Advocacy groups intensify efforts to action against poverty 

By Samuel Dodoo 

Accra, Aug. 30, GNA-The Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP-Ghana), a network of civil society organisations across the world, has held its 2023 National People’s Assembly as part of a consultative process in Accra. 

The event, among others, is to address problems encountered at the local levels, help move the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into real life for everyone and to identify marginalised groups in communities, constituencies and at the national levels. 

Ghana’s People’s Assembly, as part of the Global Week to Act for SDGs scheduled to take place from September 10 to 25, 2023, mobilised its members from Abibinsroma Foundation and the Global Neighbourhood Healthcare Development Organisation (GloNeHDO), to discuss the SDGs Mid-Point to demand an end to poverty and hunger. 

It brought community leaders face-to-face with the people to hear and respond to their demands, inviting voices that have historically been marginalised in decision-making and public policies and civil society organisations (CSOs)to make demands. 

It was on the theme: “SDGs Mid-Point and Global Justice” and attended by stakeholders, CSOs and waste management groups such as the Assorted Waste Alliance and Divine Group International. 

Some of the key demands they made were the call to end “Poverty and Hunger, Extreme inequalities in the communities and worsened family conditions by the COVID pandemic, as well as the future threat of climate change.” 

Others were the end to “High inflation and the effects of wars on communities in the world, Global justice including universal social protection, and Tax and debt justice for developing countries.” 

Mr Benjamin Lartey, the Chief Executive Officer of GloNeHDO, who chaired the function in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said the meeting was an avenue for participants to identify problems and concerns. 

It was also to enable them to analyse the structural causes, discuss and develop a set of demands and devise steps to address them. 

He said Ghana had an obligation under the UN 17 SDGs, which called for action by all countries to develop a global partnership. 

Mr Lartey said the meeting recognised that ending poverty and other deprivations must go with strategies that would improve health and education, and reduce inequalities while tackling climate change. 

Madam Jane Amerley Oku, the Chief Executive Officer of Janok Foundation, a community-based organisation and a member of CONNIWAS, took participants through the 17 Goals to assist them in their service delivery in the communities. 

Mr Hendrick Noble Kinnah, the Assemblyman for Odorna Electoral Area, expressed gratitude to the organisers for bringing the 2023 Ghana’s People’s Assembly to his community. 

GNA 

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