Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung@ 40 in Ghana Chapter One A Brief History of 40 Years of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Ghana by Kathrin Meissner& Samuel Opoku-Agyakwa The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung(FES) opened its office in Ghana in 1969. FES is the oldest German political foundation and was founded in 1925 as the political legacy of Germany's first democratically elected president, Friedrich Ebert. A social democrat from humble crafts background who rose to hold the highest political office in his country, Friedrich Ebert proposed the establishment of a foundation to serve the following purpose: • furthering political and social education of individuals from all walks of life in the spirit of democracy and pluralism; • facilitating access to university education and research for gifted young people by providing scholarships; • contributing to international understanding and cooperation. The foundation was banned by the Nazis in 1933 and re-established in 1947. As a non-governmental, non-profit institution, it is committed to the ideas and basic values of social democracy. “Development policy is the peace policy of the 21st century”(Willy Brandt). This statement by Willy Brandt has become the leitmotiv of our international work. In the 1960s FES increased its international solidarity work world-wide, including in Ghana. Before the office in Ghana was finally opened 40 years ago in 1969, cooperation with selected partners had already started as early as 1963 . 40 years of FES in Ghana have seen many changes in the country. Military and civil governments have taken turns, different economic policies and development trends have been tested in the country although not always to the benefits of the larger 2