Africa Agenda To Host Discussion on Ghana's Future

In advance of President Obama's upcoming trip to Ghana, Aurora-based non-profit Africa Agenda has organized a discussion about possible futures for 21st century Ghana. The event is being organized by Africa Agenda in partnership with the Africana Studies Department of the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), Greeley and the East African Community Center in Greeley. See the press release below for all the details.

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Contact: George Bamu

Phone: 303-341-1301 Email: office@AfricaAgenda.org

Website: http://www.AfricaAgenda.org

Africa Agenda presents: Obama, Ghana and John Atta Mills for two days in July. Engaging Africa about economic growth, development and democracy on the continent

Greeley-Thursday July 9, 2009. 11:30 a.m-1:00 p.m. at the East African Community Center in Greeley (928 13^th street, Greeley, CO 80631)

On July 10 to 11, President and Mrs. Obama will visit Ghana, according to the Whitehouse.

Since his election as the 44^th president of the United States, President Obama has raised the hopes of millions of people throughout the African continent. Against the backdrop of the G8 summit in Italy, a world financial crisis, a fall in African commodity prices, a successful 2008 Ghanaian presidential elections, nothing about Ghana today is as welcoming as the news about this visit by the U.S president. This will be the first and only stop in Africa thus far by Obama since his election as U.S president.

In Ghana, the prospects for economic growth, development and democracy have been bolstered by the recent discovery of oil in the country and the election of John Atta Mills as president.

For Dr. Ilene Grabel, professor of International Economics at the Joseph Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver (DU), “One of the most important things that African governments have to do is try to capitalize on the political space that has been provided by the U.S elections, change in sentiments and the global financial crisis.”

Kimberly Eberhardt Casteline, Ph.D. student researching African religion and media at CU Boulder observes that “Ghanaians are very highly educated and successful in a wide variety of professions and entrepreneurial endeavors and are heavily engaged in the social, political, and economic issues in their home country.”

According to the World Bank, “Ghana has held five multi-party elections since 1992, with four of these election results have been accepted as free, fair and transparent by both domestic and foreign observers.” The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in a May 11 press statement said, “The main policy challenge is to tackle the budget deficit, which rose to more than 14 percent of GDP in 2008, boosted by strong growth in capital spending, wage and salary costs, and energy-related subsidies”

With an estimated 1,500 Ghanaians in the Denver metro area, the question arises about what this visit by President Obama means for Ghana. Will the country benefit from it and will Ghanaians at home and in Colorado seize on it to help make their country better? This event will bring together Colorado communities interested in Africa to discuss the future of Ghana and what would make it prosper in the 21^st century. The event is being organized by Africa Agenda in partnership with the Africana Studies Department of the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), Greeley and the East African Community Center in Greeley.

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