A veteran actor, Mr. David Dontoh, has expressed worry over what he termed �the rapid decaying� of Ghanaian traditions and cultural values especially on the part of the youth.
He said the youth were gradually losing their sense of identity and belongingness as they compare themselves with their counterparts of the western countries forgetting that they had a different cultural value which might not be cohesive with the Ghanaian culture.
Mr. Dontoh said this on Saturday at the inauguration of the Central Regional Performers of Traditional Arts Union of Ghana (PETRAUGA).
He said the youth, out of ignorance, considered the western style of living as prestigious and had adopted their dressing as well. �It is good to change a bit but the change should be such that our grounds remain original since change is the rule of nature,� Mr Dontoh said.
He said culture, a defensive mechanism that protects the values of the people must be revisited, studied and understood properly and appealed to traditional leaders to help in its renaissance and preservation.
Mr Dontoh suggested that PETRAUGA and leaders of the various traditional areas appoint �Agorowura� who will be in charge of the education and preservation of traditional values and Arts and Cultural as well as the growth of tourism in the Region.
He also called on Ghana Education Service to add cultural and traditional arts to its curriculum whilst the youth must ensure that they preserve their cultural identities in order to be part of civilization in the world.
Mr. Dontoh said it was regrettable that Cape Coast, the hub of tourism, did not have an arts museum that is one of the largest foreign exchange earners.
He said palaces should not be the only place to unearth historical facts but museums should serve as a first point of call for any historical information.
Mr. Paul Adjetey Dsane, Administrator and Media Relations Office of Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs Football Club, expressed worry that some custodians of the country�s traditions and cultural values were not setting good examples to the young ones with their lifestyles and appealed to them.
Ms. Priscilla Arhin, the Cape Coast Metropolitan Chief Executive, in a speech read on her behalf, expressed disappointment that Ghanaians were losing some important parts of their traditional and cultural values.
�It was about time we harnessed our rich traditional and culture to correct social vices that have bedeviled our country,� she said.
She spoke about the high teenage pregnancy rate in the Region and attributed its cause to lack of parental guidance and moral values and tasked PETRAUGA to help stem bad practices and build the capacity of the youth with the view to creating job opportunities.
Source: GNA
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