2019 is the Year of Return – a call to action launched by Ghanian President Nan Akufo-Addo, last autumn year in Washington DC to attract people of African roots back to Africa. 2019 is also a significant year to mark 400 years of the of the first documented enslaved African arriving in Jamestown Virginia. The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) under the Auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is leading the project in collaboration with the Office of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President, the Panafest Foundation and the Adinkra Group of USA.
2019 – The Year of Return
“In the year 2019, we open our arms even wider to welcome home our brothers and sisters in what will become a birthright journey home for the global African family.” President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana.
CLICK HERE to download TYOR articles by Kwaku
According to VisitGhana.com; ‘The Year of Return seeks to make the focus for millions of African descendants reacting to their marginalisation by tracing their ancestry and identity. By this, Ghana becomes the beacon for African people living on the continent and the diaspora.’
The Year of Return offers a year-long programme of activities, some I’ve already witnessed via social media during the Christmas holidays entering into the New Year. ‘The Full Circle Festival” was introduced by marketing guru Bozoma Saint John and Boris Kodjoe which saw a star-studded list of African-American celebrities with them to ‘experience’ the best of Ghana. For the first time, British-Ghanaian Afrobeats artist Fuse ODG brought the TINA (This is New Africa) concert to Ghana with a lineup of Black British artists including Skepta, Lethal Bizzle, Steflon Don and Kojo Funds.
The symbolic meaning behind The Year of Return logo
A long side having a richly diverse history, thriving economy, political stability, and the TYOR activities as an added incentive, you can see why Ghana is set to be the number one destination for Africans across the diaspora to visit.
Want to know more about The Year of Return? My dad, Kwaku; a African History consultant and journalist, has published recent articles which shed light on TYOR initiative in diverse perspectives.
New African Jan. 2019 p32-34: Back to Africa Movement Gathers Pace
African Voice Jan 3 2019: Ghana Call On African Diaspora To Return in 2019
The Voice Jan. 10-16 p(1), 4: Ghana Declares 2019 The Year of Return
CLICK HERE to download the PDF
I’m on a personal ‘Year of Return’ journey in Brazil exploring my ‘Tabom’ roots; AfroBrazilian returnees to Accra, Ghana (then the Gold Coast) during the 1830s, where I’m also gathering content for a self-funded documentary film on tracing my ancestry. I will however be joining the pack by ending my research in Ghana (and Nigeria) later this year. To read more about my project check out the ‘Tabom no Brasil‘ category for my blog posts, or visit the Facebook page www.facebook.com/tabomproject
Have you got any plans to research your roots this Year of Return? Let me know your thoughts in the comment box below!
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