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Showing posts with the label Vision

The Letter-Writing Project: #Ghana56 - Happy Independence Day (?)

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...

Melcom Disaster: The Latest of Ghana's Systemic Failures

Credit: Talk of GH Facebook Page Yesterday, I awoke to news that the six- story Melcom  shopping complex in New Achimota, Accra had collapsed, Currently, there have been about 70 rescues and 9 deaths  as a result of it.  How does a supposedly state of the art shopping center collapse like a stack of cards after a mere six months of completion? That is yet to be seen, but for now people are dishing out blame on various doorsteps. This is a repost of my thoughts on the issue shared via Facebook: This whole Melcom thing doesn't have to be a blame game. The truth is, we all contribute to it.  We care more about how things look/seem on the outside (high-rise buildings), than we do about foundations for development (truly reforming education for instance).  We play the 'open for business' card, without looking to put in place regulations to guide foreign and local investment (think not just Melcom, but China, oil, etc). Even when we do put rules in place,...

Taking a Page From Nkrumah's Book on Leadership: Vision

Monday, September 21 2009. That date is important for two main reasons: Eid ul - Fitr and Kwame Nkrumah's 100 th anniversary. Going along with the GhanaBlogging .com "Nkrumah" theme, I'm gonna focus on what I think Nkrumah's most important legacy to Ghanaians and Africans is. I don't idolize him, but I definitely do admire and applaud him. I strongly believe that the true mark of an individual's success is in how (much) he or she is able to positively impact others. Nkrumah definitely did that. Heck, he is STILL doing it. With Ghana's population quickly approaching 24million, it is a wonder that we're not bursting at the seams. The fact that our economy is being sustained by infrastructure and systems put into place by this man who, mind you, was an ordinary human being like ourselves, is even mind-blowing! Sure, he had his issues, but that's the beauty of it all! Despite all the criticisms against him, this man achieved what no Ghanaian ...