Even if the government does not deliver to our expectations, we can still do a lot of things for ourselves.
YES, all is not well with Ghana. I have interacted with people who think that the past is brighter than the future. But when I look around, I see several factors that give enough reason to hope for a better future. Check out what I call six instruments of hope.
1. DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE
Since Kwame Nkrumah inspired and led Ghana’s independence from British colonial rule in 1957, the country has experimented with different governance systems. From one-party rule through military adventurism to the prevailing multiparty democratic system, a lot of water has passed under the bridge.
Since 1992, the practice of governance within a multiparty democratic system has ensured a high measure of stability, freedom and security in our national life. This framework gives people the space to pursue their dreams and aspirations. Individuals who live in the country have opportunity to do something for themselves and the country. Even if the government does not deliver to our expectations, we can still do a lot of things for ourselves.
So long as democratic governance thrives, there is hope for Ghana.
2. MEDIA PLURALITY
One of the major effects of democratic governance is the liberalization of the media space. Prior to the promulgation of the 1992 constitution, all media platforms in Ghana were owned and operated by the state. Lots of barriers were put in the way of private people who tried to set up media facilities.
But then, Article 162 (3) of the constitution makes it clear that ”There shall be no impediments to the establishment of private press or media; and in particular, there shall be no law requiring any person to obtain a licence as a prerequisite to the establishment or operation of a newspaper, journal or other media for mass communication or information.” Article 163 also requires that “All state-owned media shall afford fair opportunities and facilities for the presentation of divergent views and dissenting opinions.”
These provisions in the constitution have ushered in a new era of freedom in the current republic of Ghana. People now have alternative platforms to make their views on matters of development known. This allows the nation to have access to the vast cache of ideas, talents and skills of the Ghanaian.
Media plurality has become an important avenue for galvanizing inputs from the average Ghanaian for development.
3. SOCIAL MEDIA CRAZE
You name it – Facebook, Google +, Twitter, and so on. Social media has become an important platform for building strategic connections, sharing ideas and following trends. It is instant, inexpensive and easily accessible. It can be an effective avenue for advertising, marketing and public relations.
Start-up entrepreneurs do not need Coca Cola-size budgets to promote their ventures. You don’t need to go through any secretary to interact directly with a public official on a social media platform. These days, social media has made it less stressful to link up with potential business partners, customers and prospective employees and employers.
In this social media dispensation, we can usher ourselves into a new era of possibility. We can use it to grow businesses. We can use it to promote human rights. We can use it to advocate for good governance. Do you remember how the Spring that swept through the Arab world came about? We can use social media to speak against injustice and corruption in our society. Social media offers us a channel of hope.
4. ECONOMIC FREEDOM
The freedom to engage in any legally-permissible venture to generate income and create wealth is another important instrument of hope. Years ago, people could not keep huge funds in their bank accounts because they were afraid of being haunted by the government. Today, people do not only keep money in their bank accounts but go on to trade in shares, bonds and other financial securities to increase the value of the wealth. So long as these are done within the broad legal framework, there is no reason for people to look over their shoulder when making money in Ghana.
Poor people can work their way out of poverty. Property owners are guaranteed property rights. Ghana in the decades ahead will definitely be better than Ghana in the last decades.
5. EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Education helps people to add value to themselves. The value of education adds to people’s lives, enables them to make a transition from a place of disadvantage to a place of advantage. It is the ladder that offers a path from poverty to wealth, ignorance to knowledge, low self-esteem to self-confidence and from timidity to assertiveness.
One of the things that have characterized the democratic dispensation of the fourth republic is the proliferation of educational opportunities. In the mainstream educational lines, many new avenues that allow people to get education have been opened, especially in the private sector. Many institutions have been established at all levels of education.
If you live in Ghana, you can have a good life. The fact that you are educated (or can be educated) can spur you on to greater heights.
6. PERSONAL INITIATIVE
In my estimation, the most important instrument of hope in Ghana is the opportunity we have to exercise personal initiative. Because personal freedom is a prominent virtue in current Ghana, it behooves on individuals to sit down, think for themselves and take action that will move them towards the place they desire.
Everything that happens in the world is a result of somebody’s initiative. If food is placed in front of you, the food will not enter your mouth until you take the initiative to put the food into your mouth by yourself. If you don’t move, nothing will move towards you. To activate hope, you must make a move. Take a step. Start something. Do something. Don’t put your two hands on your head and cry at the system. If the system is broken, you are part of it. If it’s to be fixed, it will be by us. Let’s do what we can in our corner and we will see progress in our lives.
© 2013 Terry Mante
Personal Development Network (PEDNET)
Accra, Ghana
