Resident Representative of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation, Dr. Arne Wulff has urged Ghanaians and Africans, in general, to hold on to their identity.

Having spent over eight years in Africa, he said it is important to hold on to the many diverse identities on the continent instead of adopting everything that comes from the Western countries.

He made the call in an address at the maiden Bono Queen Mothers Association's conference and workshop in Sunyani on November 10, 2021.

The two-day program, in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation, themed; The Queen Mother in Mediation was to build the capacity of Queen Mothers in modern mediation for effective and sustainable development. 

With more than a hundred offices around the world, the Foundation engages in issues involving democracy, human rights, anti-corruption, good governance, and the balance of power.

They are equally interested in keeping traditions.

"Sometimes we really need to be careful not to adopt everything that is coming from Western countries. Africa needs to keep its own identity. It is a very important thing to do because you will never get happy if you give up your identity", Dr. Wulff said. 

He noted that the whole society would suffer from personal and emotional disaster if they lose their identity.

He continued, "We are Germans. We have our own identity. I don't want to cover Ghana with my cultural identity. We are more intelligent than just doing copy and paste”. 

There is no country in the history of the world, Dr. Wulff said, that survived after giving up on its culture, and therefore urged citizens to hold on to theirs. 

He also acknowledged the cultural and religious diversity that co-exist in Ghana, describing it as a good example.

He said the Foundation would continue to work to save African diversity.

Meanwhile, the Bono Regional minister, Justina Owusu Banahene, who was the chairperson at the same gathering said the government would continue to engage queen mothers to build their capacity to enhance the performance of their expected roles, especially women empowerment advocacy.

She urged Queen mothers to use their lobbying skills to attract investment and development into their traditional areas since "economic development turns to benefit women more".

The minister also believes in the establishment of cultural platforms by the chiefs to aid the youths in learning folklores, traditional songs, and ways of life. 

"The decay of morals can be resolved by revisiting our customs and practices, and in the same way, obnoxious practices can be taken away", she concluded.