Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa (The HACSA) Summit 2019 opens in Accra

The Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa (The HACSA) Summit 2019  has opened in Accra under the theme “400 Years On: Legacy, Communities; Innovation.”

The opening took place at the Kempinski Hotel on Wednesday with an inspirational keynote address from the Liberia’s Vice president, Jewel Howard Taylor. The Guest of Honour and Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Barbara Oteng-Gyasi welcomed delegates from all over the world to Ghana in the spirit of the ‘Year of Return’

This international Summit which will run till Friday, August 9 will see the participation of renowned luminaries, high profile personalities, government officials and many more. Some of the delegates present at the the opening were British-Ghanaian actor, Hugh Quarshie; veteran South African actor, John Kani ( The Black Panther, and The Lion King), and others.

The summit will examine the 400-year legacy of the trans-Atlantic trade in enslaved African people, with the aim to link, reunite and reconcile affected communities and share examples of innovation and creative strategies to overcome the persistent effects of the transatlantic slave trade.

The Summit is organised under the patronage of UNESCO which has a mission to preserve the history and memory of the transatlantic slave trade under the UNESCO Slave Route Project.

The Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa, HACSA is a volunteer-led, volunteer-run, non-profit, non-partisan non-governmental organisation and social enterprise founded by Ambassador Johanna Odonkor Svanikier, Ghana’s former Ambassador to France, Portugal, UNESCO and La Francophonie. HACSA’s mission is to highlight the importance of heritage and culture for sustainable socio-economic development and improved standards of living in Africa. Their work is in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Targets, with greater attention to promoting gender quality, innovation, job creation and economic growth.