Hitherto Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences – Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Collaboration, The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences started working closely with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) in 1993. The Foundation has as one of its aims, the promotion, and strengthening of democracy and social justice; and the Academy, the promotion and dissemination of knowledge. In view of this, the Academy found the FES an appropriate partner to work with.
The collaboration which involves the organization of lectures and symposia has taken place in June each year. There were no public forums in 1994 and 1995. The Academy began to independently fund the hosting of the Public Forum in 2013. Themes tackled over the years include the following:
1993 | Making Democracy Work in the 4th Republic |
1996 | Problems and Prospects of Democratic Governance in Africa |
1997 | The Economy of Ghana from 1983 – 1996 |
1998 | Vision 2020 and the Long-term Economic Growth of the Economy |
1999 | Six years of Constitutional Rule in Ghana: Assessment and Prospects |
2000 | National Interest and Elections in Africa |
2001 | Consensus Building: A Tool for Effective Democratic Governance in Africa |
2002 | Corruption and Development in Africa |
2003 | The Judiciary in the Fourth Republic |
2004 | The Economy, Productivity and Income Levels in Ghana |
2005 | Reconciling the Nation |
2006 | Addressing Poverty in National Development |
2007 | Evolution of Constitutionalism in Independent Ghana |
2008 | Ensuring Democratic Participation in Africa |
2009 | Constitutional Review in Ghana |
2010 | Governance in Ghana: Challenges to Administrative Justice, Anti-Corruption and Access to Justice |
2011 | Elections and the Democratic Challenges in Africa |
2012 | Energy and Ghana’s Development |
2013 | Accountability in Governance |
2014 | Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) |
2015 | Waste Management |
2016 | Migration and Development |
2018 | Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and National Development |
2019 | Non-Communicable Diseases |
2021 | Vaccines |
2022 | The African Continental Free Trade Area; Challenges and Prospects |
2023 | |
2024 | GAAS PUBLIC FORUM 2024 – “National Elections in Ghana: Issues and Prospects” |
In September 1998 the FES and GAAS jointly held a special forum on the topic “Human Resource Development in Ghana”. The FES also supported the Academy’s 1993 and 1994 Anniversary Celebrations by providing funds for the printing of the Proceedings under the themes:
- The Culture of Dependency (1993); and
- Conflicts in Africa (1995)
In 2002, FES graciously supported the printing of the J. B. Danquah Memorial Lectures, the thirty-fifth in the series, delivered by Nana Dr. S. K. B. Asante on the theme:
- Reflections on the Constitution, Law, and Development (2002).
The FES further collaborated with the Academy to hold a 3-day colloquium on the topic “Towards Smooth Democratic Regime Transitions in Ghana” in 2003.
In 2006 the FES collaborated with the Academy in holding a joint policy conference on ‘Tertiary Education and the Job Market’.
Again in 2007, the FES collaborated with the Academy in hosting a roundtable discussion on the topic “The Media and the Pursuit of Truth”.