I reached the Ghanaian parliament building at 9:45 and was supposed to meet my coworker, Patrick, at 10. I began walking down the extended road that led to the entrance and was stopped by a security guard with an Ak-47 on his back. He checked my bag and let me continue. The parliament building itself doesn’t look much different than a massive office building. Rows and rows of windows that represent the offices of the 275 members of parliament.

The day before, I covered an event with Patrick that started at 9 – he didn’t arrive until 9:45. As I walked down the only road leading to the building, Patrick texted me and told me to turn around. I looked back and saw him with the security guard; he was waving at me. And, surprisingly, he was on time.

The parliament chamber itself is held in a separate building to the right of the main structure. As we walked in, our bags were checked again and I signed in as a guest. The interior had poor lighting and looked like it hadn’t been dusted in years. The walls were paneled wood and the floors were dark brown linoleum; it had a 60s feel to it. I loved it.

Patrick took me up a spiral staircase that led to the media and public viewing areas. The media bureaus looked like cubicles. The doors to every room were old, creaky, and hard to close. We passed what Patrick told me was the cafeteria which looked similar to a concession stand at a high school sporting event.

Parliament had just recently denied a plan to build a new parliament chamber due to public disapproval; I was beginning to see why they wanted one. However, I enjoyed the antique feeling of this building. I could feel the history.

Patrick directed me into the chamber through the media entrance. He introduced me to the security guards and other journalists who he seemed to know well. They talked and laughed for a few minutes and then he led me to the public viewing area – I wasn’t allowed in the media section.

The interior of the chamber room is consistent with the rest of the building. The walls are paneled wood, the carpet is a dark maroon, and the lighting remains dim. A large golden chandelier suspended from the center of the ceiling.

Shortly after I sat down, the session began. The speaker of the house was escorted to his seat and the proceedings started. The 275 seats for the members of parliament were almost entirely vacant. Maybe 20 members were present. The process seemed to be very similar to what I have experienced in the United States. The speaker led the meeting and the members each spoke about different issues which were all scheduled in a pamphlet I was given. It was difficult to hear what was being said; some members had heavy accents. Additionally, their voices were projected by only four small speakers placed throughout the entire chamber. There were arguments and yelling between members, but there was also agreement and laughter. Most of it, however, I didn’t really understand. Similarly, to how I feel in the United States, I just didn’t know enough about the process to fully grasp what was going on.

This experience enriched my growing beliefs that Ghana is not very different than the United States. What I witnessed during this one meeting of parliament was surprisingly familiar to the government sessions I’ve visited at the Salem Capitol Building. Ghanaians are exceedingly politically aware. Political awareness leads to political participation and that is how a democracy flourishes.

Ghana, I believe, has a bright future.