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2009 Study Tour and Spring Colloquium In 2007, Tufts launched a unique experiential learning program focused on gold mining in the country of Ghana. Supported by a grant from Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service and sponsored by the Africa in the New World interdisciplinary minor, the Ghana Gold program seeks to introduce undergraduates to contemporary Africa by examining political, historical, cultural, socio-economic, and environmental issues surrounding the gold mining industry. Issues are framed within the larger context of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the ways in which such policies have been constructed, deconstructed, contested and renegotiated over time. Combining experiential learning with interactive classroom sessions, the Ghana Gold program consists of a study tour in January followed by an undergraduate colloquium in the spring term. The 2009 study tour featured eleven sites that formed the core of the curriculum and structured the learning experience. The tour began at the University of Ghana in Legon, where students met with professors in the departments of Geology, Political Science, Literature, and Marketing. Moving from Legon to the capital city of Accra, students followed the trail of governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations, gaining an overview of the role of gold mining in the country's development strategy along the way. Students visited their first actual mining site in Kwabeng, a small rural town where the Extra Gold mining company had halted work on their alluvial mining operations. From Kwabeng, they traveled to Kumasi, the capitol of the Asante kingdom, toured the palace of Asantehene (King) Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and learned about the legend of the Golden Stool. The second mining stop on the tour was a visit to AngloGold Ashanti in Obuasi, Ghana's largest industrial gold mining site. They discussed the industry's extractive processes, potential environmental damage, and the various CSR strategies adopted to mitigate the negative effects of mining. The unanticipated highlight of the study tour was a 3-hour visit to the work site of a group of galamsey miners just outside of Obuasi. The term "galamsey" refers to independent artisanal miners who operate in abandoned pits or mine shafts left by large-scale companies, or even dig their own pits. Their work is dangerous and illegal. And their skills are a poor match for the technological requirements of today's industrial mining. In conversations, these miners stressed the lack of steady employment available to them in the mainstream economy. With few opportunities in the formal economy, they are forced to fall back on artisanal mining to support their families. From Obuasi, the students traveled to the Elmina Slave Castle, an historical site where slaves were kept before being transferred to America. An afternoon at ArtHaus with Kofi Setordji, a Ghanaian artist who lives and works in Madina-Accra, provided a unique opportunity for the students to debrief and reflect on what they learned by creating tile artworks to express their sentiments. The tour concluded with a formal dinner. The 2009 study tour coincided with an important milestone for democracy in Ghana. Students arrived as Ghanaians were completing a hard-fought election campaign. A run-off for the Presidency was necessary because none of the candidates secured a majority in the first round. In the end, John Atta-Mills, a Professor of Law and former Fulbrighter, was elected President, and Ghana's Parliament swore in Justice Joyce Bamford-Addo as its first female Speaker. The group listened to the inaugural ceremonies on the tour bus radio while riding from Obuasi to Elmina. The excitement was electric. The quality of this year's student portfolios reflects the richness of these experiences and demonstrates the students' ability to grapple with complex issues surrounding corporate social responsibility in context.
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2009 Ghana Gold Study Tour Participants
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Group Photo
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