DOCSLIB.ORG

Information to Users

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Information to Users INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographicaily in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. ProQuest Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with with permission permission of the of copyright the copyright owner. owner.Further reproductionFurther reproduction prohibited without prohibited permission. without permission. STRONGMEN AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION: THE GHANAIAN EXPERIENCE by Kevin S. Fridy submitted to the Faculty of the School of International Service of The American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in International Relations Committee Chair O' Deborah Bfautigam, PhD Committee Member Mark Walker, PhD Dean of SIS U j CXj6~d Louis Goodman, PhD Date q L Q Q \________ 2001 The American University MSI Washington, DC AMERICAN W nVtRSftt IB W ® Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number 1405021 UMI* UMI Microform 1405021 Copyright 2001 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Copyright © 2001 by Kevin S. Fridy All rights reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. to sarah and my parents Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. STRONGMEN AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION: THE GHANAIAN EXPERIENCE by Kevin S. Fridy ABSTRACT On 7 January 2001, Ghanaians witnessed their first turnover of power within democracy. Noting this landmark, this thesis offers a comprehensive analysis of democratic consolidation in Ghana. Is it fair to discuss consolidation in a country whose republic is so young? Settling on an open-ended process-oriented definition of democratic consolidation, this thesis concludes that the Ghanaian democracy is indeed strengthening its defenses against undemocratic forces. What are the factors that have contributed to Ghana’s democratic consolidation and what are the potential threats? Juan Linz and Alfred Stepan’s model of consolidation is used to examine the Ghanaian state and polity for signs of democratic acceptance. This thesis concludes that pro-democratic forces within Ghanaian society have taken advantage of the stability provided by the republic’s decidedly undemocratic first president to strengthen their country’s democracy. They have made significant democratic improvements in civil and political society but continue to struggle with grinding poverty and an ineffectual civil service. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .................................................................................. ii List of Tables and Illustrations............................................... iv Chapters One: Introduction............................................................1 Two: Definitions and Concepts.................................... 13 Three: Democratic Transition In Ghana.......................49 Four. Democratic Consolidation In Ghana...................76 Five: Tentative Conclusions.......................................126 Bibliography....................................................................... 136 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES & ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 2.1: Definitions o fDemocratic Consolidation............................. 26 Figure 3.1: Rawlings Great Transformation.......................................... 56 Table 3.1: The State o fDemocracy in Ghana (1972 - 2001)................. 72 Table 4.1: The Ethnic Balancing Act (Percentage o f Seats Won by the Major Parties in Ghana's 2?* and 3rd Parliaments o f the 4* Republic)........................................... 94 Table 4.2: The Economic Indicators o f Ghana's Economic Recovery Program (ERP).................................................. 122 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION On 7 January 2001, Ghanaians from all walks of life poured onto the streets of Accra to make their way towards Independence Square. There, they were joined by Members of Parliament, Supreme Court Justices, notable chiefs, business leaders, President Eyadema of Togo, President Wade of Slndgal, President Corapaord of Burkina Faso, President Obasanjo of Nigeria, and Deputy President Zuma of South Africa. While some in attendance were undoubtedly there to celebrate the electoral victory of their candidate or the defeat of another, President John Agyekum Kufuor paid homage to the overwhelming emotion sweeping through the crowd. “We demonstrate today our maturity and our cohesion as a nation,” Kufuor stated in his inaugural address, “by the smooth transfer of power from one democratically elected government to another.”1 Such a transfer is unprecedented in Ghanaian history. Ghana’s post independence period has included four republics separated by long periods of military rule. Democracy in the First Republic met its end at the hand of its creator. Shortly after gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, Kwame Nkrumah and his cohorts in the Convention People’s Party (CPP) took a series of steps to entrench themselves in power. 