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Civil society organisations and cultural activists on Monday appealed to the European Commission to extend its 9th Development Fund for Cultural Initiatives Support Programmes (CISP) Grants to organisations and individuals in Ghana. The grants seek to encourage people in arts and cultural organisations, individuals and other people to work effectively for the development of Ghanaian traditional systems. The CISP offers small grants to support the development of artists and arts and cultural organisations to enable them contribute to the growth of the national economy. The grant award also seeks to support projects which will entice more people to participate in arts and culture, provide creative opportunities for civil society, create opportunities to promote and celebrate cultural diversity. Some Cultural Activists told the Ghana News Agency in Accra, that the grants had helped in the development of traditional culture, created employment for the larger non-formal sector and empowered artistes. The group explained that since its launch the project had improved the performance and productivity of organisations dealing with the arts and culture in the country. Mr Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng, CISP Programme Coordinator, explained to the GNA that over 200 individuals and organisations have benefited from the project, which would end by the close of the year. He said the cultural Initiatives Support Programme was a three-year initiative under which the European Union provided Ghana with a ?2m grant to support the cultural sector. The call for proposals was launched in compliance with the European Development Fund (EDF) regulations, and in close collaboration with the national authorizing office of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the National Commission on Culture. He said culture promoted diversity and contributed significantly to the global order of peace and respect for shares values including activities to help promote an inclusive society and contribute to preventing and reducing poverty and social exclusion. He said the project focused on issues around gender, ethnicity, faith, disability, the economic disadvantaged, and any social or institutional barriers that prevented people from actively participating in the arts. He said the grant, which was opened for time-limited activities that could be executed within eight months by arts and cultural organisations, institutions, groups and individuals who used the arts in their work, had transformed beneficiary communities, hence the call for extension of the project. Mr Gyan-Apenteng said the project had created employment for most people in the hinterlands who needed small grants to improve upon their work. "In the Northern, Eastern and Volta regions the initiative has reformed the leather, smock, basketry, beads, kente industry by adding value to their products". On the Third Call for Proposal, Mr Gyan-Apenteng said the third call received about 574 applicants out of which about 35 were disqualified during the first evaluation process. He said the committee working on the proposals were on the final phase of the selection process and the best 40 grants recipients would be announced by the end of the year. He commended the European Commission, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, and the National Commission on Culture for the support and cooperation during the lifespan of the grant.