The President on Friday addressed the closing of an induction seminar for newly appointed Ambassadors and High Commissioners with a charge to them to seriously pursue economic diplomacy.
He acknowledged that a lot of their time would be taken up by what the Times likes to refer to as “the usuals”, namely concerns about the plight of Ghanaians in their countries of assignment, especially those who, in search of greener pastures, have ended up in harsh conditions abroad as a result of illegal migration.
These and other matters will take a lot of their assigned time, yes; but the President’s definition of a diplomat goes beyond diplomacy; the language is more in the realms of economics.
As he put it: “Your effectiveness as representatives of the nation will be measured by the extent to which your tenure leads to job creation, helps to invest in our people, supports the expansion of infrastructure and assists in building a stronger economy”
The oil find and the Obama visit have brought Ghana, more forcefully than ever before, to the attention of the international community, particularly investors and tourists.
With “economic diplomacy” as the new emphasis, we propose that the Minister of Foreign Affairs adopts an entirely new way of dealing with the country’s diplomatic missions.
To get the best out of the Ghana’s diplomatic mission, the Minister has to throw aside the cloak and language of diplomacy for a while and put on the garb of a business leader.
There is no earthly reason why a head of mission should not be recalled if, after two years, he or she has not done enough to earn high points based on the President’s marking scheme. Our suggestion, of course, will make sense if the diplomats have not been picked on a job-for-boys basis.
What is the use of diplomacy if all that a diplomat does is to grace endless number of parties, wining and dining all day and attend to predictable incidents.
From where we sit as newsmen, we know which of the foreign diplomatic missions in Ghana are hardworking and innovative.
Is it not possible, for instance, to have our missions abroad organize “Ghana Week” or “Sights and Sounds of Ghana”, special events to which the local media and travel and tourist agencies are invited? Many years ago, there used to be ‘Cuba Week’, ‘Japan Week’ and Korea Week’ in Ghana.
It involved film shows (not limited to documentaries), a sampling of native gastronomic delights and photo exhibitions.
If we want more African Americans, Carribeans and other diasporans to pour into this country in plane-loads; if we want North American, Europeans and Asian investors to get more curious about Ghana, the time has come for our missions to be pro-active about the use of similar techniques to woo them to know about Ghana.
Knowing our country, we would not be surprised to hear a comment about “no vote for these activities”. We shall re-direct that comment to the ears of the President.
Certainly, it takes fish to catch fish – a little bait to attract and hook bigger catches.
Over to you, Mr President. The way we see it, the ball will definitely be back in your court. Bait-less hooks attract only worms.
He acknowledged that a lot of their time would be taken up by what the Times likes to refer to as “the usuals”, namely concerns about the plight of Ghanaians in their countries of assignment, especially those who, in search of greener pastures, have ended up in harsh conditions abroad as a result of illegal migration.
These and other matters will take a lot of their assigned time, yes; but the President’s definition of a diplomat goes beyond diplomacy; the language is more in the realms of economics.
As he put it: “Your effectiveness as representatives of the nation will be measured by the extent to which your tenure leads to job creation, helps to invest in our people, supports the expansion of infrastructure and assists in building a stronger economy”
The oil find and the Obama visit have brought Ghana, more forcefully than ever before, to the attention of the international community, particularly investors and tourists.
With “economic diplomacy” as the new emphasis, we propose that the Minister of Foreign Affairs adopts an entirely new way of dealing with the country’s diplomatic missions.
To get the best out of the Ghana’s diplomatic mission, the Minister has to throw aside the cloak and language of diplomacy for a while and put on the garb of a business leader.
There is no earthly reason why a head of mission should not be recalled if, after two years, he or she has not done enough to earn high points based on the President’s marking scheme. Our suggestion, of course, will make sense if the diplomats have not been picked on a job-for-boys basis.
What is the use of diplomacy if all that a diplomat does is to grace endless number of parties, wining and dining all day and attend to predictable incidents.
From where we sit as newsmen, we know which of the foreign diplomatic missions in Ghana are hardworking and innovative.
Is it not possible, for instance, to have our missions abroad organize “Ghana Week” or “Sights and Sounds of Ghana”, special events to which the local media and travel and tourist agencies are invited? Many years ago, there used to be ‘Cuba Week’, ‘Japan Week’ and Korea Week’ in Ghana.
It involved film shows (not limited to documentaries), a sampling of native gastronomic delights and photo exhibitions.
If we want more African Americans, Carribeans and other diasporans to pour into this country in plane-loads; if we want North American, Europeans and Asian investors to get more curious about Ghana, the time has come for our missions to be pro-active about the use of similar techniques to woo them to know about Ghana.
Knowing our country, we would not be surprised to hear a comment about “no vote for these activities”. We shall re-direct that comment to the ears of the President.
Certainly, it takes fish to catch fish – a little bait to attract and hook bigger catches.
Over to you, Mr President. The way we see it, the ball will definitely be back in your court. Bait-less hooks attract only worms.
