Renowned labour expert, Austin Akufo Gamey has celebrated his 70th birthday with the launching of the Austin Gamey Foundation aimed at promoting efforts towards industrial peace and effective resolution of disputes in all sectors of the Ghanaian society.
The Foundation, which is to reflect the social aspect of the ideals of Mr Gamey and the Gamey and Gamey Group, is to provide a platform to pursue a social service in helping to resolve disputes, promoting productivity and social cohesion.
Although the astute labour and ADR expert offers many pro-bono services, the Foundation creates a formal structure to reach more people and institutions in need of help for dispute resolution across the country.
As part of its operations, the Foundation would undertake research activities, pursue interventions in dispute prevention and resolution, promote effective labour management, and offer scholarships for training labour management and Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR), host conflict resolution summits, recognise and award peace champions, among others.
Mr Gamey, a former Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, and Member of Parliament, and currently the Chief Executive Officer of Gamey and Gamey Group, the leading HR and ADR consultancy firm in Ghana, has dedicated his SSNIT benefits as seed money for the Foundation.
The launch was attended by high profile CEOs, HR managers, Union leaders, ADR Practitioners, The Clergy and family members
Mrs Irene Asare, Human Resource, Facilities and Administrative Director of Tullow Oil Ghana, launching the Foundation in Accra on Saturday, described Mr Gamey as an inspirational and transformational leader worth celebrating.
She observed that most people at 70 years in Africa will dream of how to spend their life savings, protect what they have earned, if any, and plan for their retirement.
“Mr. Gamey is exceptional. He wants to keep working to advance our families, communities, institutions, country and the world,” she noted.
At the heart of Foundation, she noted, “is the belief that peace is a prerequisite for the growth and development of every individual, community, town and country – and is the backbone of countries that ever developed their economies.”
“However, many of these important groupings struggle to access the tools, resources and support to help them to effectively manage their differences. The foundation’s strategy is to support efforts to fix this imbalance,” she stressed.
According to her, every Ghanaian, African and person living in this conflict prone world deserve the opportunity to be proud of the birth of a foundation to help us do the needful.
Mrs. Asare commended Mr Gamey for using his SSNIT benefits as seed money for the foundation, and challenged individuals and institutions to support the Foundation.
Mr Gamey, in his remarks, thanked God for his life, and expressed appreciation to all who have contributed to his progress.
He pledged to continue to dedicate his life to conflict prevention and resolution, industrial peace building and productive labour–management cooperation.
A number of the guests, including Daniel Wilson Addo, CEO of Consolidated Bank Ghana, Dan Acheampong, President of Ghana Employers Association, Patrick Fares, CEO of Holiday Inn, and Abdul Moomin-Gbana, Deputy General Secretary of Ghana Mine Workers Union, in their solidarity messages, congratulated Mr Gamey for his achievements, describing him as a diligent, insightful, industrious, agent of change and solution-oriented.
In support of the Foundation, a number of institutions made donations.
The Institute of Executive Studies (IES) donated GH¢ 100,000; Lunch Avenue, GH¢ 10,000; while Consolidated Bank Ghana, and others donated undisclosed amounts.
By Edmund Mingle/ adrdaily.com
