PANAFEST 2003 Launched In London

This year's Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival (PANAFEST) and Emancipation Day celebration has been officially launched in the UK.

The ceremony, interspersed with drum language beats performed by Lord Eric's Sugumugu Ensemble, attracted a cross section of media personnel, artistes, tour operators with links in Ghana and some opinion leaders within the Ghanaian and Caribbean communities and friends of Ghana.

Prominent personalities at the launch included H.E. Mr Isaac Osei, Ghana's High Commissioner to the UK who delivered the keynote address, Mr. Kwabena Baah-Duodu, Ghana's Deputy High Commissioner to the UK and Rabbi Kohain Halevi, Executive Secretary of PANAFEST Foundation.

Also present were Ms. Yvonne Robinson, Chairperson UK PANAFEST STEERING COMMITTEE and other members of the Committee, Messrs Al Hamilton, P.C. Quaye, Fritz Andoh, Charles Wereko and Ms Sally Baffour.

Speaking at the well-attended event, Mr. Osei said "PANAFEST and Emancipation Day provide the opportunity to foster political and economic collaboration and strengthen cultural and social ties between home-based Africans and their brothers and sisters in the Diaspora".

Mr. Isaac Osei praised the initiators of the Festival, who, he said, had helped lay bare the historical facts of the country's rich arts and cultural heritage.

Mr. Osei said in the changing world of today, it was imperative for African countries to think of ways of marrying African culture with modern practices in order to deepen collaboration.

He said the interdependent world of today would be a better place if consistent efforts were made to forge a united stand in the realisation of creating a stable environment world-wide.

The High Commissioner spoke extensively on Ghana's tourist potentials and added that the nation's stable, peaceful and political climate, its adherence to democratic governance, the rule of law, among other things, had helped to make Ghana an attractive place to invest and visit.

Mr. Osei urged the Steering Committee to consider the possibility of organising a PANAFEST event next year in the UK to enable " our sisters in the UK to have a taste of the festival."

Rabbi Halevi said "the theme for this year's celebration -" Uniting the African family-Dialogue on African Tradition and Culture in the 21st century Globalisation" vividly captures the challenges posed to the peoples of Africa in the new millennium".

He said the theme would offer renewed emphasis in broadening Pan-Africanist horizons and help accelerate the re-emergence of the once flourishing civilisation begun and nurtured in Africa, endangered because of many centuries of exploitation and subjugation by evil forces of slavery and colonialism.

He said PANAFEST should give us hope, vision and confidence in celebrating "the heroism of our people- both past and present- within the context and action in response to the growing demands of our people for a more qualitative life".

"As a Pan-African platform", he said, "it does not only showcase our cultural traditions but more importantly promotes the understanding of our history and culture and affirm our common heritage" .

"PANAFEST 2003 should build on the success of its previous additions in accentuating the important linkage between our traditional cultural practices as a contemporary people," he added.

Rabbi Halevi spoke at length on the preparations put in place for the celebration. He said this year's celebrations would be attended by official delegations from all regions of the United States of America, the Caribbean communities of Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts while Brazil and Surinam would represent South America.

Participants are also expected from Germany, Holland, Italy, South Africa, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Benin, Zimbabwe, Cameroon and Ethiopia.

Ms Yvonne Robinson said the UK Steering Committee would unveil an aggressive programme aimed at raising the profile of PANAFEST as one of the most important cultural events both in the UK and beyond.