Championing democracy: Documentary celebrating Prof. Gyimah-Boadi’s legacy launched
A documentary celebrating the life and work of Prof. Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi, a co-founder and former Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and Afrobarometer, has been launched.
The film takes viewers on a journey through Prof. Gyimah-Boadi's remarkable career, featuring his tireless efforts to promote democracy and good governance in Ghana and beyond.
Democracy Influencer
The 36-minute documentary is a masterpiece of CDD-Ghana and Afrobarometer's effort to honour Prof. Gyimah-Boadi's life, work and legacy that have earned him global recognition.
The documentary, titled “Democracy Influencer”, premiered in Accra last Tuesday evening, attracted some members of the civil society organisations (CSOs), academia and the public.
It featured tributes from notable personalities, including former President John Agyekum Kufuor; a co-founder of CDD-Ghana, Prof. Baffour Agyeman-Duah; the National Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah; Chairman of the Constitution Review Commission, Dr H. Kwasi Prempeh, and veteran journalist, pollster and Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper, Ben Ephson.
The documentary drew applause from the audience as it shared Prof. Gyimah-Boadi's personal anecdotes, including his secondary school days at Oda Senior High School and his birthplace at Abrem, all in the Eastern Region.
Gratitude
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi, who spoke after the premiere, expressed his gratitude for his life's work and the opportunities he has had, shared his personal story and reflections on his career.
"I consider myself one of the luckiest persons on earth," he said, adding: "Because I have been lucky in loving the things that I do.
The subjects that I study, I enjoy them. Being an NGO leader, organiser, I enjoy doing analysis. Whatever I do, I truly enjoy it.”
He also expressed gratitude for the people he has worked with, saying, "I've been lucky in the kinds of people that I work with.
They have always contributed immensely to both my technical learning, my social learning."
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi attributed his success to having the right people around him and enjoying the work he does, which he said has led to positive outcomes.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director of Partnerships and Policy Engagement at the CDD, Dr Kojo P. Asante, said the idea for the documentary stemmed from a desire to document how institutions like CDD-Ghana have successfully transitioned, built and sustained themselves over time, even after their founding leaders have stepped down.
He stressed the importance of non-state institutions in promoting democracy, supporting democracy and holding people accountable.
Background
As a pioneer in democratic research, Prof. Gyimah-Boadi has dedicated his career to strengthening democratic institutions, promoting citizen engagement and ensuring accountability in governance. His work with CDD-Ghana has been instrumental in promoting democratic development and good governance in the country.
