‘Unity for Development’ youth associations in north-western Ghana

Abstract Since the mid-1970s numerous ‘youth and development associations’, with membership based on origin in a particular territory or on ethnic affiliation, have been founded in northern Ghana. Although they have become significant actors in various political arenas, there has as yet been no research interest—a gap which this article seeks to fill by examining the associations' history, self-image, internal organisation and political as well as cultural dynamic. Taking the example of the north-west, some of the problems typically confronting the youth associations are discussed in detail, for instance the conflicts in creating and delimiting the community whose interests the association seeks to represent to the outside world (territorial versus ethnic boundaries), and the problems of defining the concept of membership (automatic versus voluntary), which reflect the tensions between community and organisation, the grass roots and the educated elite. Because these problems could threaten the very survival of the associations they use up a considerable proportion of their energies in becoming an ‘identity’ movement, transforming a heterogeneous population group into a self-aware community. The discourses, symbols and rituals connected with this level of action of the youth associations are analysed in the last section of the article.