“There is this beautiful town with a very neat and clean environment, abundance and readily available nutritious food for all its people as well as clean water that runs through the taps at every corner of the town. This not withstanding, all young people in the town have access to primary and secondary education, and are gainfully employed after schooling. In addition, the health needs of these town folks are well catered for. From infants to old people; good quality healthcare services are at the disposal of everybody. The justice and security system in this town is fair and transparent, as people in this town are always able to move about in their daily routines with limited fear of insecurity , and where people are aggrieved, they always have access to a fair and transparent justice system that operates without fear nor favor, dealing with everyone on an equal platform . ”
The above is the exact if not more, of the world; most Ghanaians and others around the world would love to live in. The safe haven, we would all appreciate to inhabit and live our lives to the fullest. However, and unfortunately there is no vacant place around the planet earth; with this world we want waiting for Ghanaians to come and live in. We would need to make our home, the territorial boundaries of Ghana, the world we want. Ghana should be the place, where all it’s citizens and non-citizens alike who come into the country, feel a sense of homeliness, calmness, peacefulness, and progressiveness.
In as much as the governance of a country is a shared responsibility of each and every individual in the country; people at the helm of affairs at the various government agencies take the lead in making and implementing various decisions that affects the lives of people as well as the development of the country. Political and civil leaders with the mandate to lead the people, by representing their views and implementing them, most of the time do the opposite. Rather than serving the very people who put them in office by making laws and implementing projects that reflect the collective voice of the masses, most government officials pursue projects that serve their selfish interest and that of a selected few.
The United Nations (UN) have however taken the positive lead to get as many people as possible to be involved in charting the post-2015 development agenda. The UN has launched the MY World survey that allows people across the world to tell the United Nations, and in particular the Secretary General’s High Level Panel, the most important issues they would like the post-2015 agenda to address.
This survey has allowed about 7 million people around the world to be active participants in the post-2015 development process voting and emphasizing on changes that would make the most difference to their lives.
60,668 Ghanaians have participated in the MY World survey, with 34, 899 of the total number being the youth between the ages of 16-30 years. They have added their voice to the world they would like to live in, the kind of changes they would like to see in Ghana to make positive impact upon their lives and help them live their lives well. The top six priorities Ghanaians who have participated in this survey voted on are as follows;
- A good education
- Better job opportunities
- Better healthcare
- Affordable and nutritious food
- Protection against crime and violence
- Access to clean water and sanitation
It is the hope of most Ghanaians to see the above changes effected in the country and the world at large. Government officials must be willing and ready to help implement these changes in order to make 2015 and beyond a period of accelerated development and inclusive governance that will bring growth and prosperity in all aspect of our lives. This is the world we want, what about you?
Dorcas Tiwaa Addai, BA, is a writer, blogger, volunteer, MUNer and a youth activist. I am passionate about women empowerment, youth development, other human rights issues and International relations and Diplomacy. Currently, I ‘m a volunteer with African Rights Initiative International (ARII) and an intern with UN Refugee Agency.
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