Published 12.1
By Kayla Albrecht and Schuyler Durham
Originally published in Public Agenda on August 3, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, marked the one-week anniversary of the demise of former president, Prof John Evans Atta Mills. The residents of Accra observed this event at the Efua Sutherland’s Children’s Park during a regional celebration. Thousands of mourning Ghanaians gathered to form a sea of red and black, while waves of powerful music and rhythm danced their way through the Children’s Park.
The celebration was officiated by Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Afotey Agbo, Accra Mayor, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije and other executives in the region. It also featured a number of musical performances, military exhibitions and speeches, including an address by the sitting President, John Dramani Mahama.
The occasion at Children’s Park exemplified Mills’ efforts while in office. “His death means a lot simply because he has united the whole nation,” explained Nicholas Rocky, National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) organiser of the Trobu-Amasaman constituency, the entirety of which was in attendance. “All parties are here.” Mr Rocky, in commemoration of President Mills, urges Ghanaians to not see the next election as a fight and hopes that the one who wins will be given a fair chance to rule.
The death of President Mills was a heartache felt internationally, and mourners from various foreign nations speckled the massive crowd. Kimberly deCaires from San Francisco, California, United States, commented, “I can speak more from the position of the wife of a Ghanaian… His loss was really personal to a lot of people, including my husband.”
James Ichitey, the husband of Mrs deCaires, recalls his tears that followed the news of President Mills’ passing. “My wife and I were playing drums together, and when the news came we just stopped.” Mr Ichitey explained that Prof Mills had not been merely a president to him, but a father figure as well. “This was a man who was for all – he wasn’t just for one person.”
The jubilant activities began before noon and continued through the evening, offering a perfect space for the residents of Accra to bid farewell to a beloved and respected man; it was an event that President Mills was surely smiling down on.
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Published in the “Daily Guide” on July 26, 2012
By Ryan Schoeck
The vice-president of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, second from left, sits in at the Brand Ghana Programme launch.
Photo Credit: Ryan Schoeck
With the official launch of the Brand Ghana programme Tuesday morning, then Vice President John Dramani Mahama discussed the importance of promoting a positive image of the country despite the many challenges Ghanaians currently face.
“What we intend to achieve by branding is to evoke positive thoughts about our nation,” Mahama said. “Ghana must harness all of its positive attributes in order to show the world.”
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Published in Graphic Sports 27/7/2012
By Garth Dmyterko
As I continue to tour Ghana, one thing that always catches my eye is a Ghanaian wearing a sports uniform. I have found the multitude of Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal uniforms Ghanaians are wearing unsurprising given the country’s obvious passion for football. Also somewhat expected were uniforms featuring some popular high profile North American stars such as NBA basketball players Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. What has come as more of a surprise is the abundance of lower profile teams from North American sports Ghanaians have been wearing on their backs.
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Guinness Ghana Brews Limited, published in The Ghanaian Times and The Daily Guide
LG, published in The Ghanaian Times
… Obroni impressions and comparisons of campaign processes
Published in Public Agenda on July 23, 2012
Author: Kayla Albrecht
There is no prouder moment for a democratic nation than the completion of a successful, fair election. To allow the people to make an educated decision to elect a new or returning leader, campaigns are necessary processes.
While I have been interning in Accra and pouring my interests into the upcoming presidential elections in Ghana, a similar operation has been taking place in my home country, the United States, giving me a unique opportunity to compare and contrast the elements that form each country’s political campaign qualities. Overall, I’ve found numerous similarities between the campaign events of the two countries. However, I have discovered one telling difference between the two nations’ processes — the concerns of the people.
During the “Evening Encounter with Mr Hassan Ayariga,” hosted by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) last Tuesday, I was pleased to recognise aspects of Ghanaian campaign events concurrent with those I am accustomed to in the United States. The town hall-like setting I witnessed also exists during the early stages of the presidential candidates’ campaigns in the United States to allow the constituency the opportunity to probe the prospective leader and discover their values and platforms. These events are crucial opportunities to gauge the quality of the prospective president’s interactions with their electorate. Read More »
Published in the “Daily Guide” on July 19, 2012
By Ralph Adeniran/photo by Ryan Schoeck
A number of eager patrons who thronged to the second series of the Institute of Economic Affairs’ (IEA) presidential debate were relatively unimpressed by the performance of the People’s National Convention (PNC) presidential candidate, Hassan Ayariga.
DAILY GUIDE spoke to a few people after Mr. Ayariga’s showing and it was clear the dissatisfaction to his presentation stemmed from his responses to many of the probing questions that were thrown at him.
Franklin Cudjoe, Executive Director of IMANI Ghana, thought perhaps due to the recent rancor in the PNC, there might not have been enough teamwork by other members of the PNC to optimize the output of their party’s presidential candidate.
“I wasn’t generally impressed by his [Ayariga’s] performance,” the IMANI boss told DAILY GUIDE.
Nii Armah Akomfrah, Communications Director of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), said even though the PNC leader did his best to highlight the policies of his parties, his subsequent answers should have been a lot more expressive. “He could have expanded a little more on his answers,” Mr. Akomfrah stated.
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Published in the “Daily Guide” on July 14, 2012
By Ryan Schoeck
Maame Gyaama
In Asuafua, in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, David Opoku’s family has been running a small bead-making business since the early 1800s.
“For 200 years, bead-making has been in my family, in this village,” Opoku said. At 27, Opoku, along with his sister and seven other family members, has grown up manufacturing traditional glass bottle beads under the supervision of his elders at the Asamang Co-operative.
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… Modern practice and ancient custom collide
Published in Public Agenda on July 13, 2012
Author: Kayla Albrecht
For a decade, Dr Leslie Steeves has been bringing students from the United States to Accra, the capital of Ghana, to immerse in Ghanaian culture, and this year has been no exception. For six weeks, 15 students from the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communications in Eugene, Oregon, United States, can be found interning at various media outlets throughout the capital to gain international communication experience and master our trade.
To steady the balance between work and play, our weekends are filled with excursions throughout the country where our advisors and guides, both American and Ghanaian, allow us a glimpse into the rich traditions of Ghana.
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Published: The Daily Graphic 12/7/2012
Story: Garth Dmyterko
Ghana faces Egypt today at 3 pm at the Accra Sports Stadium in the final game of the three nations U-20 Tournament.
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