The event was well planned: Some concerns from the first GP learning event had been considered and improvements were introduced which in my view have made this event more interesting and result achieving.
Having had the opportunity to attend the first GPs learning event, I attended this event for the second time with the notion that i had already heard much from the State Actors who often defend their failures. Hence, learning might be just around experiences of GPs, CSO and state actors concerning the 2016 election. However, I noticed that resource persons provide more revealing and detailed information especially submissions by the Ghana Police Service and the in-depth to what I knew
The communique: preparing and presenting a communique was remarkable. It gave a majority of the populace to be part of the sharing that took place by the GPs and State Actors. It also indicates that inputs by CSOs on election 2016 aimed at helping to shape elections in Ghana have been treated with some respect and consideration especially knowing that it was presented to the EC. It motivated GPs to take cognizance of impact of policies on the people during program implementation not just for reporting but because it might directly affect policy decisions at the national level.
Beneficiary testimonies: unlike the first event, the presence of some beneficiaries who shared some stories was very striking. They were living testimonies of the impact STAR-Ghana and GPs had made in the entire country in the success of the 2016 elections
It was really insightful to learn from the presentation on the media that women used more of their airtime to speak on issues of concern to their society. Giving women more media coverage during elections will translate into more balanced discussions on what mattered more to the Ghanaian voter rather than personal attacks and lies that lead to tensions characterized by the male use of media coverage.
Effectiveness of collaborations: building partnerships and collaborations to work on national issues of wider concern is best if we expect greater coverage and impact like elections since no single organization has the capacity to do it all.
The establishment of sustainable funding sources for elections in Ghana. It was gratifying to learn of far advance plans by STAR-Ghana to lead discussions on finding sustainable election funding source for CSOs in the country.
The Representative of Ghana Police gave more compelling evidence for the need for a more independent Police service devoid of political control. It adds up to the concerns of the most Ghanaians about the politically controlled police force in who work only in favour of the ruling government. I believe he stimulated the need for CSOs to push for reforms in the appointment of the top hierarchy of the service.
CSOs interested in working around elections need to join and help to strengthen sustain the election coalitions where they can continue to share and learn experiences aimed at enhancing elections in Ghana.
Collaborating with themselves and state institutions to deliver varying election related outputs based on their strengths, comparative advantage, and experience. This will make them contribute in diverse ways to achieve the same objectives with minimal cost to them.
As a result of the distance between the Venue and lodging hotel, time had to be spent commuting during the two days. This affected the start time and led to late arrival of others at the close of the day. This could be considered in future events to save time.
