In our world today, having a democracy is seen as a sign of being on the right path to development. Consolidating the gains of democratic governance is touted as a panacea to bad governance, corruption, and all the negatives that usually hinder the development of modern societies.

Ghana – a country that has over the years been touted as a beacon of democracy in Africa has experimented with democratic governance for three decades uninterrupted. That has however not been the case for some of the country’s contemporaries on the African continent. In fact, Ghana’s democratic credentials have not been achieved on a silver platter – the country has witnessed several forms of governance over the years – from the various practices of the pre-colonial era where various units (territories) were governed by different colonial laws to the attainment of independence in 1957 and the practice of a diarchy until Republican status in 1960.  Indeed, the country is currently enjoying democracy with several burgeoning questions under a Fourth Republican Constitution as the first three republics were overthrown by military juntas that themselves were at times overthrown by their own peers.

The Fourth Republic took off in 1992 when the then Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) under Chairman Rawlings was convinced by a multiplicity of factors to return the country to a democratic status. Thus, the year 2022 marks thirty years of uninterrupted practice of citizens choosing their own leaders through the ballot box, and holding same accountable through systematic rules that are predicated on rule of law, good governance, accountability, and constitutionalism. The road has not always been smooth – there have been good days, bad days and ordinary days. Some modest successes have been chalked but several challenges persist. It is in view of this that the necessity arises for scholars, academics, researchers, and stakeholders to interrogate Ghana’s 30 years’ experience of uninterrupted democracy.

The Colloquium seeks to discuss, document, and propose ways of improving our experiences of democracy, particularly in the 4^th Republic. For example, what constitutes democratic successes in the last three decades? Where did Ghana fall short? What needs to be done to improve the experiences of democratic governance and development in the years ahead? Has democracy helped to improve the living conditions of citizens over the three decades, and in what ways? If not, why?

On this note, the Department of Political Science Education, UEW hereby invites abstracts and papers to address these and other related questions. Contributions can be based on empirical data or solid theoretical foundations.

Themes for consideration include:

1. Elections and related issues in the 3 decades (1992-2022)
2. Electoral Reforms in the Fourth Republic
3. Democracy, Good Governance, and Accountability in the Fourth Republic
4. Political Violence and Paramilitary Group Activities Within the Fourth Republic
5. Managing Electoral Disputes in the Fourth Republic
6. Policing and Security in the Fourth Republic
7. Social Policy, Education, Poverty Alleviation, Gender and Inclusion within the Fourth Republic
8. Enjoying Democratic Dividends/Political Economy in the Fourth Republic
9. Freedoms, Rights and Obligations in the Fourth Republic
10. Ghana’s Foreign Relations in the Fourth Republic
11. The Place of the Media in the Fourth Republic
12. Civil Society, NGOs, and Democracy in the Fourth Republic
13. The Courts, Legal System, Accountability and Good Governance in the Fourth Republic

Guidelines

1. The abstract should not be more than 300 words and must highlight the objectives, methodology, and findings. Abstracts shall be considered on a rolling basis.
2. The submission must contain the Title of the Presentation, Name(s) of Presenter(s), Department, Institution of affiliation, and Email Address of the corresponding author.
3. All submissions must seek to address how the selected theme impact on or contributes to the successes or otherwise of Ghana’s three decades of uninterrupted democracy.
4. Accepted submissions will be considered for publication in a reputable journal or selected for chapters in an edited book.

Abstracts should be submitted through this email address: pcolloquium@uew.edu.gh and copy tpbotchway@uew.edu.gh

Summary of Important Dates

1. Proposed Deadline for Submission of Abstracts – December 12, 2021
2. Notification on Acceptance of Abstract – On Rolling Basis
3. Proposed Colloquium Date – Second Quarter of 2022 (actual date to be confirmed later)