Managing the environmental crisis in Ghana: The role of African traditional religion and culture—A case study of Berekum traditional area

This thesis examines the connection between traditional religio-cultural beliefs and practices and environmental problems in Ghana using Berekum Traditional Society as a case study. Its primary aim is to assess the nature and the level of the environmental crisis in Ghana, and to explore the possibility of combing indigenous and modern methods to address the current environmental problems in Ghana. The methodology of this thesis is located within the framework for conducting empirical studies in Religious Studies. The qualitative methods of collecting and analysing data are utilised, and since the scope of the study falls within the field of religion and environment, a brief history of global environmentalism and religion‘s entrance into attempts to address mounting global environmental problems will be provided. It will be argued that the worldview of the Berekum people, which is underpinned by their religious mentality, has played and continues to play a key role in their local ecological practices. The traditional ways through which ecological knowledge have been and are currently imparted to the youth will be examined, together with the effectiveness of these methods within a climate of modernity and the influence of Western education and culture in the area. It will be argued that Berekum people strongly believe that indigenous ways for addressing ecological problems are still relevant, and that their methods for doing so have not been completely lost in its rural communities, or in Ghana as a whole. Although it appears that indigenous religious beliefs and practices seem to be waning, with a greater percentage of the indigenous population in the study area having either converted to Christianity or Islam, I argue that indigenous religious beliefs and practices remain covertly active in the life and thought of the people. Finally, I argue that neither modern (scientific) nor traditional modes of addressing current ecological problems are individually adequate, and therefore that a synergy of the two modes is necessary in order for such problems to be tackled fully. However, I will also argue that certain challenges need to be addressed before this integration can be made possibl

The Myths Surrounding the TRↄMO (The Bongo Antelope--Tragelaphus Eurycerus) and Fauna Conservation Among the Akan of Ghana: A Critical Analysis

Despite recent interest in indigenous religio-cultural studies on environmental conservation, only few studies have delved into how these indigenous beliefs and practices particularly those based on myths and rituals can assist in the conservation of some endangered fauna species. Through an ethnographic research project conducted in regions inhabited by the Akan ethnic group in Ghana, we examined the environmental and resource conservational values embedded in some of these religio-cultural beliefs and practices.  In doing so, we focused especially on one particular animal, trɔmo (the bongo antelope), an endangered species about which there are many myths related to its huntability. Although we conclude that the bongo antelope is huntable by the Akan, the data shows that its hunting is not frequent as compared to other animals due to the fear embedded in the myths surrounding it. This fear helps in the conservation of bongo antelope species in the study areas. Keywords: Worldview, Myths on animals, Rituals, Conservation, Akan, Trↄmo (bongo antelope) Sasaduro (anti-sasa Medicine)

Mild Deprotection of the \u3cem\u3eN-Tert\u3c/em\u3e-Butyloxycarbonyl (\u3cem\u3eN\u3c/em\u3e-Boc) Group Using Oxalyl Chloride

We report a mild method for the selective deprotection of the N-Boc group from a structurally diverse set of compounds, encompassing aliphatic, aromatic, and heterocyclic substrates by using oxalyl chloride in methanol. The reactions take place under room temperature conditions for 1–4 h with yields up to 90%. This mild procedure was applied to a hybrid, medicinally active compound FC1, which is a novel dual inhibitor of IDO1 and DNA Pol gamma. A broader mechanism involving the electrophilic character of oxalyl chloride is postulated for this deprotection strategy

Support to Civil Society Organisations to Increase Natural Resources Management and Environmental Governance in Ghana

Ghana with a socio-economic growth rate of 6 to 7 percent per year is endowed with rich natural resources which are over exploited. The Government of Ghana is confronted with serious challenges if it is to ‘achieve its aims of securing the natural resource base, reducing environmental degradation, protecting natural resource-dependent communities, and increasing revenues from timber and mining sectors’. The complexities involved in the governance of natural resources require an in-depth sector specific dialogue and focus if significant reforms are to be attained. This study sought to explore feasible options to empower Civil Society (CS) to increase its involvement in governance of natural resources in Ghana and also to elicit and document responses on the factors that facilitate or constrain CS in NRM. The study was conducted in five (5) regions of Ghana namely, Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western, Brong Ahafo and Northern Regions. It employed multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral approaches supported largely with other participatory methodologies. The study identified the socio-political milieu in which CS and their groups live and work at the local level determines the issues and the extent of engagement. It was recommended that there is the need to reduce political patronage in the Environmental Natural Resources (ENR) sectors.  Keywords: strengthen, empower, consultations, enforcement, engagemen

Design and Synthesis of NIR BODIPY Dyes: Application for In Vivo Fluorescence Imaging and Photodynamic Therapy

