Global Crisis ‘Hits Africa Twice,’ Says Kofi Annan

Africa is facing difficult times. The effects of the global economic recession and climate change have already begun to reverse the progress the continent has made over the last decade.

Many countries are experiencing reduced trade and economic activity, withdrawal of investors and an acute scarcity of credit. Projects are being postponed or cancelled altogether. Financial inflows are dropping, including levels of international assistance and remittances.

The result is that the ability of African countries to support basic services, tackle their developmental challenges and achieve the Millennium Development Goals is being heavily impaired. The human, social and political consequences could be enormous.

Africa now needs urgent support to maintain economic activity and protect the vulnerable from the crisis. But while trillions of dollars are being found, at short notice, for stimulus plans and bail outs in the richer countries, the least developed countries find themselves lacking access to credit and faced with lending policies and practices that minimise their chances of receiving loans.

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Credit crunch causes reduced demand for wood

The global economic turmoil has resulted in reduced demand for wood, shrinking investments in industries and forest management, says this year’s United Nations ‘State of the World’s Forests’ report, which was released last week.

The double challenges posed by the financial crisis and climate change are highlighting the need for bolstered forest management and stepped-up investments in science and technology, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) publication said, voicing concern that the economic downturn could lead governments to water down ambitious “green” targets.

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Asamoah Gyan seeks lead striker role

Injury-prone Black Stars striker Asamoah Gyan has spoken of his desire to recapture the lead striking role in the team for the 2010 Nations Cup/World Cup qualifiers.

The 23-year-old has suffered a lot of injury setbacks this term after switching from Udinese to Rennes in an 8 million euro move. Gyan is yearning for a role in Milovan Rajevac starting line-up for Sunday’s Group opener against Benin at the Baba Yara Stadium.

“I won’t say I’m the lead striker now because it’s been a while for now so I am back to take my place in the team,” Gyan told Ghanasoccernet.com. “So I’m just focused. I will just play my normal game and the coach decides. I believe in my qualities and I know what I can do on the field.”

Gyan last played for the Black Stars some 14 months against Nigeria at the Nations Cup on home soil and he is elated to return to international duty. “I’m very happy because I have been in a lot of difficulties for the past one-and-half years so joining my colleagues. I thank God,” he added.

“I just recovered from injury and I have played few games for my team and think my condition is  quite for us that was why I respond to the call-up because I believe playing for the national team,at least you have to be 65% fit.”

He scored Ghana’s first goal at the 2006 World Cup in Germany in a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic.
Source: Ghanasoccernet

Ghana’s Movie Industry Needs State Intervention

Efo Kojo Mawugbe, a celebrated Ghanaian scriptwriter, actor and artistic director of the National Theater, has said that Ghana’s movie industry cannot really rub shoulders with other movie industries in Africa and beyond, without government  support.

According to him, the State need to come in and put all the needed structures in place and even support the industry up to a point before leaving it in the hands of individual players.

Speaking on Atlantics FM, Efo Mawugbe said, “there must be a State intervention at a certain point. The movie industries in other countries, even though were started by individuals, there were times when the State, corporate institutions and banks came in.” But here in Ghana, the situation is different.

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National Volunteer Day Attracts New Investors

Forty-five thousand Ghana cedis has been invested into educational and health improvement projects across the country – in a single day. The funds, which were donated by some of Ghana’s leading corporate institutions, were put towards making lasting improvements to the lives of people from seven impoverished communities as part of United Way Ghana’s fourth Day of Caring event.

Over 400 people participated in last month’s event, including volunteers from Newmont Ghana Gold, Stanbic Bank, UT Financial Services, and spa business Allure Ghana. Day of Caring is a one-day volunteer event that aims to cultivate a greater sense of corporate social responsibility amongst companies in Ghana. The event, which was first launched in 2006, acts as a mechanism to optimise the return on investment for corporate institutions, while maximising measurable and sustainable impact at the community level.
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MeFiri Ghana Clothing

The Me FiRi GHANA clothing aims to showcase to the world part of the Ghanaian culture by allowing individuals to customise their clothing to express themselves in their own fresh and funky way.

Clothing is customised to provide YOU with the ability to print YOUR traditional name at the back of YOUR tops, with one of the Adinkra Symbols (e.g. Gye Nyame).