1 John Agyekum Kufuor, ‘Inaugural Speech” (speech delivered at Independence Square in Accra, Ghana on 7 January 2001). 1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 2 Before their first term had expired, the CPP government had enacted legislation to emasculate the judiciary, harass political opponents, and suppress dissent. By the time the military junta calling itself the National Liberation Council overthrew Nkrumah and the CPP in 1966, even the facade of democratic participation and competition had long gone by the wayside.2 Ghana’s Second and Third Republics bear little mention as they lasted a mere 28 months a piece. Both of the short-lived republics had their origins in a military handover to a civilian government and both were removed from power by coup d’etat.3 Only the Fourth Republic of Ghana can claim the successful completion of one democratic term of office and, as of 7 January 2001, a peaceful turnover of power within democracy. The rarity of power transfers from one democratically elected government to another is not unique to Ghana. Africa as a whole has been anything but fertile ground for democratic turnovers.4 With the exception of the regular parliamentary coalition shifts in the precocious island nation of Mauritius, there have been only five turnovers of power within democracy on the continent: Bdnin and Madagascar had turnovers in 1996, 2 Kumi Ansah-Koi, “Safeguarding Human Rights In Ghana’s Fourth Republic,” in Ghana’s Transition to Constitutional Rule: Proceedings o f a Seminar Organised by the Department o f Political Science, University o f Ghana, Legon (Accra, Ghana: Ghana Universities Press, 1991), 119-120. 3 For more on this period of Ghanaian political history, see A. Adu Boahen,The Ghanaian Sphinx: Reflections on the Contemporary History o f Ghana, 1972-1987 (Accra, Ghana: Sankofa Educational Publishers, 1992). 4 Unless otherwise noted, for the purposes of this thesis, Africa refers to the amalgamation of states commonly referred to as Sub-Saharan Africa, blade Africa, or tropical Africa. These states include Angola, Bdnm, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Cfite d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, S3o Tomd, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Home Office, United Kingdom
    GHANA COUNTRY ASSESSMENT APRIL 2002 COUNTRY INFORMATION & POLICY UNIT IMMIGRATION & NATIONALITY DIRECTORATE HOME OFFICE, UNITED KINGDOM CONTENTS I. Scope of Document 1.1 - 1.5 II. Geography 2.1 - 2.2 Economy 2.3 III. History 3.1 - 3.2 IV. State Structures The Constitution 4.1 - 4.3 Political System 4.4 - 4.8 Judiciary 4.9 - 4.15 Military 4.16 (i) National Service 4.17 Internal Security 4.18 - 4.22 Legal Rights/Detention 4.23 - 4.24 Prisons and Prison conditions 4.25 - 4.30 Medical Services 4.31 - 4.38 Educational System 4.39 - 4.41 V. Human Rights V.A Human Rights Issues Overview 5.1 - 5.4 Freedom of Speech and the Media 5.5 - 5.11 Freedom of Religion 5.12 - 5.19 Freedom of Assembly & Association 5.20 - 5.25 Employment Rights 5.26 - 5.28 People Trafficking 5.29 - 5.34 Freedom of Movement 5.35 - 5.36 V.B Human Rights - Specific Groups Women 5.37 - 5.43 (i) Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) 5.44 - 5.45 (ii) The Trokosi system 5.46 - 5.48 Children 5.49 - 5.55 Ethnic Groups 5.56 - 5.60 Homosexuals 5.61 V.C Human Rights - Other Issues Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) 5.62 Annexes: Chronology of Events Political Organisations Prominent People References to Source Material I. Scope of Document 1.1. This assessment has been produced by the Country Information & Policy Unit, Immigration & Nationality Directorate, Home Office, from information obtained from a variety of sources. 1.2. The assessment has been prepared for background purposes for those involved in the asylum determination process.
