Although many will argue that President Obama’s choice to visit Ghana is an explicit endorsement of Ghana’s recent peaceful elections and the value that the US places on peace and democracy above personal affiliations, the same will not go for the African-American First Lady, Michelle Obama.
Her presence in Ghana is emotional, spiritual as well as political.
Her interaction with the First Lady of Ghana and other First Ladies from other African countries will offer moments for her to share and extend to Africa’s First Ladies the powerful voice she has used to empower disadvantaged women and the girl-child in the United States.
The visit also offers her an opportunity to address issues such as education, social and economic barriers that challenge women and the girl child.
Other concerns could be how to integrate HIV/Aids with family planning programs; and ensuring the involvement of women and the girl child, including women living with HIV, in the design and implementation of health programs.
These and other concerns about women and the girl-child will need African governments to join the United Nations in creating the office and post of an ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues, thereby endorsing women’s rights and empowerment as key to national as well as global development.
By spotlighting the disproportionate impact of AIDS on women and the girl-child in the world at large, Mrs. Michelle Obama can help strengthen the AIDS response in Africa and the world at large.
If time permits Mrs. Michelle Obama to visit the slave castles, it will be historical, symbolic and emotional.
She will be the first African American First Lady to look at the Gate of No Return and possibly stand on the sacred grounds that once held the departing footprints of her ancestors.
In the midst of jubilations that frequently accompany dignitaries, there will be moments where she will be moved by larger and deeper visions that will make her step back and call on the past to shine light on a more healthy, progressive and equitable way to address social justice in the circle of violence and the aborted hope that faces all people of African descent across the world.
As Ghanaians await the arrival of President Barack Obama, the Ghanaian business and education sectors should be sleepless on what chances are out there for the production of real economic, educational and industrial growth in Ghana and Africa at large, or the chance for developing a proper security system as Ghana and the great majority of African states are no larger in population size than a single unimportant town in a major industrial country.
The Ghanaian political leadership needs examine conditions produced by the degree of balkanization that guarantee Ghana, and Africa at large, a permanent poverty and insecurity status as they prepare the content of their speeches.
We cannot ignore the fact that the United States is among Ghana’s principal trading partners.
The American privately owned VALCO aluminum smelter imported many of its supplies from, and exported almost all the aluminum ingots to, Europe and the United States. Economic indicators have it that U.S. investments in Ghana form one of the largest stocks of foreign capital, with a replacement value of more than $600 million.
Apart from the economic investment, Ghana was the first country in the world to accept Peace Corps volunteers from the USA. Currently, there are more than 150 volunteers in Ghana.
Almost half of the work in education and the others in various fields such as agro-forestry, small business development, health education, and water sanitation, as well as youth development is helped by the volunteers.
Throughout the years, thousands of Ghanaians have been educated in the United States whiles large American universities have maintained close relations between educational and scientific institutions in Ghana.
On interpersonal levels cultural links, particularly between Ghanaians and African-Americans are the strongest in the world.
Before the Ghanaian leadership meets with the US President, they must look across their shoulders and observe that Western development theories, policies and practices are at crossroads with those of African nations and neither the World Bank nor any International Financial Institutions (IFI) have succeeded in elevating Africa from her conditions of poverty, social, political and economic underdevelopment.
This will largely guide deliberations as well as shed light on the changing position of Africa (as a region) and African countries in the international political-economic system.
Even though there are attempts to push Africa to adopt a market economic policy framework by Western countries through the World Bank, IMF and their allied international agencies, African leaderships must also find ways in which Africa must divorce herself from the forced marriage to the World Bank and IMF - a legacy of colonialism.
That is African countries must proactively seek to build their own market systems based on freedom of choice, devoid of exploitation of existing natural resources for the benefit of the Western world.
African leaders can do this through their own theory of economic development that brings together the idea of Africaness, the building of strong institutions that address the geopolitics and population in Africa.
In that situation, the farmer can determine the price of his goods on the market and not the buyer.
Ghana, as well as other African leaders, should make clear cut statements to let the first African-American President of the United States be aware of the most challenging issues confronting Ghana and the African continent.
