Youth on cultural exchange to UK

Accra, Aug. 17, GNA - Ten young people selected by the British Council for a two-week bilateral cultural exchange trip to the United Kingdom were on Friday advised to lift high the name of Ghana and further strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two countries. The 10, the first batch of 400 young people, half from Africa and half from the UK, are part of a project dubbed: "Belongings", a two-year project led by the Council partnering with local organisations in 10 countries across East and West Africa.

At a farewell brunch for the participants in Accra, the Deputy-Director of Council, Ms. Amanda Griffiths, said the project was aimed at encouraging young people from Africa and the UK to explore notions of culture and identity to generate fresh ideas, challenge old stereotypes, create new understanding for themselves as individuals and for their communities and create relationships that would contribute to a better future for both Africa and the UK.

She said in facilitating the exchanges of the youth through Belongings, the Council aspired to be a catalyst for positive change, bring about greater mutuality of understanding of purpose and of decision-making.

"This is why our activities, mainly but not exclusively, target young people, for they follow us and therefore are the leaders of tomorrow.

"Through this Project you are given the opportunity to equip yourselves with the skills, knowledge and a new and shared multicultural understanding and you are challenged to impart those skills and knowledge to your chosen communities both here in Ghana and the UK." Ms. Griffiths noted that the participants had the opportunity to create new relationship that in turn would help their communities to increasingly be part of the global village.

The Council, she said, anticipated a reciprocal visit by 10 young people to Ghana at the end of the year in Ghana.

The Deputy Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations, Mr. Kofi Osei Ameyaw and the Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Mrs Angelina Baiden Ammisah, congratulated the participants and asked them to market Ghana properly and pave the way for others to participate in the programme.

Mr Prosper Ahmed Amauquandoh, Leader of the Group, said the problem of Africa was not hunger but bad leadership and he thanked the organisers for the opportunity given to them to make them good leaders worthy of emulation.

"Lack of resources is also not an excuse for Africa's development," he said, and added that Africa should learn from its mistakes as well as its successes.

The group would take along with them, as part of the Belonging, some artefacts, Adinkra symbols, the National anthem, Pledge and the Youth Anthem to showcase the diverse cultural heritage of Ghana. The participants are Mr Amauquandoh, Mr Marion Dantey-Akwuah, Ms Gifty Abenaab, Mr Gideon Mensah-Commey and Ms Priscilla Haziel. The rest are Naa Lamiley Lamptey, Ms Selina Ansah-Koi, Ms Renate Dzordzomeny, Mr Osron Anbra and Mr Jutice Akpedonu.