Rastas in Ghana have been called upon to establish child care facilities to cater for the development of their young ones.

This call was made by Empress Shamara Wyllie Alhassan during a symposium held at the MUSIGA Hall in Accra to mark the 125th birthday celebration of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia.

According to Empress Shamara who is working on her dissertation on the Role of Women in Rastafari recounted the genesis of women’s involvement in the movement to the early 1940s when the movement sprang up on the Pinnacle in Jamaica.

She indicated that despite the apparent male dominance of the movement, women have been playing a leadership role since the early days of the movement at the forefront of the movement.

She indicated that from the early seventies it became apparent that more young women in school began to outwardly identify with the movement through their head wraps and other identifiable manifestations of Rastafari.

She applauded the various women who have been upholding the Rastafari family in the face of harassment of the men and called for a balance in the work of Rastafari to acknowledge the role of the women in the movement.

In his presentation on “The Role of Rastafari in the African Reconstruction”, Jah Gold called on Rasses to address issues of economics, industrialization and education as part of the movements forward march. He advised Rastas to form partnerships to pursue business interests.

On his part, Ras Wiisemlewie Inusah spoke about “The Theology of Rastafari” and traced the Judaeo-Christian origins of the Ethiopian Monarchy noting that Haile Selassie I firmly upheld the tenets of Orthodox Christianity.

He therefore advised Rastas not to be fixated on the Eurocentric Christian propaganda which is alien to the Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity practised by HIM Haile Selassie I.

Binghi

Quoting extensively from the Bible Ras Wiisemlewie underscored his position Orthodox Christianity was practised in Ethiopia, centuries before it got to Europe.

In a welcome address, the President of the Rastafari Council of Ghana recalled the genesis of the Council and called on the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to maintain the tradition of annually granting citizenship to members of the diaspora who are intent on resettling in Ghana.

He noted that this would be a realization of the dreams of our forebears.

Ras Kuuku

The vice chairman of the Black Star Line Cooperative Credit Union Kweku Andoh aka Emperor called on the Rastafari and Pan African community to support the growth of the Credit Union which was set up by the Rastafari Council of Ghana in 2009 to foster wealth creation within the community.

As part of the celebrations, a stage show was held at the Rising Phoenix, Akuma Village in the night which featured crack reggae acts like the award winning Ras Kuuku, Osagyefo, Konkarah, Xali Hail and Jah Wyze.

Other activities took place at Assin Manso and other parts of the country to mark the day.

Konkarah