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Ghanaians urged to maintain their unique cultural identity and values – Minister

The maiden edition of the Bono East Regional basic schools’ arts and cultural festival has taken place at Yeji in the Pru East district with a call on Ghanaians to maintain their unique cultural identity and values for the promotion of an integrated national culture.

Date Created : 8/31/2023 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : Ghanadistricts.com

The Regional Minister, Kwasi Adu Gyan, who made the call, further emphasised the need for Ghanaians to respect, preserve, and harness their cultural heritage and resources to develop a united, vibrant and a prosperous nation with a distinctive identity, confidence and pride of place among the comity of nations.

“We need to develop a sense of belonging and harness the strength in our diversity as Ghanaians with a common destiny, rich culture and tradition for the good of our nation.

Cultural education in our schools and cultural festivals such as this, provides the opportunity to inculcate our cultural values and ideals in our children, who will eventually mature with the Ghanaian and African identity, pride and confidence necessary for the socio-economic development of our nation”, he stated.

The Regional Minister noted that culture is constantly evolving and with the advent of technology, children are exposed to different ideas, values, beliefs, and customs, adding that “this allows them to gain insight into other cultural perspectives around the globe. It however leads to acculturation, with its negative impact on the youth.”

Social media

He said with the advent of social media, children have unlimited access to cultural beliefs and traditions some of which are inimical to our culture as a people and expressed the hope that through cultural education, these negative effects of social media among our children, regarding our culture, identity, values and ideals will be less pronounced.

This is because it provides them with a platform “to gain knowledge and skills of our rich culture, which is an invaluable tool for promoting social change and creating a more equitable, just, prosperous and inclusive society “Let me take this opportunity to commend these children here, who are going to exhibit in-depth knowledge of Ghanaian culture and tradition. I also commend you all, Directors and teachers for the effort put into the preparation of these children for the festival.”

The Regional Director of Education, Mrs Effuah A. D. muah, congratulated all the participating students for their outstanding preparations, passion, determination, and hard work towards the festival and encouraged them to continue pursuing their dreams, both in academics and the promotion of the rich Ghanaian cultural heritage.

Let us all embrace this festival as a celebration of our shared identity as Ghanaians, and let it be a catalyst for further nurturing our cultural heritage. Remember, education is not merely about imparting knowledge; it is about shaping the minds, hearts, and souls of our pupils”, she stressed.

Cultural festival

Hundreds of basic school children from the various districts in the region took part in the one-day festival, which served as a platform for the students to exhibit their talents in various aspects of our culture, including music, dance, drama, and poetry.

Beyond the displays of talent, the festival also provided an opportunity for the students to learn from one another as they interact and engage in cultural exchange and develop a broader understanding of the diversity that exists in the country.