MANDATE OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR CIVIC EDUCATION IN THE PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN GHANA: A CASE OF SUNYANI WEST DISTRICT.

ABSTRACT 

This study explores the Nation Commission for Civic Education‘s (NCCE) mandate towards human rights promotion in Ghana using the Sunyani West District office as a case study. I investigated NCCE officials understanding of human rights and human rights education, the Commission‘s mandate in terms of human rights promotion, approaches adopted to promote human right and the challenges. Previous research on the NCCE has focused almost exclusively on democracy, decentralization and local governance and electoral and voter issues and therefore, this study tried to shift the focus to its human rights promotion mandate. This study advances our understanding of human rights education within the NCCE in the Ghanaian context. A qualitative research design was employed, specifically by adopting the case study approach using interviews and informal discussions to seek the views of seven (7) officials of the Commission from the Sunyani West District office, the Brong Ahafo Regional office, the Programme and Research, Gender and Equality Departments at the head office and a Commission member. A cross case analysis was adopted for each question in order to build common themes from responses. The findings from the research indicated the Commission‘s human rights education mandate was informed by the Constitution and other Acts of Parliament without making much reference to international human rights instruments. While the Commission had promotional functions required of a Nation Human Rights Institution (NHRI), it was however not considered as one.  Again, the Commission was viewed to be independent which indicated a shift from previous studies that described it as partisan and totally subservient to government influence. As predicted no strategic approach was adopted towards Human Right Education (HRE) and therefore staff training and resources development specific to HRE were absent. While most of the challenges were not different from that of previous studies in other areas, with specific reference to HRE knowledge gap and unavailability of resource material were identified. Another unique challenge was the Commissions‘ overconcentration on electoral and voter education often considered a small aspect of its mandate, due to overwhelming public and donor interest in in such areas which has accounted for the identification of the Commission with electoral and voter education. The findings provide support for key arguments for the Commission to provide a policy direction that reflects key strategic focus areas such as HRE; rather than the claim that the entire Constitution constitutes its core mandate which leaves the Commission doing little but claiming to be promoting human rights. The findings offer insight into the challenges of the Commission in terms of training needs of personnel and resource material development specific to HRE and prompts further a re-thinking of the independence and NHRI status of the Commission. I conclude that there is the need for the commission and government to consider adopting a national Civic Education (CE) and HRE policy that synchronize the role of the NCCE and other key state institutions such as CHRAJ when it comes to HRE so to deepen collaboration, build synergies and remove duplications to enhance their impact. Further research in the areas of the Commissions‘ effectiveness, independence, NHRI status and a replication of this study in other districts is recommended.