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	Ghana: Most Rev. Prof Asante: I have a dream for peace an article by 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.		DISCUSSION Question(s) related to this article: How can we develop the institutional framework for a culture of peace?, * * * * * Latest reader comment: This discussion question applies to the following articles: 100th Anniversary of the Peace Palace in The Hague Parliaments Preparing for International Day of Democracy Sixth Summit of Global Alliance for Ministries and Infrastructures of Peace Global Alliance for Ministries and Infrastructures for Peace (GAMIP) 2013 Switzerland Summit Ghana: Most Rev. Prof Asante: I have a dream for peace Rwanda: 3rd African Alliance for Peace Summit Union Interparlementaire célèbre 125 années d’action parlementaire internationale au service de la paix et de la démocratie Inter-Parliamentary Union to mark 125 years of global parliamentary action on peace and democracy One billion signatures for peace Civil society has a critical role to play in ensuring lasting peace in Latin America: Tunisian Nobel Peace prize winner Ali Zeddini, speaking in Colombia Let’s mark Canada’s 150th birthday by establishing a Department of Peace For articles since 2016, click here .
This report was posted on March 15, 2014.