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Ghana: Most Rev. Prof Asante: I have a dream for peace
un articulo por GhanaWeb (abridged)
Just like the famous ‘I have a dream’ statement by
Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., the Most Reverend
Professor Emmanuel Asante, the Presiding Bishop of
the Methodist Church of Ghana, also has a dream
for Ghana which is rooted in Ghanaian’s quest for
peace and development.
Rev. Emmanuel Asante - photo from Expose Ghana
click on photo to enlarge
He says: “I have a dream that one day issues of
national concern would be discussed on political
platforms devoid of political partisanship,
ethnicity and tribe.
I have a dream that political debates in the future
would be grounded on research and thorough
analysis.
I have a dream that every government would invest
in peace even when there is peace, since
‘prevention is better than cure’.
These are aspects of the big “dream” the Most Rev.
Prof. Asante shared with the audience when he was
presented with the 2014 US Embassy Martin Luther
King Jr. Award for Peace and Social Justice.
The award was to appreciate his firm commitment to
promoting peace and security throughout the
country during Ghana’s 2012 presidential and
parliamentary elections. Initiated in 2007, the
award recognises Ghanaian citizens who imitate the
view and actions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr by
helping to build a culture of peace, dialogue and
conflict resolution.
As the Chairman of the National Peace Council, the
Most Rev. Prof Asante collaborated with other
institutions in a lot of peace initiatives to
maintain calm in the country before, during and
after the country’s 2012 elections.
“When you look at the sub-region - Sierra Leone,
Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire and other African
countries, you can see what violence and conflicts
have done to these countries and as Ghanaians, we
don’t want to go through the same. Ghanaians are
peaceful but nobody thought what happened in Cote
d’Ivoire and Liberia would happen to them. Peace
has to be so important to us that we will not
accept violence,” he told the Junior Graphic in an
interview.
He said being uncivil and hurling insults at people
to incite others was not the best, and while it was
necessary to engage in politics, there was the need
for people to be mindful of what they say and how
they say it.
Political parties are important because they are
there to help us contribute to national
development but they should not create confusion.
Even in our differences we must unite, he said.
The Most Rev. Prof. Asante said every Ghanaian has
contributed to the calm in the country so he would
not like to take credit for it. . . .
The Most Rev. Prof. Asante recommended that peace
lessons be taught in basic schools, adding that
such lessons can be termed: “Justice and Peace
Studies” because the two go together, for there
can be no peace without justice.
[Editor's note: Readers may recall Rev. Asante
from the CPNN
article last October about the Sixth Summit of
Global Alliance for Ministries and Infrastructures
of Peace.
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DISCUSSION
Pregunta(s) relacionada(s) al artículo :
How can we develop the institutional framework for a culture of peace?,
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This discussion question applies to the following articles:
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Ghana: Most Rev. Prof Asante: I have a dream for peace
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For articles since 2016, click here .
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