National Peace and Unity Festival launched

The Council of Women Traditional Leaders in collaboration with the Association of Queen Mothers and Women Chiefs on Tuesday launched the National Peace and Unity Festival in Accra.

The festival, which is scheduled to start on November 23 at the Trade Fair Centre, is to offer the opportunity for Queen Mothers to project their cultures and values for peace and unity.

The festival is on the theme: “Traditional Leadership-Culture and the Arts for National Unity.”

Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, said the event is timely because it symbolises the determination of Queen Mothers’ to come together and promote unity for development.

Mrs Ofosu-Adjare said Queen Mothers have played exemplary roles in settling disputes, poverty alleviation through micro income generation and infrastructural development for local communities.

She said the results of these activities had contributed to peace and social harmony.

She urged them to be united and use the festival to shape the future of the society.

Mr John Alexander Ackon, Deputy Minister of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, said the impending festival would project the unique cultural traditions and its historical heritage of Ghana.

He said the Ministry would invite Queen Mothers in the country for a seminar to prepare them adequately to be admitted into the National House of Chiefs.

Mr Ackon charged the Queen Mothers to focus on maternal mobility in meeting the Millennium Development Goals.

Mamaga Amega Kofi Bra I, Paramount Queen Mother of Peki and President of the Council said the body plans to institute the festival as an annual event.

She said some of activities for the festival include symposium on the roles of traditional leaders, food fair, washing competition, education on health issues, tree planting and a float through some principal streets of Accra.

Source: GNA