Circumspecte

Art by Setor Fiadzigbey As I write this, Ghana's 56th anniversary will be over in about two minutes - GMT-wise. March 6, 2013 has been...quite unusual. For one thing, it's probably the first time in my higher ed career that I've actually had a holiday on Ghana's independence day. All because of a supposed snow storm which never actually happened (Call it 2x4). Not that I'm complaining. I got the day off, and while I missed President Mahama's Independence Day address  (and his singing), I participated in GhanaThink 's Twitter Fiesta Debate on whether Ghanaians are more united after 56 years of independence. Personally, I think we have more tolerance for one another. Unity would mean a deep understanding of one another - and our differences - and I don't think we've reached those depths yet. We still look down on one another and hold deep-seated prejudices. Nevertheless, some (tolerance) is better than nothing abi? After the Fiesta Debate, I watc...

Over the past couple of weeks my mind has been on Ghana. Not just because I miss eating waakye, and the sun is finally popping up in these parts, but because in about three days, Ghana is gonna mark it's 55th year of independence. Sure, there might be nothing especially groundbreaking about it, and unlike Ghana @ 50, it seems to be relatively quiet this time around, but I think the time is ripe for us to assess ourselves, both individually and collectively, with regards to Ghana and our future. Simply put, what legacy are we creating (if any) and how do we hope to impact future generations of Ghanaians? I share my thoughts through this two-part video blog, and invite you to share yours as well in the lead up to Ghana @ 55 and beyond. Happy (early) Independence Day!

Yes, I just went there. I dared say that it's time to tuck away our beloved Kwame Nkrumah , the Big Six, and all those other valiant Ghanaian men and women who have done more than their part in Ghana's development. We've lauded their deserving work for over 50 years. But guess what? It's a new decade, and whether or not we have things to celebrate in Ghana's future now depends on us. YOU and I. Each one of US. So yes, I went there. And guess what? I'm only getting started on the "ridiculousness". Why Ghana? Have you ever stopped to think, why Ghana? And I'm not talking about why Ghana was the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence, or why our Black Stars were the first African football team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Like I said, this is about you. Why did you end up Ghanaian or in Ghana? Why do you have these ties to a relatively small West African country, instead of the big shots like the US, UK, France, China, India and so on...