Ghanaians ban ‘spirit child’ killing

The BBC reports:

Local leaders in northern Ghana have announced the abolition of the ritual killing of babies born with physical disabilities, who were believed to have been possessed by evil spirits.

“Spirit children” were thought to have been a sign of impending misfortune and given a poisonous drink to kill them.

One campaigner told the BBC that improved healthcare and education meant such beliefs were becoming less common.

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Ghana Humanist blog – Nominee for best activist blog

This blog has been nominated for best activist blog by the Ghana Social Media Awards. For such a new blog from an organisation a year old it is an honour to have been considered. We hope the nomination will help raise the profile of humanism in Ghana. Please vote for us by following this link.

Voting will close at midnight on March 8th 2013.

African Communalism versus Western Individualism: A false dichotomy

This post is the personal opinion of the author and may not reflect the views of the Humanist Association of Ghana.

Professor Osei’s presentation at the International Humanist Conference in Accra, 2012 entitled The Relevance of Secular Humanism to the Contemporary African Society asserted that the Western construct of Humanism is bringing excessive individualism to Africa in opposition to its traditional values of communalism. Professor Osei also said we need to think about the issue of LGBT rights within this context.

To find a distinctly African expression of humanism sounds like an attractive project, yet the assertion has also been bothering me. I have been pondering on these issues since that presentation and hope I may have found a resolution to the apparent conflict.

Child Witches in Ghana

Leo Igwe writes in Modern Ghana:

The west African nation of Ghana is rather widely known for its ‘witch camps’, where mainly old women who are accused of occult crimes and subsequently banished from their communities. They seek refuge in these ‘camps’ to avoid being killed by their family and community members.

But in the village of Sang, off Tamale-Yendi Road, in the northern region of Ghana there is a care center for vulnerable children. This orphanage, built in a typical northern Ghanaian style of a ring of small rooms linked by short fences has around 32 children.

Bonyase – A Witch Camp And Its Priestess In Ghana

Leo Igwe writes in Modern Ghana:

The Bonyase camp has two distinguishing features. It is the camp with the lowest number of inmates. Five alleged witches are taking refuge here. They were driven out of their communities following allegations that they were responsible for the death and sickness of persons in their respective communities. Another distinguishing feature is that this camp is led by a woman.

Witch Hunt In Ghana

Leo Igwe writes in Modern Ghana:

A 48 year old woman, Fusa, is currently languishing in a ‘witch camp’ in Kukuo in Northern Ghana. If she is not relocated and rehabilitated soon, Fusa, like other many victims of witchcraft accusation will spend the rest of her life in this remote village.

Reality, Anxiety and False Idols

In Ghana, it is common to hear the phrase, “We’re suffering oo”. It’s almost undoubtedly caused by the realities of living but also by a perception that life is better outside the country.

Like people all over the world, we believe that if only there was more money, a better government, or if we owned more ‘stuff’, that we’d experience a sense of completeness and suffering would be alleviated.

Report from the International Humanist Conference, Accra, 2012

Over 55 people attended Ghana’s first ever international humanist conference at the SNITT Guesthouse, Accra, including participants from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the Netherlands.

It was organised by the Humanist Association of Ghana (HAG) and the International Humanist and Ethical Youth Organisation (IHEYO), who sponsored the event.

After opening addresses from Gea Meijers (IHEYO) and Daniel Addae (HAG), Leo Igwe delivered his presentation on The Necessity of Humanism in Africa – Leo drawing on his experience as ex-President of the Nigerian Humanist Movement and his anti-witchcraft campaigns. He noted that it is not the socio-economic conditions in Africa that make humanism impossible, but it is those conditions that make it necessary.

Humanists Unite in Ghana

This is our contribution to Blog Action Day which brings together bloggers from around the world to raise awareness, and encourage discussion, of various issues. The theme for this year’s Blog Action Day is the “Power of We.”

Our country, Ghana, has been listed as the most religious country out of 57 countries polled; 96% of people say they are religious and apparently 0% are convinced atheists. The poll, the Global Index of Religiosity and Atheism, was conducted by WIN-Gallup International (not to be confused with the more widely known Gallup, Inc.). The survey is obviously questionable but it does highlight the importance of the issue in Ghana.

Ghana to Host International Humanist Conference

ACCRA, GHANA – The Humanist Association of Ghana will be hosting its first international conference on “West African Humanism in Action” from November 23^rd to 25^th November 2012 in Accra.

Humanism is an ethical stance based on reason, freethinking and rationalism and not on the belief of supernatural beings, like a God. Humanist ethics promote solidarity, respect for human dignity and self-determination.

The conference will showcase the work of West African humanists, promote humanism and provide training for its development.