- Professor Fred McBagonluri says Ghanaians have lost empathy and care.
- He recalls a stronger sense of community in his 1970s upbringing.
- Mandela Washington Fellowship conference discusses leadership and democracy.
- Fellowship celebrates 10th anniversary, empowering 7,000 African leaders.
Professor Fred McBagonluri, a renowned Ghanaian engineer and President of Academic City University, expressed his concerns about the decline of empathy and care in Ghanaian society during the 10th Anniversary Conference of the Mandela Washington Fellowship.
Delivering the keynote address at the University of Ghana on Saturday, August 24, 2024, Professor McBagonluri reminisced about his childhood in the 1970s, describing it as a time of strong communal support and care.
He shared a heartwarming memory of how neighbors and relatives would come together to feed children, emphasizing the sense of community that existed back then. Professor McBagonluri lamented the loss of community vigilance, recalling how adults would ensure children attended school, unlike today, where such concern is noticeably absent.
He contrasted this with a recent experience in the United States, where a public official assisted him promptly, despite being in the middle of a meal. In contrast, he recounted an incident in Ghana where he had to wait for 30 minutes while an attendant finished eating, only to be told that the person who could assist him was on maternity leave.
Dr. Laud Anthony Basing, President of the Mandela Washington Fellows Association of Ghana (MWFAG), also spoke at the event, highlighting the organization’s efforts to impact female entrepreneurs and young people. U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Virginia Palmer, addressed the broader context of democracy in Africa, noting the delicate balance between liberty and security.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship has empowered over 7,000 emerging leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa since its inception in 2014, and this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Fellowship. The event featured various activities showcasing the Fellowship’s impact on leadership and community development across the continent, with a theme of “A Decade of Excellence: Empowering African Leaders for Sustainable Change.”
