Bringing Voices to the Table: Strengthening Local Governance and Preventing Exclusion

In Ghana’s Upper East Region, citizen participation is both a legal requirement and a vital safeguard against the grievances that can fuel violent extremism. Through a GCERF-funded programme implemented by a consortium led by CDD-Ghana, townhall meetings are creating space for dialogue between citizens and public service providers, improving inclusive access to social services while reinforcing community resilience. 

In Bolgatanga East District, the Coordinating Director explained that assemblies are required by law to hold regular townhalls and general assemblies so citizens’ concerns can inform annual plans and budgets. Yet financial constraints often prevent these meetings from taking place. The project’s townhalls therefore offered a critical platform for engagement. Officials gathered community priorities to feed into the next general assembly, shared findings from a baseline study, and ensured that preventing violent extremism featured among the district’s key considerations for the coming year. In this way, citizen participation was directly linked to more inclusive and preventive local planning. 

In the North East Region, a townhall in West Mamprusi gave the District Manager of the National Health Insurance Scheme the opportunity to hear directly from Fulbe minority community members about barriers to enrolment. In response, he committed to organising a mobile registration exercise targeting Fulbe communities, helping to remove obstacles to accessing health coverage. 

By strengthening dialogue between citizens and institutions, these townhalls are improving service delivery while addressing exclusion and mistrust – factors that can heighten vulnerability to radicalisation. Inclusive governance, in this context, becomes a practical and powerful tool for prevention.