The Center for Social Impact Studies (CeSIS) ,a Research and Advocacy non-Governmental Organization has welcomed the call from the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for an open conversation on artisanal mining popularly known as ‘galamsey’.
The move, according to the CeSIS has the potential to completely turn around the small scale mining sector.
“We hope that this “conversation” will produce outcomes that can lead to a total turnaround of the small-scale mining sector,” CeSIS said in a Press statement issued this week to mark its decade of existence.
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CeSIS holds the view that strengthening the capacity of the Minerals Commission will go a long way to equip them to sanitise the ASM sector and maximize its potential to contribute to local economies.
Below is the full statement:
CeSIS celebrates a decade of excellence in research and advocacy
The Center for Social Impact Studies (CeSIS) is delighted to be celebrating ten years of its establishment as a research and advocacy non-governmental organization with a primary focus on providing research backbone to Ghana’s extractive industry.
Over the past ten years, CeSIS has played a significant role in shaping the national discourse on transparency in the utilization of mineral revenue, particularly at the sub-regional level. Furthermore the organisation has made critical inputs into the national discourse on Artisanal and Small Scale Mining (ASM), always articulating the position that this key economic sector holds the key to poverty reduction, youth employment and rural industrialization in mining communities across the country.
CeSIS holds the view that strengthening the capacity of the Minerals Commission will go a long way to equip them to sanitise the ASM sector and maximize its potential to contribute to local economies. In the past ten years, our mission to influence policy change in favour of communities impacted by the operations of extractive companies has been tremendously executed as CeSIS has become the sole mouthpiece of mining affected communities in Obuasi and adjoining districts especially on compensation, environmental and human rights issues.
Officials of CeSIS have also travelled around the world sharing the organisation’s experiences with students, researchers, civil society actors, government officials, and the business community. A refreshing part of this success story is the many partnerships and collaborations that CeSIS forged with both local and international organizations.
We have enjoyed tremendous working relationships with organisations and institutions such as Third World Network, Africa (TWN – Africa), Publish What You Pay, Ghana (PWYP – Ghana), Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), Responsible Mining Foundation (RMF), National Coalition on Mining (NCOM) and Australian High Commission. CeSIS has also enjoyed immense support from state regulatory bodies like Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency.
Our biggest cheerleaders have however been the communities that we serve. 2 As we celebrate a decade of existence, we believe it is an excellent opportunity for us to rethink the role of both large and small-scale mining in the socio-economic development of Ghana.
We therefore welcome the call from the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for an open conversation on artisanal mining popularly known as “galamsey.”
We hope that this “conversation” will produce outcomes that can lead to a total turnaround of the small-scale mining sector.
The 10th Anniversary celebration which is on the theme “CeSIS @10: Celebrating a Decade of Excellence in Research and Community Empowerment” and will run from Monday 11th to 15th January 2021.
source: Publicagendagh.com
