The University of Cape Coast (UCC) in partnership with the Obokese foundation and the African American Male Education Network Development have launched the All African Diaspora Education Summit (ADES) 2022 which will be held from 19th to 24th September, 2022 at the University of Cape Coast.
The summit seeks to bring together both African educators and students from the diaspora and in Ghana towards the aim of charting a new course for changing the African narrative through African- centered education.
Explaining the purpose of the summit, President of Cosumnes River College who doubles as a co-founder and executive of A2MEND, Dr. Edward Bush indicated that Africa has not seen much development for a long time because Africans have elevated foreign practices over the indigenous practices, hence Africa can restore its sovereignty through an African centered education.
He said, “…the roadmap to our own freedom, health and wealth lies in our connection, lies in our history and our tradition because we have been taught and coerced into believing that others cultural ways of being is superior of that of our own.”
He pointed out that African educational institutions are a tool for the proliferation of western ideals, because the things taught in classrooms are not based on African concepts, hence he advocates for a more African-centered educational system.
“One of the vessels that has been used to propagate the notion of cultural inferiority has been our educational institutions that exist through the diaspora he said, adding that primarily every space that supposed to be educational space for black people are indoctrinations centers and from day one when our children enter preschool, at kindergartens, primary schools they are bombarded with images, customs and ideas that are counter to who we are spiritually, culturally.
To that end, he indicated that the summit was needful because, “We will reaffirm that African oncology is second to none, that it is worthy to be studied and infused into our curriculum, and that it is worthy to have institutions built around that very ideas, notion and customs.
Founder of Obokese foundation, Nana Obokese Ampah, stated that Africa was flourishing prior to foreign dominance, but once the foreigners left and Africans adopted western way of life, Africa has never been the same.
“Africa has been in leadership for a long time our story only changed when we had the foreigners coming into the continent”, he said.
He advanced that, “we want to remind ourselves that we are people of power, we are people of wealth, we are people of excellence and with the right education, and we will bounce back.”
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On her part, UCC Pro- Vice Chancellor, Prof. Rosemond Boohene expressed delight that UCC is hosting such a great initiative, noting that the summit came at opportune time and that it is time that the African narratives centered on Africans.
She indicated that, “the African educational summit represents an opportunity for the university of Cape Coast to join A2MEND and obokese foundation to lay a solid foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship between Africans at home and those abroad.”
She also pledged the University’s unwavering support for initiatives that will benefit the lots.
“we as an institution is ready and willing to collaborate with the Obokese foundation and all historically black universities and colleges to move the idea of building capacities of the vulnerable in our communities. We are ready to exchange ideas on best practices that would help us build up a people of strength and power,” she hinted.
Tufuhen of Atonkwa, Nana Dr. Kwamina Kraa II stated that, it was unacceptable that Africa’s contribution to civilization has been wiped out from the educational system.
He emphasized that excellence is laying dominant in the African people everywhere adding that “if it could be brought to the fore front by putting students in the center of the educational information being conveyed we will have the innovation, the creativity and all the excellence that we are looking for outside“.
SOURCE: EMMANUELLA AMA GYAMFI
