Ghanaian Rastafarians Challenged

Rastafarians in Ghana have been challenged to earn their stripes like other Rastamen in the diaspora. The challenge was issued by an elder Rastaman, historian and social activist Gabre Wolde aka Jah Blue at a workshop organized by the Rastafari Council of Ghana as part of activities marking the third anniversary of the Council.

The workshop was under the theme The Way Forward for Rastafari. Speakers at the workshop were Jah Blue and Ras Shango Baku.

Speaking on the History of the Rastafari Movement and Religious Tolerance and Peaceful Coexistence, Jah Blue traced the history of the movement from Jamaica and indicated that one of the founders of the faith Leonard Percival Howell visited Ghana in the early 20^th century and wrote one of the earliest books on Rastafari, the Promised Key here.

Jah Blue traced the history of the slave trade and the way the slaves who were taken to Jamaica retained Ghanaian names like Tackie, Nana, Kweku etc and the role of the Maroons in the resistance movement in Jamaica.

He spoke about the persecution of Rasses in Jamaica in the early 60s and their desire to return to Africa. and indicated his frustration with the current system that does not recognize the diasporans who return to African countries like Ghana but are not recognized as Africans.

On that note, he challenged Ghanaian Rastafarians to work assiduously to ensure that diasporans who return to Ghana for instance are granted the right to stay. He said this is crucial to the actualization of the dream of many diasporans to repatriate to Africa.

On his part, Ras Shango Baku, a Rastafari elder, author and member of the Nyabinghi Council of the U.K who edits a magazine called Thunder on his part spoke on the Role of Rastafari in Iinternatinal Politics an the Integrity of the African Union.

Ras Shango noted the phenomenal growth of the Rastafari movement and its worldwide appeal.

He questioned the role of the African Union in the invasion of Libya and called for meaningful measures to attain real unity and effect repatriation.

Quoting copiously from the speeches of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, ex President Mbeki of South Africa and other leaders, he stressed the right of diasporan Africans to return to the motherland.

In his closing remarks, the President of the Rastafari Council of Ghana Ahuma Bosco Ocansey highlighted the historical role of Ghana in Pan Africanism and the need for Ghanaians to blaze the trail when it comes to Repatriation.

The event which took place at the Freedom Centre of the Socialist Forum was coordinated by the Vice President of the Rastafari Council of Ghana, Ras Nana Nkrabeah Aswad.