GHANA STUDIES COUNCIL Newsletter Number 14 Spring 2001
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GHANA STUDIES COUNCIL Newsletter Number 14 Spring 2001 are hopeful that several of these contributions will become future articles for our journal, Ghana Studies. Chair's Remarks By David Owusu-Ansah I was also very pleased to see so many of us at the Women's Caucus-sponsored panel on I extend my thanks to all of our association Yaa Asantewaa. Whilhemana Donkor members who attended the 43rd annual ASA (KNUST at Kumase), Linda Day (Hunter meeting in Nashville TN. Special thanks to College), Jean Allman (Illinois at Urbana) Akosua Adomako-Ampofo of the University and Ivor Agyeman-Dua (Journalist) presented of Ghana) and Rebecca Laumann (University on this panel. (See an update on Ivor of Memphis) for helping with the several Agyeman-Duah’s report on the Yaa travel grant applications we sent out. The Asantewaa documentary in this issue of GSC African Studies Association Visiting Scholars Newsletter.) Fund contributed to bringing Professor Francis Agbodeka’s to participate in the GSC For the November 2001 ASA conference at panel. The Spencer Foundation and Ghana Houston, TX, Ghana Studies Council has Airways were also among our supporters. submitted two panels. "Of trees, travelers and Certainly, it was a delight to have the chiefs" will be a panel discussion of recent presence of a sizeable contingent of our scholarship on the history of the timber colleagues from Ghanaian universities. industry, the current state of the tourism Professors Akilagpa Sawyerr (former Vice industry and a discussion the state of Chancellor of the University of Ghana) and chieftaincy in Ghana. Dr. Irene Odotei Agbodeka (former Dean of the Faculty of (Director, Institute of African Studies at the Arts and Letters at Cape Coast), and Dr. University of Ghana), Dr. Ofori Ansa of Mensah Pra (Department of Sociology at the Howard University and Dr. Raymond University of Cape Coast) were contributors Dummet at Purdue University did contribute to the panel on the "State of Education in toward the organization of the panel. Our Ghana." Dr. Akosua Adomako-Ampofo second entry for the Houston conference will (Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of be a general overview type -- "Ghana at the African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon) beginning of the 21st century." I do thank was organizer and chair of the panel. The Baffour Takyi (University of Akron) for second sponsored panel by GSC was on doing much of the work that contributed to "Colonial Memories: History and Memory in getting the panel together. Ghana and Togo." Sandra Greene (Cornell University), Dennis Laumann (University of Finally, I take this opportunity to recognize Memphis), Lane Clark (Independent Dr. David Killingray (Goldsmith College at Filmmaker) and Emmanuel Akyeampong the University of London) for the years he (Harvard University) were presenters. We acted as our UK contact person. Dr. Paul © GSC Newsletter [14] 1 Nugent (History Department of University of Future issues will carry, among others, Edinburgh) is our new UK representative and articles by Joseph Adjaye on Akan Libations, he has already proven to be as efficient as Stefano Boni on the precolonial history of the David was in the past years. Sefwi Oman, and a collection of papers on the current state of education in Ghana, guest- Again, let me remind GSC members that I am edited by Akosua Adomako Ampofo. completing my fourth year as chair of our Editorial board member Amos Anyimadu is organization. Following the examples of the working on assembling a collection of papers two previous GSC presidents, I plan to resign analyzing Ghana's December 2000 national my position at the 2002 ASA. I have no elections. doubt that there will be an excellent replacement. The editorial board and I welcome the submission of articles on any subject, which Ghana Studies Update have Ghana as their focus. Detailed by Larry Yarak, Editor instructions regarding the preparation of manuscript submissions may be found at the I am pleased to report that we are making Ghana Studies web site. Briefly, authors good progress on getting our peer-reviewed should send three hard copies of their paper, journal on an appropriate publishing double-spaced throughout, including all schedule. As most of you know, volume 2 reference matter, by postal mail to the editor: was published in April of this year. A complete table of contents of that issue, as Larry W. Yarak well as instructions on obtaining a Department of History subscription, may be found at the journal's 4236 TAMU web site: College Station, TX 77843-4236 http://people.tamu.edu/~yarak/ghana_stud Electronic files should also be submitted, ies.html preferably sent as an email attachment to the editor at [email protected], prepared using [Note that the web address has recently either WordPerfect or MS Word word- changed. Please update your bookmark.] processing programs -- either Macintosh or Windows format is acceptable. Maps should Also at the Ghana Studies web site you will be submitted as camera-ready hard copy and find the table of contents for volume 3, a preferably also as Adobe Illustrator-format special collection of articles commemorating electronic files. Any questions about the the Yaa Asantewaa War, one hundred years preparation of manuscript submissions should after it was fought. Guest-edited by be directed to the editor. Emmanuel Akyeampon, the issue is complete and should be available to subscribers in the Finally, I want to thank again the numerous fall. Ghana scholars who have volunteered their time to report anonymously on the papers Volume 4 should be available by the end of submitted to the journal. They ensure the the year. It will include a fine set of four high quality of what we publish. papers assembled by Birgit Meyer and Paul Nugent on the theme of "Moral Discourses and Public Spaces in the Fourth Republic." © GSC Newsletter [14] 2 noted that the funds are not accumulating interest. It was hoped, however, that the Minutes financial laws in the State of Illinois might Ghana Studies Council Meeting allow the GSC to open, after June 1, 2001, a 17 November 2000 different type of account than what has been Nashville, TN possible in Minnesota (where the funds are African Studies Association Annual currently being held). This might allow the Meeting GSC to obtain a better interest rate on the funds being held. Opening Some funds were used in the past to help with The Chairperson of the Ghana Studies the cataloguing of the CSO files at the Council, David Owusu-Ansah, opened the National Archives of Ghana. meeting at approximately 11:10 am. Monies are still available to help subsidize Chairman’s Remarks attendance at the annual meeting of the African Studies Association by Ghanaian The Chair welcomed those who were in graduate students studying in the U.S. To date attendance. Membership forms were there have been few applicants for this distributed for renewal of membership and a assistance. sheet was passed around for those who needed to update their e-mail addresses. It was also noted that the GSC would need a new Chairperson as David Owusu-Ansah’s Minutes of last year’s meeting were then term is coming to an end next year. He approved. advised that anyone who assumes the position should seek financial support from their Treasurer’s Report: department to cover paper and printing cost associated with the production of the Members were reminded that checks for newsletter since these costs if not subsidized membership for 2001 are still being accepted could quickly wipe out any surplus. and should be made out to the "University of Minnesota" until June 1, 2001. Thereafter Agenda Items/Announcements there is hope of opening an account in GSC’s name in Illinois. This will make it easy for 1. The Chair reviewed an item that appeared dues to be written out directly to GSC in the in the last issue of the newsletter. This future. item expressed concern about fees imposed by the University of Ghana The London account currently contains Office of the Dean for International £330.00. David Killingray also announced Programs on summer programs for that he would be resigning. Paul Nugent was overseas students. nominated to serve as the next treasurer, managing the London/Britain account. David Owusu-Ansah met with the Dean of International Programs last June (2000) It was reported (in the absence of the U. S. at Legon. The Dean, who has just read Treasurer) that GSC U.S. account currently the GSC Newsletter report of studies has a surplus, even though it was not possible abroad fee at the University, expressed to report the exact dollar amount. It was also concern about what he considered to be a © GSC Newsletter [14] 3 misinformation in the newsletter and set out to make the necessary correction. The GSC members were requested to send or Dean (whose letter was read aloud) take with them such materials and to indicated that the fees were imposed not deposit them with the NAG, which has set by himself, but rather by the University of aside a special room for such materials. Ghana Board of Trustees. He also indicated that no department at the 3. After the sheet with updated e-mail University of Ghana was authorized to addressed had circulated, it was suggested charge fees therefore the fees being that the e-mail addresses of the members imposed by the Dean’s Office were not should be published on the organization’s being demanded at the expense of fees web site only after receiving permission that would normally go to the departments from the individual members to do so. that host overseas students in summer programs.