IMANI Named only African Think Tank to win $100,000 Award

The Atlas Economic Research Foundation announced that IMANI Center for Policy and Education (Accra, Ghana) is the only African think tank among its first class of recipients of Dorian & Antony Fisher Venture Grants.

More than 180 think tanks competed for the grants in this program, but only nine were selected to receive up to $100,000 from Atlas over the next three years:

· Alternate Solutions Institute (Lahore, Pakistan)

· Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions

(Kentucky,USA)

· Canadian Constitution Foundation (Calgary,Canada)

· Cathay Institute for Public Affairs (Beijing, China)

. Fundación Ecuador Libre (Guayaquil, Ecuador)

· Fundación F. A. von Hayek (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

· IMANI: Center for Policy and Education (Accra, Ghana)

· Istituto Bruno Leoni (Turin, Italy)

· New Economic School (Tbilisi, Georgia)

Franklin Cudjoe, the founding director of IMANI Center for Policy and Education, remarked: "Receiving this grant from the Atlas Economic Research Foundation is another great vindication of the important work IMANI began 3 years ago. We are determined to see that public policy debate in Ghana and West Africa involve students who should be informed by principled, non-partisan viewpoints."

Atlas established the Fisher Venture Grants program in January 2008 to recognize and assist think tanks that represent "great investments" for the future. Grantees are younger institutes with a track record that suggests a strong potential for improving the climate of ideas among their target audience.

Alejandro A. Chafuen, Atlas's President & CEO remarked, "Independent think tanks can play a crucial role to ensure that public policy debates are not dominated by government insiders.

The Cathay Institute in China is playing an important role by educating people about the virtues of limiting government, so that individual initiative and free enterprise can flourish." The Fisher Venture Grant program honors the memory of Atlas's late founders, Sir Antony Fisher and his wife Dorian.

The couple established the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, because they believed that investments in emerging think tanks could be extremely cost-effective, especially when complimented with mentoring to further improve those think tanks' prospects for long-term success.

For this reason, Atlas structured the Dorian and Antony Fisher Venture Grants program to provide funding to think tanks over a three-year term, during which time Atlas will be in frequent contact to help develop plans and to monitor performance. Half of the grant is structured as a "matching program," providing strong incentives for think tanks to attract new local supporters for their important work.

IMANI was chosen from scores of think tanks (180)in the Atlas network because of:

.Its commitment to ethical behaviuor and civil discourse

.Its commitment to the principles of a free society:individualliberty,free enterpreise,and rule of law under a limited government.

.Your appllication, which showed elements of a successful business plan. That is an understanding of your market,and how to serve it while fulfilling your mission and building your organization's capacities

.We have been impressed by your success in developing and executing seminars to teach young people about classical liberal ideas. we see tremendous potential in your ability to identify mentor and cultivate new leaders in West Africa.

.Our belief in you, Franklin, as an effective leader who will be able to grow IMANI into an institution that will have long lasting impact in Ghana.

Founded in the United States in 1981, the Atlas Economic Research Foundation (www.atlasUSA.org) develops and strengthens a worldwide network of independent think tanks.

Founded in late 2004, IMANI is an African based nonprofit, non-government organization dedicated to educating society on the benefits of a free economy and fostering public awareness of important policy issues concerning business, government and civil society. Through seminars, publications and articles, IMANI and its international partners (primarily AfricanLiberty.org) seek to promote enlightened inquiry based on sound values and scholarship.

In Praise of Global Capitlaism

The ongoing United Nations Conference on Trade and Globalisation in Ghana has given free reign to misguided activist NGOs and many African leaders to demonise globalisation for many of Africa's home grown problems.

AfricanLiberty.org Editor speaks in favour of greater openness while admonishing African leaders to give attention to inhibiting local barriers to trade and development. Franklin was a guest on Ghana's widely syndicated and best Talk Radio, Choice FM.

Please listen to the interview here

TV AFRICA- on the Global Food Crisis

AfricanLiberty.org Editor, Franklin Cudjoe speaks to TV Africa about the global surge in food inflation, effects and how to arrest the situation. AfricanLiberty.org columnnist and IMANI's Development Director, Bright Simons speaks on the same subject in Akan (Ghana's predominant language) on TV Africa.

Please listen to the 15-minute interview here..

Defining the Ground Rules for Political Party Activities

Africa is fast gaining notoriety for running flawed elections. Cameroun, Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe have exhibited the most atrocious violations of citizen's right to freely choose who should direct their desires. Many countries on the continent are awaiting their fate as elections are planned for the end of 2008. Ghana, an oasis of peace and tranquility is one such country. Are Ghanaians waiting for the ominous nemesis visited upon by leaders of the aforementoned countries? Or would Ghanaians warn their presidential hopefuls to literally, store water to put out their potential burning beards?

AfricanLiberty.org editor and IMANI's Executive Director, Franklin Cudjoe speaks again to TV Africa's host of "Matters Arising", Dr. Niyi Bi Alarbi, one time Speech Writer of Ghana's Current President. The other discussant is the Director of Public Affiars of the National Council on Civic Education. This is the fourth TV Africa apearance in three weeks.

Also, AfricanLiberty.org contributor and IMANI's Director of Development, Bright Simons continues to urge civil discourse over political invectives on Ghana's most popular local language programme, "OMAN YI MU NSEM"( translated, National Issues). This is the third TV Africa appearance in one month.

Please listen to audio here.

Party Political Funding

The Institute of Economic Affairs in GHANA (not the UK) is seeking to push a bill in Parliament to ask ordinary and overburdened Ghanaians to contribute 2.5% of Value Added Tax to support Political Parties in Ghana. 2.5% VAT is what Ghanaians pay into the National Health Insurance fund and 2.5% VAT is again what we pay into the Ghana Education Trust Fund.

AfricanLiberty.org editor, Franklin Cudjoe and other civil society groups feel its immoral to ask Ghanaians, who correctly perceive Politicans as self-serving to give them free money.

AfricanLiberty.org Editor, Franklin Cudjoe in the second of two television interviews discusses political party funding with Ghana's Ruling government's spokesperson on Social Services, Mr. Amponsah Bediako and the main opposition party (National Democratic Congresss) Deputy General Secretary, Mr. Baba Jamal.

Please listen to audio here,

Global Food Crisis- TV Interview

AfricanLiberty.org editor, Franklin Cudjoe speaks his mind on public financing of political parties. Please listen to this short interview on Ghana's TV Africa, viewed in 7 regions of Ghana and neighbouring Ivory Coast and Togo.

Please listen to the interview here

The Foundations of a Free Society

AfricanLiberty.org Editor, Franklin Cudjoe spoke to 55 members of the Students in Free Enterprise chapter of the Institute of Professional Studies in Ghana. The talk was on the foundations of a free society. The talk begins a series of campus visitations to promote the work of AfricanLiberty.org and IMANI.

Please see pictures of the event here.

Also listen to audio here.