Ecco Ghana's vision is to help prepare students and communities for ideas on sustainable development. Our resolve as a group of international students is to help in attaining the goals of sustainable development issues from principle 21 of the Rio Summit which urges the creativity, ideals and...
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Ecco Ghana's vision is to help prepare students and communities for ideas on sustainable development. Our resolve as a group of international students is to help in attaining the goals of sustainable development issues from principle 21 of the Rio Summit which urges the creativity, ideals and courage of the youth of the world to be mobilized to forge a global partnership in order to achieve sustainable development and endure a better future for all. This is because our understanding of sustainable development is that of a development that does not compromise the future social and ecological integrity of ecosystems for the sustained benefit of humanity, appearing as an alternative way, looking towards the solution of challenges such as: the conservation of nature, a new way of economy, participatory citizenship, poverty mitigation, local and international politics, and real democracy.
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Projects
Our work in Ghana is to illuminate the minds of many that balancing economy and ecology to sustain futures is the best way to ensure the livelihoods of the countless hosts unborn. Many as reflected through patronage of our activities have overwhelmingly received these views. Our first project was a survey in one of Ghana’s leading universities to find out the level of understanding of the concept of sustainable development. Plans are underway to conduct similar surveys in the other tertiary institutions and second cycle institutions through out the country. Interactions so far with students are helping us come out with innovative outreach programmes to create awareness on issues of sustainable development. It has also served as a benchmark to map out strategies for selected Ghanaian communities we intend to visit, most of which are rural. These results, which are yet to be put on our web site hopes to corroborate that of the branch in Germany which was held in some European countries.
At present, we have selected a number of communities on which we are collaborating with the local unit committee and traditional leaders on ways by which community members and rural folk will be sensitised about their basic human rights. The emphasis is on attaining viable and sustainable livelihoods, and a better way of life by balancing the fast depleting eco-systems in these areas and economic activities. Through that, we intend to use the principles of good governance on the local level with that of improving the lot the rural folk. Currently working on a dissertation in partial fulfilment of the BSc (Hons) degree, leading members of the group have chosen to research on the problems and challenges of managing Decentralization. This has taken us to communities at the grassroots level because that is where the impact of governance is felt. We have found that issues of good governance and sustainable development are inseparable.
Another project which involves an investigation by some members of the group on the effects of developments on the environment in Peri-Urban areas, also revealed that though some of these communities were aware, and concerned about the negative effects of these trend of development, reasons of inequity, non-substitutability and irreversibility of resources hampered any positive approach. The study itself is yet to be completed. However we saw the issues arising as pertinent, and falling within our purview, hence the decision to take action on it.
Trade fair
An exhibition during the only trade and technology fair for the country’s universities dubbed TRATECH 2001, organised in our resident University in November 2001 revealed the paucity of knowledge on environmental issues. At this fair, we had interactive discussions with visitors. These were centred on how not to view resource conservation as a trade-off between the environment and development, but rather the process of integrating economic, social and ecological goals.
An interesting point of information is that during our exhibition at the trade fair, we had international patronage too with an American Professor, in Cooper College, New York in the United States. He opted to organise exchange programmes between his college and ecco ghana members to interact and exchange ideas, which focus on the different perspectives on sustainable development from both sides of the Atlantic. Perhaps it was an affirmation of our education-oriented activities. He is to meet with us in May,2002 to strengthen contacts.
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Ana Sayfa
Kaynaklar
Misyon/Vizyon 
