Recorded and Submitted by
Roger Gocking
Mercy College
Present: Jean Allman, Amos Anyimadu, Gareth Austin, Michel Doortmont, Roger Gocking, Daniel Mato, Godwin Nukunya, David Owusu-Ansah, Merrick Posnansky, Ray Silverman, Victoria Tashjian, Charles and Joyce Wereko-Brobby, Ivor Wilks, Edward Kissi, Ivor Agyeman-Duah, Dan Britz, Anne Bailey, Paul Jenkins, Marie Alice Arnold, Ellyn Landreth, Susan Broadhead, Mougo Nyaggah, Amy Settergren, Alexandra Wilson, Beverly Stoeltje, David Killingray, Akwasi Osei, Kwame Agyenim-Boateng, Deborah Pellow, Michelle Gilbert, Gloria Ofori-Boadu, Donna Maier, and Larry Yarak.
Opening: The meeting was called to order by the Chair, Jean Allman, at 5:35. Those present approved the minutes of the last meeting. A sheet was passed around with names of those who had paid their dues for 1997. All others were asked to do so.
David Killingray was not present to give a report on the GSC-UK activities.
Larry Yarak reported that the Ghana Studies Council is now on the Internet as part of his own web page. This includes announcements as well as the last edition of the Newsletter.
Jean Allman reported on the Council's finances. There is $2,350 in our US account. Also, we have established a UK account which contains over £200. We sent $455 to the Historical Society of Ghana to help support the publication of the next issue of Transactions. Unfortunately, however, Albert van Danzig is quite ill and the fate of the publication remains up in the air. In addition, the Council gave $100 to a Ghanaian student to attend the ASA conference. Last year's incoming funds were $700. Altogether the Council has 190 members, 83 of whom are in the US, 42 in Ghana, 20 in the UK , 6 in Canada, with the balance in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, France, Italy, Belgium, China Zimbabwe, Côte D'Ivoire and Zimbabwe. The response to the questionnaire was good. Those who have not filled one out were requested to do so. She is also soliciting ideas for next year's ASA meeting and suggested the Council consider assembling a roundtable in recognition of the 40th anniversary of Ghana's independence. The deadline for submitting contributions to the next issue of the Newsletter is April 1997.
Anansesem Publications: The Chair announced that for the first time, or at least in a very long time, a Ghanaian publisher was exhibiting at an ASA meeting. Joyce Wereko-Brobby, who along with her husband is representing Anansesem Publications, made a plea for membership support as well as for members to have their libraries support this Ghanaian endeavor. (See interview in this issue for more details)
CSO Project:The Chair suggested that the Council add to its two approved expenses (supporting Ghanaian students attending the ASA and publishing) by supporting the Ghana National Archives' production of a new list for the files of the Colonial Secretary's Office. They now have produced twenty-five ring binders, all hand-written, and would like to complete this task, but money has run out. Also, they would like to establish a computer data-base, but so far no typing of this has begun. Joseph Anim-Asante, the archivist involved in this CSO Papers Listing Project, has submitted an itemized budget for this task ($961) and would like the GSC to provide this funding. The feeling was that the GSC should require regular progress and expenditure reports. Jean Allman said that the list was too big to go on a web site. Merrick Posnansky suggested that Northwestern University might be able to bind it. Eventually the general proposal was put to a vote which passed unanimously. Jean Allman was authorized to move on this project with the GSC eventually acquiring a couple of hard copies of the finished list. There were also suggestions that at some point in the future the list could be put on microfilm and sold in this form or as hard copy.
Ghana Studies Journal: Jean Allman raised the issue of the GSC
publishing the desk top journal that David Henige has already suggested.
Wisconsin University produces a number of such publications and is ready
to move ahead on this. The major issue became who would be willing to be
the editor. Eventually Larry Yarak found himself in this position. Since
a considerable amount of work is anticipated in getting this publication
functioning, a number of other people volunteered to help with soliciting
articles and helping with the editing. They were: Jean Allman, Gareth Austin,
David Owusu-Ansah, Michel Doortmont, Ray Silverman, Victoria Tashjian and
Amos Anyimadu. They caucused for a few minutes after the meeting.
A Ghana Listserv: Larry Yarak mentioned that he would like to take
advantage of the large number of members who were on e-mail to set up a
listserv. He had spoken to the editors of H-Africa who had indicated their
willingness to set up a H-Ghana. He described how sharing information on
this list would work. He mentioned also that it would be moderated. Like
the journal, this operation would need a person to oversee. Larry had been
willing to do this, but since he had now become the journal's editor he
felt someone else should take on this responsibility. Ray Silverman described
his experiences with H-Africa. Amos Anyimadu reported on coming improvements
in satellite transmission technology in Ghana. The general feeling was that
given these changes it would be best to put this plan on hold.
Plans for 1997: This will be the fortieth anniversary of Ghana's independence. There was some discussion of how this should affect the focus of the panels that the GSC should offer at the 1997 ASA meeting. Roger Gocking mentioned religion as a possible focus since it seemed to have generated a number of successful panels at the San Francisco ASA meeting. Others mentioned a political science focus. Others suggested a focus on the changing role of women in Ghana. Charles Wereko-Brobby suggested a focus on Nkrumah, and forty years of independence. The possibility of doing a round table was also suggested, something the GSC has never done. This question was left up to the membership. Merrick Posnansky also mentioned that the University of Ghana was intending to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in 1998, and he suggested that the GSC could be involved. Amos Anyimadu agreed to see how this could be done.
Ewe Association: Godwin Nukunya of the University of Ghana Department of Sociology made a request for help from the GSC toward the publication of two to three works on the Ewe. Along with a number of colleagues, he had formed an association to study the Ewe. Currently they have completed one book on Southern Eweland and estimate that it will cost $15,000 to publish. They would like the GSC to help with this cost. David Owusu-Ansah enquired if the cost could be reduced. The cost, we were told, was already low since the publisher is a member of the group. Jean Allman said that the group should send the GSC a formal proposal.
Save Elmina Association: Larry Yarak mentioned "another possibility for emptying our pockets." Beginning in 1995 the Elmina Association has been trying to raise money to renovate some of the old merchant houses in Elmina like Bridge House. He suggested that this might be a project that the GSC would like to be associated with either contributing out of pocket or in helping with fund raising.
Miscellaneous Amos Anyimadu mentioned that a large number of Ghanaian research scholars are not members of the Council, and suggested that the GSC should seek to contact members of a regular Ghana Think Tank. He agreed to pass this information to Larry Yarak. No change was seen as necessary for the GSC's dues. Jean Allman agreed to send out a GSC mailing. There was some discussion of the question of a new Chair. Ray Silverman suggested that this should be made known, and an "understudy" should be prepared. There was general feeling that Jean was doing an excellent job and that it would be very helpful if the Council's account did not have to move. It was also decided to leave the dues structure as it was for the coming year.
The meeting adjourned at 7:05 PM.