Economic Development must be viewed as a process of cultural transformation – Prof. Kodzo Gavua

Ghana Commission for UNESCO in collaboration with the Ghana Heritage Committee in a dialogue on Culture and Heritage wants all stakeholders to see Cultural Diversity as a tool for socio-Economic development.

In honour of the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and development, the Culture & Heritage Dialogue was held at the Accra Tourism Information Center on the 14^th June, 2022.

The day has been celebrated since 2001 when UNESCO adopted the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity; and in December 2002, the UN General Assembly, in its resolution 57/249, declared May 21 to be the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

High on the agenda was the discussion on Cultural diversity and how best it can support social and economic development in Ghana.

Hon. Mark Okraku Mantey, Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, was the Special Guest of honor for the occasion. The dialogue featured dignitaries such as Mr. Abdourahamane Diallo, UNESCO Representative to Ghana, Madam Bernice Ann Deh-Kumah, Executive Director of National Folklore Board and Mr. Akwasi Agyemang, CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority.

Prof. Kodzo Gavua, Lecturer at the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies (UG) and Chairman of the Ghana Heritage Technical Committee was the Keynote speaker for the programme.

More than 50 participants made up of representatives from relevant cultural/creative industries, government agencies, cultural institutions, academics, CSOs and UN entity shared their experiences and perspectives on the values of cultural diversity.

Delivering the Keynote address, Prof. Kodzo Gavua said Cultural diversion has been used against us.

“We were subdivided based on language and we say we belong to different tribes, different ethnic groups and we have also internalized it”

“What distinguishes us from the others, is it the language?.. if it’s the language then we all learn how to speak each other’s language” He said.

Prof. Gavua again said that Economic Development must be viewed as a process of cultural transformation.

“If our culture is not transformed into something meaningful, the country will never be developed. All what we will be doing is borrowing and copying from our neighbors in the world things that will not fit our context here and that is why many development projects have failed” He stated.