Ghana Social Science Journal

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://197.255.125.131:4000/handle/123456789/7515

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    Reflections on some Dynamics of Development: Good Governance and the Sustainable Development Goals
    (Ghana Social Science Journal, 2016) Ayee, J.A.
    The multidimensionality, complexity, sustainability and vicissitudes of development have been at the heart of scholarly debates and have attracted the interest and attention of governments, citizens and development partners in Ghana and other African countries (Goulet 1971; Bryant and White 1982; Sen 1999; Todaro 2000; UN 2000; UN 2015; World Bank 1978-2016, among others). In fact, the post-colonial state in Africa has largely been preoccupied with issues, processes and strategies of development since the attainment of independence. Even though there is no universal definition of development, it is largely seen as the capacity and capability of a country to formulate and implement strategies and interventions which are meant to reduce inequality, unemployment and poverty. Development also entails building effective institutions, providing basic services, and ensuring the judicious management of human and physical resources, accelerated growth, social changes and stability. In this connection, development encompasses political, economic and social spheres (Goulet 1971; Bryant and White 1982; World Bank 1991; 2001; 2003; 2004; United Nations 1994; Todaro 2000). This has been reinforced by Sen (1999: 1) who views development “as a process of expanding the real freedoms that people enjoy”. To him, even though growth in gross national product, rise in personal incomes, industrialization, technological advancement andsocial modernization are important means to expanding the freedoms of individuals, they present a narrower view of development
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    The Missing Link in Sustainable Development in Africa – Where are we now and what more needs to be done?
    (Ghana Social Science Journal, 2017-12) Ayee, J.A.
    Inclusiveness is an old concept or notion of the discipline of Political Science. The ―good society‖ at the heart of politics, which was envisaged by the Greek philosophers (Socrates, Plato and Aristotle - regarded as the father of Political Science as opposed to Plato who is sometimes classified as the first political philosopher) implies the ―incorporation of all citizens into the process of their own governance‖ (Chazan 2015: 1). Consequently, in exploring politics one gains a better understanding of ―what is – and what is not – in the public interest‖ (Magstadt 2013: 18). Inclusiveness has its roots in human rights, inequality, redistribution, rural development, entitlements and capabilities concepts (Sen 1999; Thorbecke 2006; Easterly 2007; Gupta and Baud 2015) and has been expressed in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (Collier 2007). It has been a long-standing feature of human rights based approaches (HRBAs) to development as represented in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966), UN Declaration on the Right to Development (1986), UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) (Arts 2017). In addition, inclusiveness has gained prominence in general international development fora, most notably as a central element of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (specifically Goal 16) that are the heart of the global United Nations (UN) development agenda for the period 2016–2030 (UN General Assembly 2015; Gupta et. al. 2016).