Samuel Acquah in a group photograph with some participants
The Head of the Education Department of Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB), Samuel Acquah, has called for sustainable cultural partnership between Ghana and the Virgin Islands through co-creation, improved transportation and shared historical narratives.
Mr. Acquah made the call when he lectured at the US-Ghana @ 70: “Exploring United States Sister Cities” programme held last Thursday at the US Embassy in Accra.
The event was attended by government representatives, US Government alumni, students of Accra Girls Senior High School, young professionals and patrons of the American Center.
According to Mr. Acquah, the partnership should focus on handling the past while building the next chapter together.
“We want to handle the past by building the next chapter together. We want them to understand the past, what happened. Now going forward, where we need to go. This is the synergies that we want to create for a better future,” he stated.
On sustainability, he identified the high cost of transportation as a major hurdle to cultural exchange. He noted that currently, travelling from Ghana to the Virgin Islands requires long transit times through Europe or the United States, including transit visas and multiple layovers.
He said the government’s plan to establish a national carrier, Ghana Airways, could help bridge that gap by enabling direct flights. Touching on cultural exhibitions, Mr. Acquah stressed the need for co-creation rather than one-sided narratives. He explained that while artefacts may be in the Virgin Islands, the historical context is in Ghana, and both sides must bring their versions together. He added that many Ghanaian histories remain oral and have not been fully documented, unlike European accounts which often omitted stories of resistance. “Until the lion has its own historian, the story of the hunt will always glorify the hunter,” he said, urging West Africans to tell their own stories, including Ananse stories and other traditions that have evolved differently in the diaspora.
Mr. Acquah urged interested individuals and institutions to connect directly with cultural organisations in the Virgin Islands, such as galleries and conservation trusts, noting that such groups often have access to funding that could support exchanges, even through virtual platforms like Zoom.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke
The post GMMB Calls For Sustainable Virgin Islands Cultural Partnership appeared first on DailyGuide Network.