The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has officially launched its 20th-anniversary celebrations to mark two decades of bridging policy research and practice to promote good governance.

Since its inception in 1998, CDD-Ghana has made significant achievements in helping chart the path to democracy in Ghana.

The Center has emerged as a leader in the generation and dissemination of high-quality public opinion surveys and other relevant data for effective advocacy and policy-making in Ghana and across the African continent. The Center also led in the mobilization and organization of civil society voice and activism on key national issues through the building of effective national coalitions and networks.

It has also led and has provided important technical and analytic input for relevant public institutions and committees of Parliament, and championed decentralized and inclusive local governance.

In the area of elections, the Center has helped enhance voter participation in elections and improve the credibility of Ghana’s elections.

Speaking at the official launch of the 20th-anniversary celebrations, Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, Executive Director of CDD-Ghana, said he was proud of the role the Center has played in Ghana’s democratic journey.

“20-years of helping shape Ghana’s democracy has not been without its challenges and frustrations,” he said, “but thanks to the strategic direction of our governing board, our staff’s hard work and the unflinching support of the media and other stakeholders, we have managed to stay on course and grown.”

In its bid to delve deeper into the mandate to promote democracy, good governance, and inclusive development in Ghana and Africa, CDD-Ghana has restructured its program areas into five main segments.

These include Political and Constitutional Governance, Social Inclusion and Equity, Economic and Corporate Governance, Justice, Peace and Security and Civil Society.

In addition to the five programme areas, the Center will continue to implement two special projects: the Afrobarometer project which collects public opinion data on political and socio-economic issues in more than 35 African countries, currently headquartered at CDD; and the Center’s Regional Initiatives like the West African Election Observers Network (WAEON) and other Africa-wide initiatives of the Center.

The year-long celebrations, which began in July this year, with a Democracy & Governance Boot Camp for selected senior high school students from across the country, will continue through to May 2019 with activities including a series of public lectures in Accra and three other regions which will be in collaboration with STAR Ghana; an engagement with the private sector; a stakeholder recognition day; the launch of a fundraising campaign, a Democracy Challenge (quiz) for senior high schools; the adoption of an institution and advocacy on penal reforms.