We are NOT just trying to jump on the self-made-clothing ban wagon; this is more than a clothing line…

The aim is to not only make individuals look stylish and unique, but to also educate and showcase to the world that we Ghanaian’s are more than what people stereotype us to be. We are unique individuals with deep rooted culture… hence the customised clothing

So whether for an event, a fashion show, or general wear, the idea is to make YOU feel proud of YOUR country, to REPRESENT YOUR Culture, to REPRESENT YOURSELVES and to let people know who YOU are and where YOUR from

A Fresh Face Onboard Ghana’s Movie Industry

IF YOU are zealous about Ghana’s movie industry and have watched the movie ‘Scorned’ by Sparrow Productions, you will notice that TV Africa presenter, Naa Ashorkor Mensah-Doku is one of the reigning actresses to watch out for in Ghana’s growing movie industry.

Naa was one of the few fresh faces who came on board Ghana’s movie train last year.

Unlike most of her colleagues who had to struggle through TV programmes before they finally hit mainstream acting, hers is pretty an easy one. Her first movie role was in a top-rated movie and she played her role better, even though some consider her a novice in the area of acting.
In ‘Scorned’, she played a supporting role to industry giant Kwame Sefa Kayi, the host of Peace FM’s Kokrokoo morning show, and she was perfect.

“That role seems to me more like my life. It was pretty easy and fun. I was actually having fun playing that role,” she told BEATWAVES in an exclusive interview over the weekend. According to Naa, she was more relaxed in front of the cameras because of her constant appearance on TV.

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Badminton Association gears up for African Championships

Accra, March 24, GNA – The Badminton Association of Ghana (BAG) will on Friday, March 27, embark on a justify-your-inclusion exercise to select players for the impending All Africa Badminton Championships scheduled for Kenya next month.

Ignatius Elletey, General Secretary of BAG said in statement that the two day exercise dubbed “National Individual Badminton Championship” will end on Saturday March 28, at the Hathiramani Sports Hall of the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in Accra.

He said the Association will also use the championship to rank individual players with the top ranked players picking a place in the national team, adding that attractive prizes will be given to outstanding players. The All African Badminton Championship is fixed for April 18 – 27, 2009. 25 March 09
Source:
GNA

Koufie fumes over Appiah detractors

Ghanaian Fifa coaching instructor Ben Koufie has launched a scathing attack on those who have called for the exclusion of Stephen Appiah from the Black Stars.

The former Ghana Football Association boss says those commentators who have expressed that view have got an agenda to destroy the national team.

The Black Stars take on Benin on Sunday in the World Cup and Appiah is leading the team to hit the ground running in the Group D game. Koufie, a respected brain in African football, says Appiah is a priceless asset to the national team even though he is club-less.

“Those who have made that call have got a wicked agenda not only against Appiah but against the entire country,” Koufie told Ghanasoccernet. “Those who are making that argument have no knowledge of the game and they have got some other evil interests.

“Appiah has shown on the field that even though he doesn’t have a club he is our most important player as we saw in the game against Egypt. “In Egypt and in many games he has been without a club but has shown that he is our best performer therefore those making that call have got an agenda.

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Ghana’s NDC Party Celeberation 2009

NDC Canada Chapter held an elegant Victory Celebration in Toronto on Sunday, March 22, 2009. The event, dubbed as a “Democratic Victory for Ghana”, was held at 995 Arrow Road, Jamaican Canadian Center, Toronto Ontario. It was attended by members of the Ghanaian Community and delegations from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Convention Peoples Party (CPP) and a large delegation from the African and Caribbean Communities in Toronto. The Dinner-Dance also featured a large variety of African dishes and music.

The Guest Speaker, Mr. Bo Amissah who came from Ghana stressed the commitment of the government not to engage in political vendetta but to focus on meaningful and constructive policies that will improve the living conditions of the people.

Mr. Jayson Schwarz, a legal practitioner in Toronto and an active contributor to Ghanaian causes in the community thanked the organizers for bestowing the greatest honour on him to speak at this august occasion. He said that as a friend to most members of the major political parties in Ghana he was gladdened with joy to see Ghana pass another political litmus test. He remarked that he was very fortunate to meet President Atta Mills when he came to Toronto in 2003 as the leader of the opposition party. He said he was looking forward to visiting Ghana to look at areas that he could be of benefit to Ghana.

Pictures provided courtesy of: GhanainToronto.com

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