The newly elected Functional Executive Committee of the Ghana Culture Forum (GCF) on Friday 21st April 2023 paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture in Accra. Having been elected this year to steer the affairs of the organisation till 2027, the meeting was sought to formally introduce the new executive body to the leadership of the Ministry.
As the foremost civil society organisation in the cultural sector with a membership size of 86 member associations united around the common vision of affirming the cultural foundations of development and enhancing the cultural sector, the Ghana Culture Forum pledged her expertise in support of the ministries mandate to develop the culture, arts, and tourism sectors. There was a mutual agreement between the two parties to collaborate on development-based projects within the culture and arts space.
Enthused by the Ghana Culture Forum's efforts within the cultural space and to show good faith on the collaboration proposal, Hon. Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal pledged both financial and technical support in administering the Ghana Culture Day, a flagship event of the Ghana Culture Forum which is held on March 14 every year. It is expected that the involvement of the Ministry will see the scaling up of the Interschool Debate and other components of the celebration. Dr Awal indicated that the Ministry is the home of all cultural practitioners and stakeholders and thus the offices of the Ministry are ever-ready to deliberate and activate all issues concerned with improving the Ghanaian cultural and arts environment.
GCF was represented at the meeting by Nana Otuo Owoahene Acheampong – Chairperson, Ahuma Bosco Ocansey – Vice Chairperson, Edwina Assan – General Secretary, Ken Fiati – Executive Member and Patrick Bortey Alabi – Administrative Secretary of GCF Secretariat. On the other hand, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture was represented by the sector Minister, John Yao Agbeko – Chief Director, and Nana Sarfo Kantanka – Special Advisor to the Minister.
The Ghana Culture Forum was proposed and initiated at the UNESCO-led Consultative Forum on the “Power of Culture in Development” held at the erstwhile African Royal Beach Hotel, Nungua, Accra on 28th April 2011. It dawned very strongly on participants that if they had not had UNESCO bringing them together, they would actually have no platform on which to discuss the strategies for mainstreaming culture in national development. It was clear that the time was long past when a Civil Society Advocacy Forum on Cultural Heritage should be formed to pursue and intervene on issues related to the domain and its place in overall national development policies.
Sixteen pioneers (Kodzo Gavua, Michael Neequaye, David Dontoh, Akofa Edjeani, Amandzeba Brew, Akosua Ofori Mensah, Nanabanyin Dadson, Pajohn Bentsifi Dadson, Nii Osei Agyei, Kofi Akpabli, Louise Akanlu, Jojo Richardson, Modupe A. Nukumu, Daphne Akonor, Akunu Dake and Esi Sutherland-Addy) started working together to establish GCF as the advocacy platform for culture and development action. Since the official launch on 14th March 2012, Esi Sutherland-Addy (Professor) and Akunu Dake served as co-conveners for the interim leadership till March 2019 when substantive leadership emerged after elections during the 2nd National Delegates Conference.