Strategic Adaptation of Traditional Festivals for the Sustainable Development of the Biodiversity of Local Communities in Ghana

Abstract

Traditional festivals in Ghana are cultural events that are primarily organized to venerate the ancestors while remembering iconic events in the history of ethnic societies. However, due to the deleterious condition of the environment and its biodiversity resources, there is a great potential of tactically tailoring these traditional festivals to halt this wanton destruction while ensuring the sustainable development of biodiversity. This is especially important in local communities where illegal mining activities and deforestation has soared up recently in Ghana. Three traditional festivals in Ghana, namely, the Opemso festival, Papa Nantwi festival and the Apoo festival of some ethnic societies in Ghana were phenomenologically studied in a qualitative research approach with the aim of directly observing and carefully investigating into how the traditional festivals could be used as platforms for achieving environmental sustainability. Sixty-six purposive sampled respondents, some of whom were personally interviewed, while others were interviewed in a Focus Group Discussion were involved in the study. The research revealed after the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the accrued data that traditional festivals, though earmarked for the exhibitions of the rich culture of ethnic societies, they could be harnessed as avenues for the sustainable development of local communities. The study, therefore tasks environmentalists, foresters, biodiversity conservation planners and environmental development agencies to liaise with local communities in mapping out pragmatic environmental sustainability programs to bring to cessation, the environmental malfeasance in Ghana.

Ethnographic and Costume Regalia of Paari-gbiele Festival in Northern Ghana

“…Ademin (2016) described the war costume regalia worn during the Feok festival as armours that war dancers wear during the festival which are made of a smock containing amulets, charms and talisman that protects and deflects bullets and evil spirits from the enemy. Also, Adom (2017) observes that during the celebration of the Apoo festival in Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana, groups of people dressed in anonymity fashions cum masks and walked directly to houses, workplaces and palaces of purported culprits of wrongdoings intending to expose those disturbing acts. Adom further reveals that the dress code has since been retained in the contemporary celebrations of the Apoo festival just to mimic how their ancestors dressed during the festival in times past.…”

“…O"Suvillan and Jackson (2002) agree that traditional festivals provide avenues for propagating the unique cultural heritage of local communities. Therefore, festivals are seen as undisputed communal fora for the promotion and reiteration of the actual place identities of local communities of which their cultural norms, beliefs and moral values are vividly revealed and promoted during the occasion (Selase & Christopher, 2013;Adom, 2017). This means that traditional festivals are appropriate social platforms for showcasing and preserving the underlining cultural ideals of a particular society for its generations.…”

Trend Mapping of Traditional Ceremonial Studies: Systematic Literature Review

“…In general, traditional ceremonies have the purpose of honoring, worshipping, thanking, and asking ancestors and their God (Ansik et al, 2023;Werkman, 2014). The implementation of traditional ceremonies and ritual activities has meaning for the community concerned as a means of socialization and strengthening cultural values that apply in people's lives (Adiwijaya et al, 2019;Adom, 2017;Akkas, 2019).…”

Cultural tourism and socio-economic regeneration of rural communities: the Apo festival of Bono Takyiman, Ghana

“…Sampson (2018) affirms that cultural tourism in Ghana covers over 30 traditional festivals and events celebrated by different ethnic groups at different calendar months and it is a key driver generating foreign exchange earnings and creating jobs. A number of authors including Hannam and Offeh (2012), Sampson (2018) and Adom (2017Adom ( , 2019 acknowledge the capacity of cultural tourism in contributing significantly to the socio-economic development of Ghana in general. The authors also agree that cultural tourism serves as avenues for propagating the rich cultural heritage of local communities, honour ancestors and improve the local economic conditions.…”

“…These earlier studies, however, did not specifically focus on the capacity of cultural tourism in creating Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) for the socio-economic regeneration of the Bono Takyiman area. Adom's (2017Adom's ( , 2019 studies, for example, focused on the biodiversity and environmental conservation through traditional festivals in Ghana including the Apo of Bono Takyiman. The current study sought to fill in the vacuum by investigating the socio-economic impact of the Apo festival, as a cultural tourism product, on the rural communities within the Takyiman Municipality.…”