    [Show full text]
  • GHANA COUNTRY ASSESSMENT OCTOBER 2001 Country
    GHANA COUNTRY ASSESSMENT OCTOBER 2001 Country Information and Policy Unit CONTENTS 1. SCOPE OF THE DOCUMENT 1.1 - 1.5 2. GEOGRAPHY 2.1 - 2.2 3. HISTORY 3.1 - 3.9 The Economic situation 3.10 - 3.14 4. INSTRUMENTS OF THE STATE Political situation Recent Events 4.1 - 4.3 The Constitution 4.4 - 4.7 The Police 4.8 – 4.9 The Judiciary 4.10 - 4.17 Arrest, detention and the death penalty 4.18 - 4.22 Prisons 4.23 - 4.24 Health care 4.25 - 4.28 4.29 - 4.35 5. HUMAN RIGHTS: GENERAL Introduction 5.1 - 5.4 Freedom of Assembly 5.5 - 5.9 Freedom of Association 5.10 -5.12 Freedom of Speech and the Press 5.13 - 5.24 Freedom of the Individual 5.25 - 5.27 Freedom of Movement 5.28 - 5.29 Freedom of Religion 5.30 - 5.34 Freedom from Racial Discrimination 5.35 6. HUMAN RIGHTS: SPECIFIC GROUPS Ethnic groups 6.1 - 6.4 Religious groups 6.5 - 6.7 Homosexuals 6.8 The disabled 6.9 7. HUMAN RIGHTS: WOMEN AND CHILDREN Women 7.1 - 7.4 (i) Female Genital Mutilation 7.5 - 7.6 (ii)The Trokosi system 7.7 - 7.9 Children 7.10 - 7.15 (i) Education 7.16 – 7.18 8. HUMAN RIGHTS: OTHER ISSUES Civil disturbances 8.1 - 8.4 Security situation 8.5 (i) National Service 8.6 Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) 8.7 ANNEX A: POLITICAL PARTIES ANNEX B: PROMINENT PEOPLE PAST AND PRESENT ANNEX C: CHRONOLOGY ANNEX D: Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (CDRs) ANNEX E: BIBLIOGRAPHY 1 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Re-Fashioning African Studies in an Information Technology Driven World for Africa’S Transformation Joseph Octavius Akolgo
    Contemporary Journal of African Studies 2019; 6 (1): 114-137 https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/contjas.v6i1.7 ISSN 2343-6530 © 2019 The Author(s) Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0] http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 Re-fashioning African Studies in an information technology driven world for Africa’s transformation Joseph Octavius Akolgo Phd Candidate, Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana Author’s email: [email protected] Abstract The African Studies programme, launched in the University of Ghana by Ghana’s first president, was for “students to know and understand their roots, inherited past traditions, norms and lore (and to) re-define the African personality” and the “inculcation of time honoured African values of truthfulness, humanness, rectitude and honour …and ultimately ensure a more just and orderly African society” Sackey (2014:225). These and other principles constitute some of the cardinal goals of the programme in both public and private universities in Ghana. Considering tertiary education as both a public and private enterprise, this paper seeks to enrich the discourse on African Studies by taking a retrospection of the subject and investigated university students’ perceptions of the discipline among public and privately funded spheres. Adopting a qualitative approach, the paper interviewed students on the relevance of the discipline in a contemporary information technology driven world. The outcome of such interrogation was that African Studies is even more relevant in the era of globalization than it might have been in immediate post independent Africa.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 'We Only Vote but Do Not Know' the Social
    ‘WE ONLY VOTE BUT DO NOT KNOW’ THE SOCIAL FOUNDATIONS OF PARTISANSHIP IN GHANA By KEVIN S. FRIDY A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2007 1 © 2007 Kevin S. Fridy 2 To Sarah 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Though the process of writing a dissertation can feel like a solitary affair at three o’clock in the morning with a deadline fast approaching and several pages still to be written before dawn, the process of retrospection that accompanies the writing of an “acknowledgments” section brings with it valuable perspective. In hindsight I can see that the actual writing of my dissertation only seemed so tedious and mind-numbing at times because it kept me away from the people who brought so much joy to the practice of discovery which surrounded all those solitary hours behind the computer. These individuals bear no responsibility for the mistakes I have made in cobbling together a social story of Ghanaian party politics, but they deserve much of the credit for whatever the dissertation’s redeeming qualities. During my field work in Ghana I simultaneously incurred so many debts of gratitude and was such a poor record keeper that there are many people who deserve thanks but will not receive it individually. To all the random Ghanaians in Odododiodio, Bantama, and Nabdam constituencies who took time out of their busy schedules to answer a survey questionnaire I give thanks. To all the secretaries who turned the waiting room television away from Nigerian movies and to BBC for my sake and made sure I left their office building with both the name and personal cell phone number of the individual I needed to speak with I give thanks.
