GRi Arts & Culture Ghana 29 - 09
- 2000
Ghana
to mount exhibition of slave trade
Ghana to mount exhibition of slave
trade
Accra (Greater Accra) 29 September
2000
A three-month exhibition on the
Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade aimed at educating the public on its significance,
opened on Thursday at the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) in Accra.
The exhibition seeks to draw
attention to important places of the trade in the country and to recount its
uniqueness.
The exhibition, which would run
from 28th September to the 15th of December, is being held in collaboration
with the GMMB and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation (UNESCO).
Exhibits include objects of
slavery, photographs of sites and structures, models of European trade posts,
maps and illustrations.
Mr. Fritz Baffour, Chairman of the
GMMB, noted the benefits that the exposure of forts and castles could bring to
the country, especially in terms of tourism and the economic benefit to
communities.
He said the slave trade is an
"unavoidable" and "unfortunate" fact of history, saying
"we must not remain silent about it no matter the enormity of the
accompanying embarrassment".
"Humanity must constantly be
reminded of the atrocities of the slave trade. It is through such reminders
that we succeed in keeping the world alert to avoid its past mistakes".
Mr. Baffour said punishment for the
evil alone may not stop its perpetration but concerted condemnation and appeal
to human conscience could go further.
Ghana, he said wishes to be at the
forefront of the tourism industry and the slave trade adding that, tourism
sites both known and unknown markets and slave routes should be developed to
show the link between Ghana and the Atlantic world.
The economic benefits to the
communities should not be understated since it would attract the right
infrastructure like access roads, hospitals, hotels, restaurants and
employment.
Mr. Baffour appealed to the
government to recognise the importance of the nation's heritage to its economic
advancement and to promote tourism like the cocoa and gold sectors.
"A government sponsored
programme to develop and enhance tourism is needed promptly without fail".
He stressed the need to restructure
cultural institutions like the GMMB and said the Board with assistance from
UNESCO, plans to set up a permanent slave museum at Jamestown.
Nana Akuako Sarpong, Chairman of
the National Commission on Culture, said the issue of slavery should be open
for debate saying, "this would prick the conscience of the
perpetrators".
GRi…/