Reflections on Ghana nationhood, celebrating independence and a call for national reflection by Atta Addo, of the Ghana Youth Leadership Alliance (GYLA).
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Ghana's independence from Great Britain on 6th March 1957. That occasion was the first in Africa and sparked the wild fire of independence movements across the continent, giving inspiration and hope to many oppressed people around the world. Celebrating this event is laudable and I differ from those who have opined that Ghana has nothing to celebrate. Nonetheless, amidst the nationalist hysteria that many Ghanaians exhibited last Tuesday
Reflections on Ghana nationhood, celebrating independence and a call for national reflection by Atta Addo, of the Ghana Youth Leadership Alliance (GYLA).
March 6th marked the 50th anniversary of Ghana's independence. It has been seen as a major landmark in the life of the West African nation probably due to the significance of a golden jubilee. The major event was an independence anniversary parade that drew guests from all over the world including over 20 African presidents. Many citizens, resident and abroad, are very proud of their country and are celebrating in earnest through parties, social gatherings, reflections, symposia and so forth. Others are lamenting the present state of the country, wondering if we should be celebrating it and how much we should spend on celebrating a landmark in our lives instead of investing in the present and future.
We care about aid to Africa because it provides relief to the continent that is still plagued by poverty and hunger. However, in spite of all this aid -- and perhaps because of it -- there is nothing to show in terms of better conditions or self-sufficiency. In this brief article, Machaka proposes that such aid be eliminated.
Some reflections on citizenship in light of recent news of Trevor Ncube, owner of 2 independent newspapers in Zimbabwe and the Mail and Guardian of South Africa, whose citizenship has been brought into question, now requiring the adjudication of a Zimbabwean court.