DESIGN AND SYNTHESIS OF NIR BODIPY DYES: APPLICATION FOR IN VIVO FLUORESCENCE IMAGING AND PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPYSAMUEL G. AWUAH2012Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and fluorescence imaging are non-invasive modalities for disease treatment and diagnosis respectively. Both modalities require the use of a dye (light harvesting material) and light or source of excitation. In the case of PDT a sensitizer is needed while a fluorophore is used in the case of fluorescence imaging. PDT in addition to a sensitizer and light thrives on oxygen to generate a key cytotoxic species known as singlet oxygen. PDT has shown promise in the clinic for the treatment of surface cancers and age-macular degeneration. Fluorescence imaging on the other hand has a long history for in vitro use but a growing interest for in vivo preclinical and clinical use for diagnosis, particularly in malignancies, angiography and neurobiology. Fluorescence imaging due to its sensitivity, relatively low cost and less toxicity makes it reliable. The need to improve PDT and imaging heavily relies on the effectiveness of the sensitizer or imaging probe/fluorophore. Near infra-red (NIR) sensitizer/probes with a potential to target specific sites of interest could change the paradigm in the non-invasive modalities.In this dissertation, the design and synthesis of NIR BODIPY for use as photosensitizers and fluorescent probes was explored. We followed a synthetic strategy of incorporating heavy atoms in the BODIPY chromophore to obtain effective singlet oxygen generating BODIPY without compromising on their optical and photophysical properties with an added advantage of red-shifting to the NIR region. We further developed a robust but versatile strategy for building fluorescent molecular probes spanning the entire therapeutic window with potential for optical imaging. We then explored the capacity to functionalize these NIR dyes for potential targeting to vectors such as peptides, antibodies, etc. We also investigated the ability of representative dyes to induce photodynamic response and to serve as optical contrast agents

Assessing the Challenges to Sustainable Mining: A Supply Chain Perspective (A Case of Li Tong Mining Company in Ghana)

The mining industry contributes significantly to the economic growth of the country however frequent occurrences of collapsed pits, less regard for the disposal of waste into river bodies, poor service conditions to staff of small- scale mining companies and poor corporate social responsibility to mining communities have raised a lot of international concerns. These challenges can be highly minimized when the mining industry shifts from unsustainable patterns of operations. The high cost of sustainable operations and many other challenges are key de-motivational challenges to the adoption of sustainable practices.The study revealed that management and staff of the industry have little knowledge in sustainable mining practices whilst others perceive a low senior management support. The researchers found a positive effect of the challenges on their inability to practice sustainability and recommend a periodic rigorous training for all staff and management of all small scale mining companies and also recommend that the Minerals and Mining Act and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Act are implemented to the later. Keywords: Sustainable development, Mining, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Environmental Management

WHAT IS THE LINK BETWEEN FINANCE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH? A REVIEW

The paper contributes to the body of knowledge in the area of economic growth and fiancé by reviewing empirical works to assess the link and causality between economic growth and financial development. The paper is significant since economies aim at achieving economic growth and with the development of financial institutions their role in achieving economic growth needs to be assessed. Purposive sampling method was used in selecting the research works for the review. The sources of information are journals and conference papers. These findings have been mixed or inconsistent. There is significant positive relation between finance and economic growth in some studies while as other studies could not established the same findings. In some studies there is unidirectional causality while as in other studies there is bidirectional causality. This calls for further studies to contribute to the debate using multiple models that are recent in a single study. Keywords: Economic growth; financial development; causalit

The Effects of Parenting on the Self-Esteem of Adolescents: A study at Labadi Presbyterian Secondary School (Ghana)

This study examined the effect of parenting on self-esteem among adolescents of Labadi Presbyterian Secondary School. A total number of 165 participants of both sexes with their ages ranging from 15 -20 years were selected randomly from the students in the school using a stratified sampling technique. The cross sectional survey design was used for the study. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used to collect the data on the self esteem of the students. The results showed that the self-esteem of adolescents living with both parents was more than those living with single parents. Again male adolescents had more self esteem than the female ones.   There was no relationship between age and self-esteem. The results gathered made clear that the availability of both parents is related to the self-esteem of their adolescents. Keywords: Self-esteem, single parent, high self esteem, Labadi Secondary School, parenting 

Tailoring History to Technology: The History Teacher’s Perspective.

This study examined History teachers’ perspectives on how History can be tailored to technology to make the subject more interesting. The study specifically sought to find out teachers’ perception of the use of technology, the extent of teachers’ use of technology in teaching, and challenges teachers face in using technology to teach History. The descriptive survey research design was used in this study. In all, 6 History teachers from three schools formed the sample size for the study. The instrument used to collect data was the interview guide. The main findings were that teachers have positive perceptions about the use of technology in teaching History but did not use technology frequently for instructional purposes. The study also revealed that teachers face the challenge of unavailability of technology resources, lack of enough time, and lack of motivation, in their attempt to use technology in class. It recommended that seminars should be organized for teachers for them to be exposed to the types of technologies and how to use them. Again, Ministry of Education should make technology resources available in schools, and also teachers should innovative and creative by using a variety of technologies in their lessons. Keywords: History, technology, teaching