    [Show full text]
  • THE PRAGMATICS of NPP PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN PROMISES in GHANA’S 2008 ELECTIONS Kofi Agyekum1 Abstract
    THE PRAGMATICS OF NPP PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN PROMISES IN GHANA’S 2008 ELECTIONS Kofi Agyekum1 Abstract The paper discusses election campaign promises under Commissives, an aspect of Speech Act Theory, and Political Discourse Analysis (PDA). It considers the importance of context and looks at the social settings that are connected with promises. It examines the semantics, pragmatics and the structure of campaign promises. The paper focuses on the top two of the seventeen aspirants of the then ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) who ran the race for the presidential slot to contest in the 2008 general elections in Ghana. The paper finds that persuasion, rhetoric and commissives are used to influence voters (party delegates). Key Words: campaign promises, commissives, Political Discourse Analysis (PDA), Media Discourse, persuasion, rhetoric. 1.0 Introduction and Background Information: Commissives and Promises The NPP, which ruled Ghana from 2001-2008, is an offshoot of the United Party (UP) of the Busia-Dankwa tradition that fought for independence with Kwame Nkrumah’s CPP.1 The NPP was formed in 1992, when Ghana returned to civilian rule after 11 years of military rule, and campaigned for the December 1992 elections.2 However, the NPP boycotted the parliamentary elections in protest against perceived vote rigging. The NDC thus became almost the only party in parliament, with a few independent and opposition parliamentarians from other parties. The NPP stayed outside parliament till the 1996 elections, when it lost to the NDC. In the 2000 and 2004 elections, the NPP won both the presidential and the parliamentary elections, with J.A Kufour as the president of Ghana.3 The NPP had 17 aspirants vying for the presidential slot in the 2008 elections.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Ghana Advisory Board
    THE HISTORY OF GHANA ADVISORY BOARD John T. Alexander Professor of History and Russian and European Studies, University of Kansas Robert A. Divine George W. Littlefield Professor in American History Emeritus, University of Texas at Austin John V. Lombardi Professor of History, University of Florida THE HISTORY OF GHANA Roger S. Gocking The Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations Frank W. Thackeray and John E. Findiing, Series Editors Greenwood Press Westport, Connecticut • London Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cocking, Roger. The history of Ghana / Roger S. Gocking. p. cm. — (The Greenwood histories of the modern nations, ISSN 1096-2905) Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 0-313-31894-8 (alk. paper) 1. Ghana—History. I. Title. II. Series. DT510.5.G63 2005 966.7—dc22 2004028236 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 2005 by Roger S. Gocking All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2004028236 ISBN: 0-313-31894-8 ISSN: 1096-2905 First published in 2005 Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. www.greenwood.com Printed in the United States of America The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984). 10 987654321 Contents Series Foreword vii Frank W. Thackeray and John
    [Show full text]
  • Pathways to Free Education Pamphlet Volume 3
    pathways to free education 1 On process The origin of an idea is almost impossible to trace however the sparks that help concretise, or allow ideas to emerge in clearer form, are often easier to trace. In the case of Pathways to Free Education the work of this popular education collective emerges out of the challenges in the mass student-worker action in South Africa in 2015 in particular. After a conversation with anti-apartheid activist and committed journalist Zubeida Jaffer where she reflected on the role of publishing and “writing where you are” in the struggle, the idea of a more targeted effort to engage in the processes of pamphleteering to tease out, open discussion and debate around issues facing the movement at a time began to flower across many independent contexts across the country. Ours is merely a drop in the ocean of the work being conducted across the city, region, country and globe amplifying the urgent needs to address the roots of oppression and in particular the devastating impacts of colonialism. This booklet has been put together explicitly for the purposes of facilitating discussions, reading groups and the hosting of independent popular education spaces. The content has in some sense been collaboratively developed but due to many factors, not the least of which being time, energy and resources, much of the work that has been done here without as much communication across chapters and pieces as we might have liked. The intent, as seen in a number of the chapters, has been to raise discussion within the booklet itself to undermine the very notion that because “it” is written or published “it” is valuable or “true” knowledge.
