Accra, Ghana//-STAR Ghana Foundation has urged Ghana to strategically utilise philanthropy to close the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) financing gap in the country.
According to the Foundation, philanthropy which fundamentally is the act of giving to promote social good and is deeply ingrained in Ghanaian society could be significantly harnessed to close the SDGs financing gap.
The Executive Director of STAR Ghana Foundation, Alhaji Amidu Ibrahim-Tanko made this known at the opening of a two-day Ghana Philanthropy Conference (GPC) held in Accra, on 21st November 2023.
The conference which was facilitated by the STAR Ghana Foundation in collaboration with the University of Ghana’s Centre for Social Policy Studies (UG- CSPS), Ghana Philanthropy Forum, West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), Ghana Civil Society Platform on SDGs, and Philanthropy Ghana.
He also emphasised the power of collective action and the impact of philanthropy on people’s lives across the length and breadth of the country.
Mr Ibrahim-Tanko used the occasion to call for social change to develop more resilient and inclusive societies in the country.
Speaking on the theme: ‘Philanthropy for Sustainable Development: Opportunities, Challenges and the Future’, Executive Director of Africa Philanthropy Network (APN), Dr Stigmata Tenga underscored the need for Ghana to utilise philanthropy as a development strategy.
She highlighted the opportunities that philanthropy presents in its various forms and manifestations, emphasising its responsiveness to community voices and its capacity to empower people to drive their development.
Dr Stigmata Tenga noted that philanthropy is crucial in harnessing development while emphasising that it could be leveraged to contribute to development on a global, regional, and local level.
His Excellence Jeroen Verheul, Ambassador of the Royal Netherlands Embassy, delivered a solidarity message that stressed the importance of active citizenship and philanthropy in contributing to the achievement of the SDGs.
Instructively, The Ghana Philanthropy Conference (GPC) is an annual gathering that assembles stakeholders from diverse sectors of Ghana’s philanthropic community.
The conference serves as a platform for dialogue on key issues facing the sector, promoting both horizontal and vertical networking, and facilitating coordinated actions on critical matters.
