The much awaited political training school of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Ghana Institute of Social Democracy, has finally been launched at the party’s headquarters in Accra, Thursday.

The school, according to the party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, will be grounds for training and preparing party and non-party members in politics, governance and social democracy.

He identified in his speech that modules and activities of the institution will reinforce the work of the party since party officials and stakeholders will also have the opportunity to be trained.

Mr. Nketia indicated that the institute will serve as a centre for research into changing global ideological perspectives of the social democratic tradition, adding that it will realign itself with emerging global trends in order to promote and strengthen the social democratic philosophy in the country.

The institution, however, Mr. Nketia said, has planned to run free short courses in capacity building for individuals who are unable to express themselves in English language.

He said it will also offer short programmes for parliamentary aspirants to enable them get abreast with the governance process.

Interim Council members, members of the Estate and Academic sub-committee took their oath of office or what the party termed ‘’oath of secrecy’.

‘The party school’

In April 2017, the party school’s working committee based on its previous report proposed the formation of the Ghana Institute of Social Democracy.

The school currently has as its Acting Rector, Dr William Ahadzi, who is assisted by Peter Boamah Otokunor.

The institute, in the interim, will be operated from the party’s headquarters until a permanent campus is completed for its relocation.

Some proposed programs of the school are;

. Philosophy, principle and practice of social democracy

. Political economy of development

. Elections and election

. Gender mainstreaming

. Youth development

. Development and environmental sustainability

. Grassroots political mobilization and activism

. Public sector management

. Public policy formulation and implementation