Ghana's Ambassador to speak in Atlanta

Ghana's ambassador to the United States, Daniel Ohene Agyekum, has been confirmed as a keynote speaker for Kennesaw State University's three-day economic forum highlighting the West African nation March 21-23.

The ambassador will give opening remarks alongside university President Daniel Papp at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 22, the first full day of the conference.

The conference is to examine Ghana as a model for democracy in a region known for instability and is to consider issues like how the discovery of oil will affect the country's social and economic development.

Experts will also address investment strategies, the mining industry and its effects on communities, health care challenges, gender roles and more. Many of the speakers will come from the University of Cape Coast, with which Kennesaw has an exchange partnership.

The conference is to culminate the university's Year of Ghana, which has included Ghana-focused lectures, cultural events and special research publications. For 28 years, the university has selected a country to spotlight with a yearlong series of programs covering a wide range of topics. Next year's country is Japan. Other speakers at the Ghana conference are to include Larry Gbevio-Lartey, Ghana's national security coordinator; Kwesi Aning, head of research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre; and George Ayittey, president of the Free Africa Foundation.

Global Atlanta completed a special report on Ghana in 2012. It can be viewed at www.globalatlanta.com/ghanareport.