The value-adding role of ADFLs
The ADFLs would only add value to the traditional celebrations by giving them higher local, national and international publicity and greater participation.
- Mobilizing and inspiring mass active participation in the festival through academic presentations, socio-cultural tourism of northern Ghana, business and investment networking and linkages.
- Leveraging the religious significance and values of Damba to achieve reconciliation among conflict parties.
- Facilitating academic, media and national discourse on key development potentials and challenges and prefer solutions for the consideration of local chiefs, local government agencies (the MMDAs) policy makers, civil society organizations, NGO, political parties, corporate and private business entities.
- Documenting and preserving researched works on indigenous knowledge untapped development potentials and assessed conflicts at UDS for benefit of present and future generations.
Benefits of ADFLs
All of Ghana and humanity at large would benefit from the outcomes of the ADFLs
Direct beneficiaries
- Social assets would be increased through contacts with people all over Ghana.
- There would be intense local economic activities benefiting ordinary local people.
- Long term investments would be promoted through exposure of potentials external actors.
- Some of the conflicts in northern Ghana would be resolved and celebrated by the local people.
Indirect beneficiaries
- Reduction in poverty in northern Ghana has a significant impact on the economy and well-being of all Ghanaians.
- Business entities have a unique opportunity to conduct rewarding business through the ADFLs
- Ghana would be contributing to the preservation of indigenous knowledge for the benefit of humanity.
- Intra-country tourism would be promoted with all its social emotional and economic benefits to individuals, groups and the country at large.
- The government of Ghana and political parties may use the researched works to design policy guidelines and development framework.
Components of the ADFLs
- Research work into the damba festival, other festivals vis-à-vis developmet of northern Ghana.
- Assessment of conflicts in northern Ghana.
- Research into untapped development potentials of northern Ghana.
- Organization of the ADFLs
- Documentation and preservation of researched works at the University for development studies library.
- Salaries of 6 contracted staff for 5 years: ghc115,360.00 ($20,000) annually or Ghc576,800 ($100,000) in five year.
- Allowances for 15 UDS and WANEP-Ghana staff Ghc201,880 ($35,000.00) annually or Ghc1,009,400.00 ($175,000.00) in five years
Become a stakeholder
What are the possible benefits of the ADFLs to sponsoring stakeholders?
- Annual greater visibility of the organization to more than 4 million people in northern Ghana during the ADFLs for the five consecutive years.
- Special spaces and platforms would be created for sponsoring stakeholders to conduct brisk business during the ADFLs
- Opportunity to network with the business community that would participate in the ADFLs
- Permanent branding and acknowledgement of some products of the ADFLs eg. Research work, bound documents etc.
- All sponsorship stakeholders would be given detailed report of the ADFLs and specific reports on the areas they have sponsored.
- All sponsoring organizations are automatic participants of the ADFLs