By simply asking for support without a planned action and budget will be like the mosquito making noise in the ears of the elephant
Her presence in Ghana is emotional, spiritual as well as political.
Her interaction with the First Lady of Ghana and other First Ladies from other African countries will offer moments for her to share and extend to Africa’s First Ladies the powerful voice she has used to empower disadvantaged women and the girl-child in the United States.
The visit also offers her an opportunity to address issues such as education, social and economic barriers that challenge women and the girl child.
Other concerns could be how to integrate HIV/Aids with family planning programs; and ensuring the involvement of women and the girl child, including women living with HIV, in the design and implementation of health programs.
These and other concerns about women and the girl-child will need African governments to join the United Nations in creating the office and post of an ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues, thereby endorsing women’s rights and empowerment as key to national as well as global development.
By spotlighting the disproportionate impact of AIDS on women and the girl-child in the world at large, Mrs. Michelle Obama can help strengthen the AIDS response in Africa and the world at large.
If time permits Mrs. Michelle Obama to visit the slave castles, it will be historical, symbolic and emotional.
She will be the first African American First Lady to look at the Gate of No Return and possibly stand on the sacred grounds that once held the departing footprints of her ancestors.
In the midst of jubilations that frequently accompany dignitaries, there will be moments where she will be moved by larger and deeper visions that will make her step back and call on the past to shine light on a more healthy, progressive and equitable way to address social justice in the circle of violence and the aborted hope that faces all people of African descent across the world.
As Ghanaians await the arrival of President Barack Obama, the Ghanaian business and education sectors should be sleepless on what chances are out there for the production of real economic, educational and industrial growth in Ghana and Africa at large, or the chance for developing a proper security system as Ghana and the great majority of African states are no larger in population size than a single unimportant town in a major industrial country.
The Ghanaian political leadership needs examine conditions produced by the degree of balkanization that guarantee Ghana, and Africa at large, a permanent poverty and insecurity status as they prepare the content of their speeches.
We cannot ignore the fact that the United States is among Ghana’s principal trading partners.
The American privately owned VALCO aluminum smelter imported many of its supplies from, and exported almost all the aluminum ingots to, Europe and the United States. Economic indicators have it that U.S. investments in Ghana form one of the largest stocks of foreign capital, with a replacement value of more than $600 million.
Apart from the economic investment, Ghana was the first country in the world to accept Peace Corps volunteers from the USA. Currently, there are more than 150 volunteers in Ghana.
Almost half of the work in education and the others in various fields such as agro-forestry, small business development, health education, and water sanitation, as well as youth development is helped by the volunteers.
Throughout the years, thousands of Ghanaians have been educated in the United States whiles large American universities have maintained close relations between educational and scientific institutions in Ghana.
On interpersonal levels cultural links, particularly between Ghanaians and African-Americans are the strongest in the world.
Before the Ghanaian leadership meets with the US President, they must look across their shoulders and observe that Western development theories, policies and practices are at crossroads with those of African nations and neither the World Bank nor any International Financial Institutions (IFI) have succeeded in elevating Africa from her conditions of poverty, social, political and economic underdevelopment.
This will largely guide deliberations as well as shed light on the changing position of Africa (as a region) and African countries in the international political-economic system.
Even though there are attempts to push Africa to adopt a market economic policy framework by Western countries through the World Bank, IMF and their allied international agencies, African leaderships must also find ways in which Africa must divorce herself from the forced marriage to the World Bank and IMF - a legacy of colonialism.
That is African countries must proactively seek to build their own market systems based on freedom of choice, devoid of exploitation of existing natural resources for the benefit of the Western world.
African leaders can do this through their own theory of economic development that brings together the idea of Africaness, the building of strong institutions that address the geopolitics and population in Africa.
In that situation, the farmer can determine the price of his goods on the market and not the buyer.
Ghana, as well as other African leaders, should make clear cut statements to let the first African-American President of the United States be aware of the most challenging issues confronting Ghana and the African continent.
By simply asking for support without a planned action and budget will be like the mosquito making noise in the ears of the elephant
