Mangrove and sunflower coexistence?
After visiting Ghana’s stand which showcased Ghana with pictures of Abedi Pele and Michael Essien, as well as cocoa, at the Shanghai Expo of 2010 in Shanghai, China, I visited the Chinese stand. At the entrance, the Chinese had created a mangrove swamp. While finding nothing unusual with the mangrove swamp, it struck me that the sunflower plants growing in the mangrove swamp was a contradiction of nature. Why?
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In my Geography class in school, Mr Senior taught us about both mangroves and sunflower. Mangroves, he told us, were tropical plants which grew in coastal estuaries called wetlands. Generally, where sea water meets fresh water in estuaries in the tropics, a maze of woody vegetation called mangrove grew.
Sunflower on the other hand is a plant with a bright yellow flower surrounding an inner black circle of seeds. Sunflower does not like water and only grows in arid or semi-arid parts of the world. To show sunflower growing out of a mangrove swamp was, therefore, contradictory.
Symbolism
Armed with the knowledge acquired about 50 years earlier in school, I confidently demanded from the Chinese organisers their reason for growing sunflower in a mangrove swamp.
After thanking me for a valid observation, they explained that, the rationale for putting the two “enemy” plants together was symbolic. In life, it is possible for two seeming contradictions such as mangrove and sunflower to co-exist peacefully.
The Chinese, therefore, were educating the world that peaceful co-existence was always possible despite seeming contradictions. They concluded that while conflict was inevitable, it was resolvable if the opposing parties sought peace and harmony. That night, I asked myself why there was so much conflict among humans.
Conflicts
Ghana has just gone through a general election. To the average onlooker, the posture and rhetoric from all angles before the elections seemed to suggest Ghana was going to war. Now, a bit about conflict!
Cain and Abel
In Genesis, we learn of Cain murdering his brother Abel. Cain was angry not because Abel had offended him, but because while his sacrifice to God using inferior produce from his farm was rejected by God, Abel’s sacrifice of a juicy lamb was eaten joyously by God.
Trojan War
In the 12th Century BC, we learn about the Trojan War from the Greek writer Homer’s book, ‘’The Iliad’’. Prince Priam of Troy in modern day Turkey visited King Menelaus of Sparta in today’s Greece. Somehow, Priam fell in love with Menelaus’ wife Helen and eloped with her to Troy. Sparta’s attack on Troy to retrieve Helen led to the Trojan War.
World Wars 1 & 2
In the 20th Century, two World Wars were fought. While 20 million lives are estimated to have been lost in World War I from 1914-1918, the figure of casualties for World War II from 1939-1945 is 60 million.
Africa
In West Africa, civil wars have been fought in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast. In East Africa, the civil war in Rwanda in 1994 claimed about 800,000 lives in three months.
Perhaps, the figure could have been higher, but for the extraordinary bravery of the Ghanaian Battalion, commanded by then Lt Col JN Adinkrah (later Maj. Gen.) in stemming the carnage.
Ghana was the only country which stayed in Rwanda during the genocide after the world abandoned Rwanda because 10 Belgian soldiers had been killed.
Greed and ego
In most conflicts, race/ethnicity, as well as religion, have been named as the causes. While this may be true, research has shown that, greed or the love of money, as well as ego or arrogance underpin the triggers of race and religion.
So, why did the mercury in Ghana’s political barometer rise so high?
Ghana’s 2016 Election
On November 25, 2016, the US Embassy in Ghana warned US citizens to be vigilant and avoid some places in Accra during the elections. Thankfully, by the grace of God, once again Ghana sailed through.
After the elections on December 7, 2016, there was a period of anxiety caused by the thought that there had been a delay in announcing the results. Indeed, a concerned friend from a sister African country called me to enquire what was happening. I explained that by our electoral laws, the electoral commissioner had 72 hours to declare results.
Eventually, when the results were announced, my elated friend said: “Ghana, you have always been the natural leaders of Africa from independence. Once again, you have shown leadership, and Africa is proud of you!” Incidentally, the same words were repeated by a friend from another African country!
Jefferson Davis Highway
The main highway from Dulles International Airport, Washington to Washington DC is called Jefferson Davis Highway. Curiosity led me to discover that Jefferson Davis was the President of the separatist “rebel” Confederate States of America which attempted breaking off from the “unionist” United States of America, led by President Abraham Lincoln in the American Civil War from 1861-1865.
When I asked why a rebel leader would be honoured by having an important highway named after him, I was educated that after war, there must be peace for national development, hence the decision to honour Jefferson Davis to heal the wounds of America.
Lessons for Ghana
Mangrove and sunflower were symbolically planted together in the Shanghai Expo 2010, China, to show that seeming contradictions in nature can co-exist peacefully. America has named a major highway from Washington Dulles Airport to Washington DC after a “rebel” leader.
Above all, friends from two African countries hailed us as Africa’s leaders and jubilated with us on our successful elections of 2016. So, why all the divisions and insults? We must unlearn greed and arrogance, and learn the history of Ghana and civics for good behaviour!
Harness all human resources
Ghana has a critical mass of brainpower across the board, and great natural resource endowment, to propel faster development than has been the case. With visionary leadership harnessing all human resources, integrity, selflessness and discipline, backed by unity and positive thinking, the sky should be our limit.
Parochial interests must give way to utilitarian good for Ghana. Ghana will be 60 in March 2017. We have no excuse to continue justifying the unjustifiable, lawlessness and glorifying mediocrity.
The 2016 elections came out with only one result: “Ghana is the winner!”