Accra, Aug. 8, GNA – The European Union Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) Political Parties Project has strengthened cross-party collaboration and leadership among emerging young political leaders, its Project Manager, Ms Lawrencia Akosua Pomaa, has said.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the project’s closing workshop in Accra, Ms Pomaa said one of the initiative’s biggest achievements was bringing together young leaders from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to learn, collaborate and build lasting relationships.
She said the six-month project broke down political barriers by creating a platform where student leaders from the Tertiary Education Institutions Network (TEIN) and the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) engaged constructively despite their political differences.
“We were able to bridge that gap and build friendships that will last for a long time,” she said.
Ms Pomaa noted that while participants remained committed to their respective political ideologies, the project encouraged them to work together on issues of national importance and cultivate a culture of constructive dialogue.
She said the beneficiaries also received practical training in leadership, strategic communication and technical writing, particularly in drafting policy briefs and parliamentary proposals.
The Project Manager said participants produced draft policy documents that were being refined for possible presentation before a parliamentary committee.
She said the programme also introduced participants to parliamentary procedures through a simulation exercise that enabled them to debate national issues in a structured environment.
The exercise, she explained, helped the young leaders to develop critical thinking, articulate sound arguments and appreciate healthy democratic debate.
Ms Pomaa said another key component of the project was training in financial resource management and exposing participants to experienced political leaders and academics who served as facilitators and mentors.
Looking ahead, Ms Pomaa expressed confidence that many of the beneficiaries would assume leadership positions in the country over the next five to 10 years.
She observed that many of Ghana’s current political leaders had risen through student leadership and believed the project had equipped participants with the values, knowledge and skills required for responsible leadership.
Advising the beneficiaries, she urged them to remain committed to lifelong learning.
“Learning never stops. Even as this project ends today, may there still be a learning process that is happening,” she said.
The EU WYDE Political Parties Project was funded by the European Union, led by the European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP) and implemented in Ghana by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Ghana Office to strengthen democratic governance and youth participation through leadership training, mentorship and capacity-building workshops.
GNA
George Agboklu