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About IMANI Center for Policy & Education

IMANI, founded in 2004, 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 seek to promote enlightened inquiry based on sound values and scholarship. IMANI is headquartered in Accra, the capital of the country of Ghana in Africa. International network partnerships include Instituto Bruno Leoni ( Milan, Italy), The Heritage Foundation (Washington, D.C.), International Policy Network (London, England), Initiative for Public Policy Analysis, Nigeria, Atlas Center for Economic Research (Washington, D.C.), among many others.

 

Letter from Franklin

Dear IMANI Friends & Partners,

Ideas, they say, are everywhere but knowledge is rare. An authentication process is needed in order to certify that ideas put forward do not breed unintended consequences. The world has learned rather painfully through two world wars how bad ideas ended freedom in the free world.  Many Western countries have since labored to build stronger institutions that promoted progress.

We in Africa are still experimenting ideas that failed others in the past. And the results are not farfetched; today average per capita incomes in rich countries are fifty times that of Sub-Saharan African countries.  Despite some shining examples in Botswana, South Africa and Mauritius, over 40 African countries continue to invest illogical business regulations, corrupt, bloated and inefficient bureaucracies, scant respect for contracts, and absence of property rights and worrying deficits of free and competitive markets within Africa.

Our institutions of learning are fast losing their credibility as knowledge factories and the results have been ill-equipped graduates unable to grasp the workings of a free enterprise. There cannot be a spontaneous reaction to put off the challenges posed by decades of misrule unless we begin to invest in what Economist Frederic Hayek calls second hand dealers in ideas. The task is arduous but we at IMANI are committed to it.

Our seminars, programs and leadership initiatives offer a chance for restorative reflection on the meaning of free enterprise, leadership, and sound public policy based on non-partisan principles.

Our core mission is to research economic trends for the benefit of government, business and civil society. For that, we have been the sole double recipient in Africa of the John Templeton Prize awarded in recognition of excellence in public advocacy in support of the building of institutions in a free society.  We are known for specific and rigorous application of free-market solutions to an array of complex social problems.
Through seminars, policy programs, conferences and leadership development initiatives, IMANI and its international partners seek to promote non-partisan inquiry and an appreciation for open societies.
With your support, we can help Africans learn the keys to building successful economies and responsible leadership.

Franklin Cudjoe

Executive Director, IMANI

John Templeton Prize for IMANI

IMANI is the only think tank to have been awarded the John Templeton Prize twice in Africa for Advancing Freedom.

This year, IMANI was the sole recipient in Africa of the Antony & Dorian Fisher Award (Out of 180 think-tanks globally) that recognise thinkanks playing a crucial role to ensure that public policy debates are not dominated by government insiders.

A judge on the Templeton Prize awarded to IMANI commented, "I give them [IMANI] the highest points for being most specific and rigorous in applying free-market solutions to an array of complex social problems. Their submission shows the importance of using rigorously derived, quantifiable research outputs to gain credibility in shaping the policy debate. Crisp, clear, compelling data is the most useful tool to provide to any media outlet, and it's easy for the media to use, without interpretation."

 

 

Atlas Fisher Venture Grant Awarded to IMANI

March 25, 2008 - The Atlas Economic Research Foundation announced fisherthat 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. 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." Read more

 

Podcast July 30, 2008 Imani Execuive Director, Franklin Cudjoe discusses government's decision to sell Ghana Telecom and also cut expenditure of its Ministeries, Departments and Agencies by half to support the economy. His co-discusants are Mr Kofi Kapito of Consumer Advocacy Ghana and Mr Ouborr Kutando, a Policy Analyst. The Discussion was held on Ghana's Choice FM Listen to discussion here.. IMANI director discusses Ghanaian Security matters in Ghana. Ghana's Police Chief in charge of Public Relations, DSP, Kwesi OFori, and Dr. Joshua Alabi are co-discussants The discussion was held on TV Africa, early July 2008. Please listen to an audio version here IMANI director discusses Ghanaian Security matters in Ghana on Ghana's acclaimed Talk Radio, Choice FM. The discussion was held  in early July 2008. Please listen to an audio version here In April 2008, Franklin also spoke to Atlas Economic Research's' New Intellectual Entrepreneurs about successful strategies for new think tanks. The event was held in Atlanta, Georgia.   You can hear Franklin's talk here IMANI director discusses Ghanaian government's intervention to reduce the economic burden as a result of high fuel and food prices. The discussion was held on TV Africa, June 2008. Please listen to an audio version here Tuesday, April 22, 2008 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. IMANI's Executive Director and 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. In April 2008 IMANI's Executive Director, Franklin Cudjoe discussed 'How Trade and Globalization Expand Freedom, Create Jobs, and Improve Lives" with Daniel Griswold, Director, Center for Trade Policy Studies, Cato Institute. The moderator was Ambassador Terry Miller, Director, Center for International Trade and Economics of The Heritage Foundation. The event was held in Atlanta, Georgia.   You can hear Franklin's talk here IMANI director discusses Ghanaian government's plan to deepen prisoner rights in Ghana. The discussion was held on TV Africa, May 2008. Please listen to an audio version here This week we interview Imani Ghana’s founder and directory Franklin Cudjoe, along with Elyse Speicher, a student at Grove City College, who interned with Imani last year. This interview discusses last year’s inaugural summer seminar in Ghana, Elyse’s internship and work with the institute and Imani’s recent Atlas Shrugged program. Please listen here Read two of Franklin’s latest articles, Thickheadedness on African Debt and A Libertarian’s Impression of the Stiglitz Performance.