Ghana@50, the Golden Jubilee
On March 6, Ghana celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence, dubbed the “Golden Jubilee” and nicknamed Ghana@50.
It was a huge event, and the government went all-out. Some say they went a bit too far, even purchasing fleets of luxury cars for visiting dignitaries to use during their stay.
30 heads of state were here, along with Jesse Jackson and delegations from the US congress and executive branch. The night before, there were fireworks and a laser show. A so-called parade took place on the 6th. It was not at all a parade à la Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade or Rose Bowl parade or even the Takoma Park 4th of July parade. The authorities didn’t close any streets, there were no marching bands, no baton twirling, no giant balloons. The whole parade took place in Independence Square and was mainly soldiers marching. Nevertheless, throngs of humanity decked out in red, gold and green flooded the area around the square for the occasion. Police officers handed out little Ghana flags to wave. Photo by SJD.
It was reminiscent of the 4th of July in DC — crowded as all get-out, but in a festive, friendly way. There were even some kooks who had painted their entire faces and bodies in red, gold and green like football fans at the Super Bowl, except with fewer clothes. (Photo below by SJD.)
Dan had to work as a “site officer” at Independence Square, making sure everything went smoothly for the US officials. Meanwhile, I rode my bike down there with a couple of friends. We actually couldn’t see much besides the people’s heads in front of us. Oh well. I still think it was worth going to witness the spirit of the public celebration. Photo below by SJD.
Sorry, I don’t have photos of my own to share. I brought a camera, but I discovered the batteries were dead when I went to take a picture. Thanks to Susan for the photos on this post.
Here’s some press coverage of the jubilee:
Daily Graphic
National Public Radio
Guardian UK
Tags: Independence Day, Travel, Travel, Travel
Administrator
April 14th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
I think it’s cool that only a few words begin with G-H, like Ghana.
CAN YOU NAME FOUR MORE, NO PROPER NOUNS, IN THE NEXT MINUTE? GO!
Answers in five weeks.
April 15th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Hi guys,
It sounds like life continues to be interesting. How about more pictures of you guys doing daily stuff (in the house, visiting the market, riding the motorcycle) to give a flavor of the moment. Things are status quo here. The kitties are enjoying the warm weather and I’m beginning to ramp up my training for another triathlon. Bonnie’s book is selling well and she is doing the best she can to retire early.
Take care,
Larry