Ghana should be made permanent venue for PANAFEST - Jeffries

Cape Coast, Aug. 1, GNA - Dr. Leonard Jeffries, an African-American, on Thursday suggested that Ghana should be made the permanent host country of the Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival (PANAFEST), because of the stability in the country, as compared to other African countries.

Dr. Jeffries, a lecturer at the Department of African Studies, City College, New York, who is participating in the festival, stated this in an interview with the GNA at Cape Coast.

He said there was no need for the festival to be rotated among African countries, as was suggested in the early stages and pointed out that Ghana's stability, coupled with her "strong tradition and culture and the numerous festivals make it the right venue".

On the re-curing theme of "the re-emergence of the African civilisation"

since its inception in 1992, he was of the view that it should be maintained, because it embodied culture, which as a unifying force, could help Africans to plan for the future.

Dr. Jeffries paid tribute to Mrs. Efua Sutherland for mooting the idea of the festival and observed that it had provided all people of African descent the opportunity to come together to deliberate on issues affecting the welfare of their brothers and sisters on the continent. He said the various forums held during PANAFEST were geared towards the establishment of an "operational Pan-Africanist Union" that would seek to unite all Africans around the world.

"This does not mean that we are seeking a common platform to limit our relationship with Europe, Asia and other continents, but that, we want a personal family, community, ethnic, national and global relationship with ourselves first," he declared.

He was happy that through their participation in PANAFEST, some African-Americans had established links with many communities in Ghana and were contributing to their development, by sponsoring the education of some children, as well as assisting in projects like schools, clinics and community centres.