    [Show full text]
  • Political Parties and Democratic Development in Ghana: from Transition to Consolidation and Beyond
    POLITICAL PARTIES AND DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT IN GHANA: FROM TRANSITION TO CONSOLIDATION AND BEYOND By NICK FOBIH A thesis submitted to the Department of Political Studies in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Queen’s University Kinston, Ontario, Canada April 2008 Copyright © Nick Fobih, 2008 Abstract At the time of the Ghana’s independence in March 1957, a democratic system of government was instituted, but the process of political development was derailed and often interrupted by frequent coups. This is evident in the interchange of military and civilian regimes in the last fifty-one years. While in the post-independence era, the development of democracy, the party system and democratic institutions in Ghana has taken many twists and turns due to the persistent military interventions in politics, as part of the third-wave of democratization, in 1992, under Ghana’s Fourth Republic, a new democratic system was re-introduced in the country under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government. The opening of political spaces for the political parties and civil society organizations in the last two decades has witnessed the resurgence of political parties of different sizes and ideological orientation under various political traditions, which has led to the strengthening of Ghana’s party system. This, in turn, has immensely facilitated the country’s democratic development, which was evidenced in the 2000 power alternation that led to the election of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to power. Since the emergence of the third-wave of democratization, there have been numerous theoretical approaches by democratic transition and consolidation theorists on the role of political parties in the nurturing and consolidation of democracy in the third-wave countries.
    [Show full text]
  • Election-Related Conflicts in Africa: a Comparative Study of Ghana and Kenya
    Wright State University CORE Scholar Browse all Theses and Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 2012 'Counting Votes and Bodies,' Election-Related Conflicts in Africa: A Comparative Study of Ghana and Kenya Ibrahim Mahama Nambiema Wright State University Follow this and additional works at: https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/etd_all Part of the International Relations Commons Repository Citation Nambiema, Ibrahim Mahama, "'Counting Votes and Bodies,' Election-Related Conflicts in Africa: A Comparative Study of Ghana and Kenya" (2012). Browse all Theses and Dissertations. 1088. https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/etd_all/1088 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at CORE Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Browse all Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of CORE Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ‘COUNTING VOTES AND BODIES,’ ELECTION-RELATED CONFLICTS IN AFRICA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF GHANA AND KENYA. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts By IBRAHIM MAHAMA NAMBIEMA M.A. (Governance and Leadership), Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA, Accra), 2007 2012 Wright State University WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL July 2, 2012 I HEREBY RECOMMEND THAT THE THESIS PREPARED UNDER MY SUPERVISION BY IBRAHIM MAHAMA NAMBIEMA ENTITLED ‘COUNTING VOTES AND BODIES,’ ELECTION-RELATED CONFLICTS IN AFRICA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF GHANA AND KENYA BE ACCEPTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS. ________________________ December Green, Ph.D. Thesis Director ________________________ Laura M. Luehrmann, Ph.D. Director, Master of Arts Program in International and Comparative Politics Committee on Final Examination: ___________________________________ December Green, Ph.D.
