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The City of Accra was selected by UNESCO as the 2023 World Book Capital following evaluation by the World Book Capital Advisory Committee.
Accra was selected ahead of other cities after the Inter-Ministerial / Agency Committee led by the Ghana Book Development Council put together the convincing Dossier that won for Ghana this enviable international title.
Ghana programme focus was on young people and their ability to contribute to the culture and wealth of Ghana through the power of reading. Accra, thus, became the fourth city in Africa to receive this title since 2001, making the vibrant city part of the prestigious World Book Capital Cities Network. This, no doubt, is an acknowledgement of the giant strides Ghana and Africa are making to develop the book and creative arts industries.
Ghana will be the host for the next one year starting from April 23, 2023 to April 2024.
The concept of World Book Capital by UNESCO acknowledges the power of books and reading as cornerstones to a more inclusive, equitable, peaceful, and sustainable society.
The Government of Ghana believing in this vision also recognizes the need to address barriers to equity and inclusivity in all aspects of societal life. In education for example, through several actions, including, making secondary education free, provision of more schools and STEM Centers across the country, development of adapted curricula at all levels, and improving the quality of teachers and the teaching profession are all efforts by Government to guarantee a just and sustainable society.
Under the theme: ‘Reading to connect minds for social transformation’, the Accra World
Book Capital, 2023 covers six broad thematic areas that seek to:
• Transform minds and promote lifelong learning through a series of reading promotion activities targeting the youth nationwide.
• Provide schools and communities with books and reading infrastructure, including the construction of facility in Accra for Reading and creative – Writing.
• Promote the Florence Agreement, and the publication and use of books in Ghanaian languages to revamp the Ghanaian book industry.
• Promote creative skills to address rising unemployment, substance abuse, truancy in schools, and teenage pregnancy among the youth, as well as equip the youth and the disadvantaged with 21st Century skills towards socio-economic transformation.
• Promote fundamental human rights to advance the right and access to information through books and encourage publishing.
• Safeguard and promote Ghanaian Arts and Culture towards inclusivity and diversity of cultural expressions within the context of acceptable cultural norms.
Ghana stands to benefit immensely from the Accra World Book Capital, 2023.
Minister of Education Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum who referred to the World Bank Education learning poverty ranking, said, “If by age 10 your Children can’t read you are likely to be a poor country. So the World Bank looked at nations called classification and unfortunately in Sub Sahara Africa, 87% of our children cannot read and understand. In our own country Ghana, in 2015 only 2% of children in primary two in Ghana could read. We have now moved to 38% but it is not acceptable”. He stated.
According to him, “We need to do everything to take advantage of the spot light that is coming to Accra. If all of us commit to buy a book a month to read we will encourage more publishers.” He noted.
UNESCO Representative in Ghana, Abdourahamane Diallo, said “The theme resonates with UNESCO’s mission to ‘build the defenses of peace in the minds of men and women’. This highlights the importance of books and the culture of reading in changing minds, particularly among the youth, as well as creating new bonds of friendship through reading”.
“UNESCO, and the book industry – writers, authors, and publishers – envisage Accra World Book Capital, 2023 reinvigorating and promoting the domestic book industry; re-imagining the concept of libraries, promoting literacy and instilling the culture of reading among the youth”. He stated.
A grand Opening Ceremony will be held on April 24, 2023, at the Accra International Conference Centre where President Akufo-Addo, will host a wide array of important international personalities at the ceremony.
By Richard Bright Addo
.
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