The following papers had been presented at an international conference in Nairobi, Kenya, from 9-12 October 1996, titled 'Traditional and Contemporary Forms of Local Participation and Self-Government in Africa'

The following is a paper prepared by Nana Kobina Nketsia V, Nana Nketsia Foundation

The following are infos on the presentations of the 4th Tripartite Seminar titled 'Deepening the Democratic Process in Ghana - The Role of Chiefs' held at the Elmina Beach Resort from the 31st May - 1st June 2005 organised by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung with the National House of Chiefs

The following is a paper prepared by Bern Guri, Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development (» CIKOD), Accra (Mr. Bern Guri was until 31 December 2006 Snr. Programme Officer of the KAS Ghana Country Office)

Economic Commission for Africa, 2007:

Relevance of African Traditional Institutions of Governance

… a growing recognition that capable democratic States must be grounded on indigenous social values and contexts, while adapting to changing realities. This will require among other actions, aligning and harmonizing traditional governance institutions with the modern State.

The question therefore is not whether the traditional and "modern" systems of governance are competing against each other but how to integrate the two systems more effectively in order to better serve citizens in terms of representation and participation, service delivery, social and health standards and access to justice.

» Relevance of African Traditional Institutions of Governance [0.98 MB]

The following is the synchronised (compiled) report of workshops implemented in 2007, the year of Ghana's 50th independence anniversary

Background:

In March 2007, The Nana Kwabena Nketsia IV Trust in collaboration with CIKOD and with sponsorship from the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung organized a symposium on the Theme:

Ghana @ 50: Resolving the Duality in Governance - the Future of the Chieftaincy Institution

The 2-day symposium brought together experts including traditional authorities to discus the above theme in an open and academic manner that brought out all views (pros and cons) and came to the following consensus: "Ghana is still essentially a rural country with the majority of people believing in traditional values and systems of which the chieftaincy institution is a focal point. The importance attached to traditional authorities and institutions in these areas is immense. Even in the cities and urban areas, traditional authorities continue to command a large measure of authority and respect. The vast majority of Ghanaians continue to owe some form of allegiance, if even symbolic, to one traditional authority or the other. It will be unwise to neglect this potential source of mobilization".

It was however agreed that this conclusion should be discussed by other stakeholders at the grassroots level with the view to validating and possibly broadening the consensus on the relevance of the institution. To this end, 3 zonal workshops were organized across the country as follows:

1. Coastal Zone: Western, Central, Greater Accra and Volta Regions in Cape Coast
2. Southern Zone: Eastern, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions in Kumasi
3. Northern Zone: Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions in Bolgatanga.

The outcomes of the three workshops have been synthesised into a single report that reflects views across the country. A national roundtable meeting is being proposed at which a small group would finalize the national position on the relevance of the chieftaincy institution and develop a way forward for implementing the recommendations.

» Final synchronised (compiled) zonal Chieftaincy 2007 w/shops Report