OPEN LETTER TO THE IRANIAN AMBSSADOR TO GHANA

Your Excellency,

Re: Proposal for Establishment of Tamale Ethnographic Museum

We are writing formally to propose that the Government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran, fund the construction of an ethnographic museum in Tamale, the largest metropolis, in the most Islamic-influenced part of Ghana - as a token of the friendship existing between our two nations.

As the present bellicose United States federal government, seeks to bring its war machine to our part of the world, the West African sub-region, in order to secure for itself, the abundant oil deposits here, it would be an appropriate symbol of the peaceful and positive role, which the government and people of Iran, through its development agency, the Agricultural and Rural Development organisation (ARD), is seeking to play in the development of Ghana, if it were fund such a noble project.

At a time of global climate change, when extremes in weather is leading to a reduction of agricultural output in the north, one of the most effective means of creating wealth in the rural parts of the three northern regions, is to develop and promote rural community based eco-tourism (CBE) - which encourages poor and marginalised rural communities to conserve their natural environment, as well as their rich cultural heritage.

An ethnographic museum in Tamale, will, amongst other benefits, be an important repository of the many important historical artifacts and archaeological finds, which depict the unspeakable cruelty and abominable acts of brutality, suffered by millions of victims, of this European-inspired evil trade, which was sanctioned by the governments of what were supposed to be civilised nations, simply because their greed for money, knew no bounds.

We appeal to your excellency to play an advocacy role in Iran, for the Chiefs and people of the three northern regions of Ghana, to have this important museum built as a gift to them. It will be the fulcrum, around which responsible tourism, in the north will revolve. Rural community-based eco-tourism, will be the salvation of this largely Islamic-influenced part of Ghana, which sadly, has been consistently neglected by successive regimes, since the overthrow of Osagyefo Dr, Kwame Nkrumah in 1966, by Ghanaian military traitors, who were local agents of the C.I.A., which paid them 13 million US dollars, to enable the imperialists to halt the emancipation of Ghanaians from the bondage of imperialism and neo-colonialism, which Nkrumah had embarked on, after independence in 1957.

Your excellency, the land mass of the three northern regions, is the part of Ghana, which is the most fragile of our country's ecology, and is the worst affected by the negative impact of global climate change - as witnessed by the long drought period that preceded the recent devastating floods: and which has destroyed a large variety of the region's planted crops. Famine is anticipated next year, as a result. Clearly, your excellency, the region cannot continue to rely solely on agriculture.

It is imperative therefore, that the people of the north, find new ways of earning their living - and community-based eco-tourism, will be the best way of capitalising on their rich cultural heritage, and the unique flora and fauna of this truly special part of Ghana.

The proposed Tamale Ethnographic Museum, will be play a crucial role, in the development of sustainable tourism in the north - and will indeed be a welcomed gift from the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to the Chiefs and people of the three northern regions of Kwame Nkrumah's Ghana. We will end here and look forward to a positive response from you soon - and we wish your excellency well.

Yours sincerely,

Kofi Thompson