Jonathan Osei Owusu is the Founder and Executive Director of the POS Foundation, a leading civil society organization in Ghana that focuses on Access to Justice, Human Rights Advocacy, Law/Policy Reforms, Youth Development and Gender and Women's Economic Empowerment. As a human rights advocate, Jonathan has prepared Civil Society Organizations (CSO) shadow-reports for UN Committees and Councils. The POS FOUNDATION serves as the convener for the Ghana UPR Civil Society Platform, while making oral submissions to the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva.
Jonathan also is the second Vice President for the Federation of Youth Associations of Ghana, Vice Chairman of the Ghana Human Rights NGOs Forum, and a member of the Steering Committee - Coalition on the Right to Information- RTI Ghana. Jonathan is trained in development leadership and human rights advocacy from the Coady International Institute of St. Francis Xavier University and has addressed several human rights abuse cases in court and in the media. He also facilitates the state initiated ‘Justice for All Program’ for remand prisoners, which aims to decongest prisons in Ghana.
The project brought together 271 participants from Ghana and the US in a comparative dialogue about substance use and prevention and drug policies and reforms. Participants included students from three US universities, IVLP alumni, Ghanaian law students and community members. The project equipped participants with a comprehensive understanding of drug reforms in line with international best practices and standards and helped ensure that the public discussion around substance use in Ghana adopts a human rights and public health approach.
Jonathan also moderated the IVLP Impact Awards Alumni Discussion Series panel on “Global Public Health,” which you can read more about here.
Jonathan participated in the IVLP Project Human and Civil Rights for Marginalized Communities II organized by the U.S. Department of State and World Learning.
Jonathan's exchange experience led to the development of his IVLP Impact Award Project: "The opportunity to travel around the United States of America to understand the various operating systems within different states on policy and law reforms and enforcement of laws, as well as judicial interventions, gave me a fair understanding of how community-driven reform is undertaken."
Washington, DC; Jacksonville, FL; Albuquerque, NM; New York City, NY
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