therefore people could use ICT to constantly communicate with their Members of Parliament (MPs), Ministers and other government appointees, and make their concerns known while demanding accountability from them. Mr. Ahiabenu who was speaking at a citizen's forum, dubbed "dialogue with parliament" in Cape Coast on Thursday said the youth must positively utilize social media for the development of their communities. The forum which was organized by Penplusbytes with support from Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) formed

Citizens of Trobu-Amasaman engage with Parliament

Penplusbytes' citizens' forum roadshow geared towards connecting grassroots to parliament landed in Fise, a suburb of Trobu-Amasaman Constituency in the Greater Accra Region at the weekend. Some citizens in the constituency had the opportunity to engage and interact with their Member of Parliament for Trobu-Amasaman, Moses Anim who is also a member of the Committee on Government Assurances of Parliament. The citizens' forum dubbed "Dialogue with Parliament" forms a key component of the "Connecting Citizens to Parliament" project being implemented by Penplusbytes with support from Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA). The project provides both online ( www.assurances.gov.gh , SMS, Whatsapp, mobile App)  and face-to-face platforms for citizens to engage with Parliament and enable the Committee on Government Assurance enhance its oversight role, in ensuring that assurances and promises made by Government are achieved leading to an improvement in

Use new digital technology to transform fundraising

Digitalizing fundraising in Africa is perhaps the solution to the numerous problems surrounding donor aid on the continent, Mr Saqib Nazir, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FundRasingAfrica has said. He was speaking at a two-day strategic workshop organized by Penplusbytes in collaboration with FundRaisingAfrica in Accra on Tuesday. The workshop which was under the theme "Strategic briefing on fundraising using New Digital Technologies," was to equip participants with new media technologies in their fundraising activities in order to survive the recent decline in donor aid. It was attended by representatives from NGOs, Faith-based Organizations, Clubs, Community-based Associations, Journalists and Donor agencies. Participants were taken through fundraising strategies and how to improve upon them. They were also exposed to the use of social media and other tools in fundraising campaigns, and then assisted participants to set up their own online fundraising tools. Mr. Naz

Parliament says it will continue to hold executive accountable

Mr Moses Anim, Member of Parliament (MP) for Trobu-Amasaman, in the Greater Accra Region, has given the assurance that Parliament would continue to hold the Executive accountable. The MP said parliament would continue to work and play its role effectively, devoid of political inclinations to ensure that Government delivers on its promises for the benefit of all taxpayers and for the development of the country. Mr Anim gave the assurance at Fise, a suburb of Trobu-Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region, while interacting with the constituents during the Penplusbytes citizens' forum held with the aim at connecting citizens to Parliament. The citizens' forum dubbed: "Dialogue with Parliament," forms a key component of the "Connecting Citizens to Parliament" project being implemented by Penplusbytes with support from OSIWA. The forum attracted chiefs, opinion leaders, district assembly and unit committee members, union leaders, representatives from various polit