Some researchers of the University of Ghana have launched the findings of an anti-galamsey mission, which identifies advocacy and collaboration as essentially the most wanted ‘tools’ to resolve the menace of unlawful mining, in any other case generally known as galamsey.
The findings of the mission, titled: “Sharing Galamsey Research Findings and Doing Advocacy to Stop Galamsey in Ghana,” will probably be carried out by the University of Ghana inside two years, utilizing the varied Ghanaian languages as conduits.
It additionally sought to advertise coverage and regulatory reforms, current community-led coverage choices to authorities and improvement companions for consideration and potential implementation.
Prof Gladys Nyarko Ansah, Department of English, University of Ghana and Principal Investigator, stated the findings and the implementation had been to enrich already current efforts and regimes to struggle the unlawful mining menace and to not supplant Ghana’s legal guidelines.
“We shall be doing community mobilisation to generate community-led debate and discussions to propose more effective ways to end galamsey, promote alternative livelihoods to identify sustainable and viable livelihood alternatives to galamsey that the youth in Ghana can pursue,” she stated.
Solving the menace demanded efforts from all sections of the inhabitants by way of neighborhood engagement, mobilisation, advocacy and collaboration, Prof Nyarko Ansah famous.
Fighting the unlawful miners was not essentially the most prudent determination as “he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day,” she stated.
Professor Frimpong Boateng, a former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, who launched the findings, lauded the investigators for the vital examine and using communication-based strategy to alter and form society’s notion, understanding and actions on galamsey.
He stated only a few individuals abided by the rules inside the smalls-scale mining regime, making Ghana’s current and future prospects murkier and opaque as a result of not solely had been the lands being destroyed and meals poisoned however the River Volta was polluted with heavy metals and toxic chemical substances.
“Don’t trust politicians when it comes to this business because when they are under pressure from the grassroots, they will change their policies without informing those leading the campaign against illegal mining,” he stated.
“So be on the watch on policies, behaviour and what they say.”
Prof Frimpong Boateng, a former Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, assured the researchers of his assist with movies, footage and different supplies they could must facilitate their work.
The mission goals to create consciousness in regards to the risks and challenges galamsey poses to nationwide improvement utilizing socio-culturally acceptable language to border and form society.
It is to share current analysis findings in regards to the risks of galamsey and its affect on Ghana’s setting and society.
Source: GNA