Tarkwa (W/R) Aug. 30 -GNA- A three-day workshop on Good Governance for 39 aspiring and incumbent Assembly Members ended at Tarkwa on Wednesday.

The Assembly Members and activists were drawn from the Wassa West, Asutifi and Birim North District Assemblies and Adansi West Municipal Assembly. It was under the theme: "Democracy and District Assembly Concept" The workshop, was organized by Wassa Association of Communities affected by Mining (WACAM) with the support from Rights And Voice Initiative (RAVI), a non-Governmental Organisation, It was aimed at providing education on rights and responsibilities of communities to aspiring and incumbent Assembly Members, especially women.

It was also to equip both incumbent and aspiring Assembly Members on issues of concern to the electorate in mining areas. Topics treated included The Local Government Act, 1993, Act 462; the 1992 Constitution, The Mineral and Mining Act 2003, Act 703 and Mining community Leadership- the role of the Assembly Member. Mr. Daniel Owusu-Koranteng the Executive Director (WACAM) stated that the work of Assembly Members demanded a lot of sacrifices and knowledge about governance issues.

He acknowledged that Assembly Members in mining communities were faced with great challenges such as loss of sources of livelihood, pollution of streams, environmental degradation and human rights abuses that emanate from mining.

Mr. John Opoku, a lawyer and Executive Director of Centre for Labour Rights and Community Services (CLARCS) who took participants through the District Assembly concept and the National Constitution stated that Assembly Members had the responsibility to defend the rights of their electorates at all times.

The workshop created the opportunity for the incumbent Assembly Members to share their experiences with the aspiring ones. Mrs Rose Danqua, the Assembly Member for the Bonsa Electoral Area stated that the workshop had increased her commitment to the concerns of her electorate and commended WACAM for empowering the mining communities through rights education.

She added that WACAM's advocacy work had provided avenues for the mining communities to use legal means to seek redress for the violations of community rights by mining companies, adding, this had reduced the incidents of violence in mining communities.