The Reverend Dr Solomon Bruce, the Superintendent Minister and Synod Secretary of the Sunyani Methodist Diocese has called on parents to endeavour to teach and inspire their children to observe Ghanaian culture and traditional values.
He emphasised that culture and tradition portrayed or reflected the identity of the people, hence, the need to teach the younger generation to embrace, observe and preserve the nation’s diverse cultural heritage.
“Our culture and tradition are gradually fading way,” the Rev. Minister stated, when he delivered a sermon at a service to mark the “traditional and cultural” celebration of the church in Sunyani, on the theme “our culture, our value”.
The Diocese organised the service to highlight the relevance of culture and tradition in contemporary society.
Rev. Bruce expressed worry that many of the younger generation and even some adults had relegated their culture and tradition to the background, unable to wear traditional cloth, perform traditional dances, and even prepare and eat the traditional food.
Rather, they have opted for and allowed the western culture to adulterate the nation’s rich and diverse cultural and traditional values.
Rev. Dr Bruce inspired the youth to happily embrace their tradition and culture, stressing that “every society has its own cultural practices that benefit that particular society,” and urged them to desist from copying foreign cultures blindly.
“The Ghanaian culture is rich in heritage and has passed on from generations to generations,” he stated and expressed worry that “the Western culture is slowly eroding our great traditions”.
“It is essential to preserve our cultural practices of traditional clothing, music, language and food to maintain our identity as Ghanaians”, he advised, and urged Ghanaians to take pride in and uphold, defend and preserve the nation’s culture and tradition, saying “our culture is an integral part of who we are as a people”.
Mr Kwadwo Agyei-Darko, a former Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and a former Member of Parliament for Sunyani West Constituency commended the diocese for the celebration.
DEN/LAA
28 October 2024
GNA
