The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has underscored the relevance of poetry in socio-economic development of all countries.
The Representative of UNESCO to Ghana, Mr Edmond Moukala, said poetry contributes about 6.1% to the global economy.
Mr Mouka disclosed this in a statement read on his behalf at the launch of The Lade Wosornu Festival of Poetry and Indigenous Languages by Mr Carl Ampah, National Programme Officer (Culture), UNESCO-Ghana, in Accra on July 19, 2024.
“UNESCO is pleased to be associated with Poetry/Literature, a form of creativity, cultural expression. Indeed, UNESCO supports the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCIs) which contribute approximately 6.1% to the global economy, with an estimated global worth of 4.3 trillion USD annually,” he stated.
The UNESCO Representative noted that “CCIs generate US$ 2,250 billion in annual revenues worldwide. These industries employ nearly 30 million people, particularly those aged 15 to 29.”
Mr Moukala predicted that,” CCIs could be worth up to 10% of global GDP in the coming years. An Oxford Economics study found that CCIs account for over 10% of GDP in countries like Brazil and the United States and in Africa, it contributes $4.2 billion and employs 2.4 million people.”
“CCIs including Poetry/Literature are therefore essential for inclusive economic growth, reducing inequalities, and achieving sustainable development goals. They are not only economically valuable but also enrich our cultural fabric,” he added.
The Lade Wosornu Festival of Poetry and Indigenous Languages was organised by the Osu Children’s Library Fund, Read Ghana Read Consult in partnership with the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (Zone 5).
According to Oswald Okaitei, Executive Director, Read Ghana Read Consult and producer of the Festival, it is aimed at immortalizing Prof Wosornu.
“The festival is to create an annual platform to celebrate the legacy of Professor Wosornu in the literary (poetry) and cultural space (advocating for the promotion of the use of Ghanaian languages) and also, as one of the means to celebrate Ghanaian poetry,” he explained.
The Head of Programmes, Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Reine Fioklou in a solidarity message lauded the initiative.
She further commended Prof Lade Wosornu for his commitment to ensuring that indigenous languages do not become extinct.
“The Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) is very impressed with Prof Wosornu’s strong desire to see Ghanaians speak their indigenous languages. This initiative is in tandem with PAWA’s Mission and Vision for the promotion of African Literature in Indigenous African Languages,” she said.
The PAWA representative pledged the organisation’s support for the cause.
“It is for this singular reason that PAWA is ready to associate itself with the project. On this note, PAWA wishes to congratulate Prof Lade Wosornu, the organizers of the event as well as the partners and sponsors for this highly laudable project. We wish the initiative, a successful and very sustainable tenure,” she noted.
In his remarks, Prof Wosornu, who is a retired surgeon of global repute, recounted how his ability to speak his native Ewe, Ga, Akan, and Hausa facilitated his relationship with work colleagues as well as personal relationships.
He decried the practice whereby some parents speak foreign languages with their children. A practice he said alienates these children from their roots.
“Children must speak and write their indigenous languages. This helps greatly in various way. I must say that my ability to speak other local languages oiled my career progression,“ Prof Wosornu stressed.
Selected poems of Prof Wosornu have been translated by the Bureau of Ghana Languages into fifteen (15) Ghanaian languages. At the launch of the festival, he donated copies of the books to twenty-seven (27) schools.
