In the current multiple crisis, one development gives hope: the "Fix the country" initiative in Ghana. Young people have used the new possibilities of the Internet and were able to break through the information monopoly of the ruling privileged forces.
With their independently produced radio and television stations, they reach the majority of Ghanaians. They bring up the corruption of the elite and give Ghanaians a platform through which they can publicly voice their problems and demand solutions.
A team of 25 journalists also support people who want to stand up for better living conditions to build their own grassroots structure in and through the "Fix the country" campaign. They mobilize and do educational work throughout the country and can move people to use their democratic options. In the face of government opposition, they are able to organize large demonstrations and have also won all court cases brought against them so far.
The movement is peaceful and constructive: it not only criticizes, but demands and collaborates on action programs to overcome poverty in the resource-rich country. The demand for jobs is central; up to now, Ghanaian raw materials have been processed into products mainly abroad, not in Ghana. Subsidized imported goods have done great damage to agriculture in Ghana, and imposed free trade makes it difficult to build up some industry.
Currently, one of the journalists who helped initiate and promote this movement is a guest at the International PeaceFactory Wanfried: Godwin Kweku Tetteh Maulepe.
We have agreed to work together: Many of the reasons for poverty in Ghana lie in the country's foreign relations, which are also characterized as neocolonial in Ghana. Here, too, changes are needed that can only be achieved by new forces on both sides.
We want to work together for fair foreign relations and exchange our opinions and information on this. "Fix German-European-Ghanaian Relations" is what we want to call the circle. We are looking for people who want to help build this up and get involved so that "Fix the country" can achieve success for the people in Ghana. Just as young people in Ghana were able to break the monopoly of the elites on opinion thanks to the Internet, we can now do the same in Germany, where information about the situation in Ghana and relations is provided on an interest-driven basis.
In order to make the experiences in Ghana usable worldwide and to be able to support each other better, we are also working on international networking and suggest the network "Let's fix our countries! Let's fix our world!" network. Through it, we want to learn with and from each other how to fix our countries for everyone and the common challenges of our one human family.
The next online meetings with Fix the country representatives from Ghana will be on Wednesday, March 1 at 7pm and Saturday, March 18 at 4pm German Time).
The link both times is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3216854044
Wolfgang Lieberknecht for the International PeaceFactory Wanfried