    [Show full text]
  • A Rhetorical Study of Kwame Nkrumah's
    ABSTRACT PETTIWAY, KEON MANDELL. A New African in the World: A rhetorical Study of Kwame Nkrumah’s visual strategy for shaping postcolonial nationhood. (Under the direction of Dr. Victoria Gallagher). During the “Year of Africa,” a significant period in African history that began in 1957 (and continued on for several decades), African nations faced the herculean task of decolonization: they had to build postcolonial national identities that displayed African modernity, reimagine colonial identities, and collectivize publics toward a vision of Pan- Africanism. Scholars agree that visual culture and mass media were central to these tasks of nationalism and nation building. Recent scholarship indicates that the Ghanaian nation-state, the first African nation to gain independence from colonial authority, employed a strategic, multifaceted visual and mass media campaign during its process of national identity formation. Ghana based its campaign on the Pan-African ideology, propaganda, and “cult of personality” of Kwame Nkrumah, the first prime minister and president of Ghana. Nkrumah announced “Operation Psychology,” a multi-fronted campaign including “visual aids...interpreting the soul and spirit of [Ghana’s] independence,” in the June 22, 1957 issue of the Evening News. The campaign included national currency, stamps, documentaries, body performance, art, architecture, and the Ghanaian press. Historians have studied the visual politics of Nkrumah's campaign as “symbolic nationalism,” and rhetorical scholars interested in public address have considered Nkrumah’s visual strategies as an extension of his “Midnight Speech.” These studies contribute multiple perspectives for understanding the nation building in postcolonial Africa, and provide critical frameworks for investigating Ghanaian visual culture during and after Nkrumah's regime.
    [Show full text]
  • Crisis States Programme Development Research Centre Www
    1 crisis states programme development research centre www Working Paper no.36 DEVELOPING MULTI-PARTY POLITICS: STABILITY AND CHANGE IN GHANA AND MOZAMBIQUE Giovanni M. Carbone Development Research Centre, LSE/ Università degli Studi di Milano November 2003 Copyright © Giovanni M. Carbone, 2003 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing of the publisher nor be issued to the public or circulated in any form other than that in which it is published. Requests for permission to reproduce any part of this Working Paper should be sent to: The Editor, Crisis States Programme, Development Research Centre, DESTIN, LSE, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE. Crisis States Programme Working papers series no.1 English version: Spanish version: ISSN 1740-5807 (print) ISSN 1740-5823 (print) ISSN 1740-5815 (on-line) ISSN 1740-5831 (on-line) 1 Crisis States Programme Developing Multi-Party Politics: Stability and Change in Ghana and Mozambique Giovanni M. Carbone Development Research Centre, LSE/ Dipartimento di Studi Sociali e Politici, Università degli Studi di Milano In April 2002, at a packed venue at the Trade Fair Centre of Accra, a close contest was held to elect the new chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Taking place after Jerry Rawlings left office and the party was defeated at the 2000 elections, the 5th NDC general meeting was labelled a “make or break party Congress”. 1 At the end of a heated 29- hour non-stop conference, the tight race for the party chairmanship enthroned Dr Obed Asamoah, who ran on a post-Rawlings political platform: with 334 preferences, he was just two votes ahead of the candidate sponsored by the former president.
    [Show full text]
  • Canadian Curriculum Guide 2016
    Once known as the “Gold Coast,” today Ghana is hailed as the golden country of West Africa. It is located in West Africa and uniquely positioned on the globe. The Greenwich Meridian at zero degrees longitude passes through the city of Tema, and the equator cuts just few degrees south of Ghana. Therefore, if you step on the intersection of the Longitude and the Latitude, and in whichever direction you move, Ghana is the first landmass you would step on. That is why it is often said that, Ghana is closer to the center of the earth than any other country. Truly one of Africa's great success stories, Ghana is reaping the benefits of a stable democracy, a strong economy and a rapidly exploding tourism industry fueled by forts and castles, beautiful landscapes, many teeming with exotic wildlife, national parks, unique art and music communities, and exciting experiences among many indigenous cultural groups. Ghana is also suffused with the most incredible energy. When you visit the Republic of Ghana, you might come face to face with caracals (wild cats) and cusimanses, bongos (deer) and bushbacks. Learn from and celebrate with such ethic groups as the Fante, the Ashanti, the Mole-Dagbon or the Ewe. Shop the markets of Kejetia in Kumasi or Makola in Accra. Take time to visit the Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary, the Tafi Atome Monkey Sancuary, or even stop by Paga and feed the crocodiles. Visit the Larabanga Mosque which dates to 1421, the Nzulezu village on stilts, the Colonial lighthouse of Jamestown, or the National Theatre in Accra.
    [Show full text]