The President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, Professor Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, has advocated the study of the works and achievements of the late former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, in educational institutions.
That, according to her, would help pass on his valuable contributions to world peace from generation to generation, saying “We must continue to celebrate him and his legacy, thereby propagating his ideas for a more peaceful world”.
The law professor was speaking at the launch of two maiden publications of the Council on Foreign Relations Ghana (CFR-Ghana) on Tuesday in Accra,including a journal dedicated to the memory of the late Mr Annan.
Named the Baobab, the 120-page journal with the cover title; “Remembering Kofi Annan” is a compilation of articles about the works and life of the late statesman with contributions from various global personalities.
Also launched was CFR-Ghana 2019 annual report which chronicles its activities it was launched on February 26, last year, including lecture series, induction of new members and review of key global issues.
Prof. Mensa-Bonsu described the late Mr Annan as an outstanding personality who achieved the enviable feat of attaining global prominence and shaping the world in a significant way.
“He not only showed what heights were possible for an African child, but also that the African ways of engaging, even with adversaries, hold great promise for attaining world peace.
“In our own country, he is a rare species – a Ghanaian who is accepted by all Ghanaians irrespective of political leanings or ethnic affiliation. I should hope that he would be celebrated by the state, and by all of us, for many years to come”, she said.
According to Prof. Mensa-Bonsu the late statesman believed in education and in the nurturing of young Ghanaian minds, not only during his tenure as a former Chancellor of the University of Ghana, but was also a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.
“He demonstrated by personal example, that education in Ghana remains important as a valuable means for unlocking the potential of every young person”, she said.
The legal luminary also extolled the late Mr Annan for advancing peace keeping operations, saying “[he] superintended the transformation of international peacekeeping from a task of the UN, into its flagship activity.”
According to her, the late UN Secretary General championed peace building as a critical activity to support the restoration of peace in post-conflict countries adding that the journal could contribute to all the peacekeeping issues, including Africa’s search for homegrown solutions.
President of the CFR-Ghana, Daniel K Osei commended the council members and other stakeholders for supporting the publications and restated the council’s commitment to contribute to the advancement of foreign policy.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR
