TWN-Africa Highlights Role in Transforming Public Discourse on Mining in Ghana

TWN-Africa Highlights Role in Transforming Public Discourse on Mining in Ghana

Coordinator of the Third World Network-Africa (TWN-Africa), Dr. Yao Graham, has highlighted the organization’s significant contributions to reshaping public discourse on mineral extraction and development in Ghana.

During a public lecture themed, “TWN-Africa@30: Organising for Equitable and Transformative Policies” on November 26, 2024, Dr. Graham emphasized TWN-Africa’s role in transforming how Ghanaians evaluate the activities in the mining sector, shifting from a narrow focus on foreign direct investment and export revenues to a more comprehensive cost-benefit analysis.

Mining Advocacy and Public Awareness

According to Dr. Graham, since the country’s first wave of mining sector privatization and the granting of concessions to transnational corporations, official narratives often celebrated economic gains while overlooking critical social and environmental costs.

Over time, however, TWN-Africa and its partners have fostered deeper public scrutiny of mining activities, leading to questions such as:

• What are the impacts on communities directly affected by mining?
• Were the risks and abuses adequately considered in granting concessions?
• What is the true cost-benefit of mining projects to the nation?
• Are there tangible linkages between mining operations and broader economic development?
• How accountable are governments and corporations for mining revenues and their distribution?

“TWN-Africa can rightly claim to have played a key role in the transformation of public awareness and attitudes on minerals and development issues in Ghana,” Dr. Graham remarked.

“These questions have become routine in how people in Ghana now approach the role of the mining sector,” Dr. Graham added, underscoring TWN-Africa’s contributions in driving this transformation.

Strategic Partnerships and Grassroots Engagement

Dr. Graham highlighted the importance of TWN-Africa’s partnerships in advancing its advocacy efforts.

He cited the organization’s collaboration with the National Coalition of Mining, formed in 2001, as instrumental in amplifying the voices of affected communities.

Partnerships with key organizations like WACAM and the Center for Public Interest Law provided TWN-Africa with grassroots insights into the challenges faced by communities in mining-intensive regions such as the Wassa West District.

Wassa West, which became one of the world’s largest hubs for open-cast mining, experienced significant transformation due to technological shifts in mining practices from underground to surface mining.

Dr. Graham stressed the socio-economic and environmental consequences of this transition, which TWN-Africa has worked to document and address.

Sustained Impact

Reflecting on its 30-year journey, TWN-Africa continues to influence public policy and awareness on critical issues of natural resource management and development.

Its work has been vital in ensuring that Ghana’s mining narrative includes not just economic gains but also the human, social, and environmental costs of the industry, particularly amid the country’s current challenges with illegal mining which is widely known as galamsey.

A Continental Vision

Dr. Graham speaking further, reiterated TWN-Africa’s broader mission of advancing equitable and sustainable mining policies not only in Ghana but across Africa.

TWN-Africa’s work has contributed to creating a framework for scrutinizing the mining sector’s impact while promoting accountability and inclusivity in resource governance.

The lecture by Dr. Graham underscored TWN-Africa’s legacy as a catalyst for change in the mining sector, as the organization continues to advocate for transformative policies that prioritize the well-being of affected communities and the sustainable use of natural resources.

The Third World Network-Africa’s 30th Anniversary public lecture focused on the organization’s contributions over the past 30 years to citizens’ struggle for equitable and transformative policies and offered perspectives on some of the current issues on Ghana’s development and policy agenda.

Established in 1994, TWN-Africa has made contributions to organizing marginalized groups to raise their interests in both local and international policy arenas.

Source: norvanreports.com