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 The
Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP),
based in Kumasi, is engaged in building human
capacities through training programs. One of the
strongest NGOs working to promote sustainable
development in Ghana, CEDEP has a long history
of commu-nity- level development work and a long-standing
tradition of community outreach and collaboration
with USAID. CEDEP hosts a weekly development video
cinema, inviting community members to watch films
about health, environment, education and economic
concerns, and CEDEP staff houses a small public
information center with a collection of texts,
periodicals, and reference materials related to
key develop-ment themes. Students of all levels,
including those from the University of Science
and Technology in Kumasi, make frequent use of
the library.
The
Central Region Development Commission (CEDECOM)
works to spearhead private-sector development,
focusing on small-scale enterprise, rural housing,
poverty alleviation, environmental management,
and tourism development in Cape Coast in the Central
Region.
All
three NGOs share the goal of developing the capacities
of less privileged people in their respective
communities, and they view Community Learning
Centers as a valuable means to that end.
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Traditional
Communication
The
means of transmitting knowledge in traditional,
tribal Ghana ranges from songs, stories
and proverbs that illustrate important social
lessons to ritual rites of passage at various
stages of life, in which adolescents, for
example, receive critical cultural information
from family members and elders. Historically,
pre colonial communication also used “talking
drums” to convey messages. Different
types of drums, each with a unique name
and sound, were used on special occasions
to broadcast announcements to people who
were taught to interpret the meaning of
the sounds. Another means of communication
was through a “linguist,” used
by leaders who did not address their subjects
directly but through an intermediary. Vocational
skills were passed on from master craftsmen
to apprentices.
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