Emancipation was originally celebrated in the Caribbean to commemorate the final abolition of Chatel Slavery in the British colonies on 1st August 1834. Ghana became the first African nation to join in the celebration in 1998 to reaffirm its status as the Gateway to the African Homeland of Diasporans.

Ghana’s claim to the position of gateway to the Homeland is well grounded in the fact that it was a major exit point for slaves on the West Coast in the period that the infamous trade took place.

Currently, about 40 Forts, Castles and lodges used for the Slave trade are in existent in the country, with 3 of them; St. George’s Castle and St. Jago fort, both at Elmina, and Cape Coast Castle, designated by UNESCO as World Heritage sites.

As a complement to these Forts and Castles, we are developing the Slave Route Project, which seeks to rehabilitate, restore and promote the tangible and intangible heritage from the slave trade, is being is being implemented. This route takes the tourist through communities where resistance was put up against the slave raiders, like Gwollu and Nalerigu with their defensive walls; slave market sites like Saakpili and Salaga, the slave bathing rivers and slave burial grounds at Assin-Manso among others.

PROGRAMME
EMANCIPATION DAY 2010
THEME: EMANCIPATION, OUR HERITAGE, OUR STRENGTH
SUB THEME: REJUVINATING THE DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS OF AFRICAN YOUTH

DATE ACTIVITY VENUE TIME
1st – 18th July,2010 Quiz Programme All Regional Capitals

21st July, 2010 Wreath Laying Ceremony W.E. Du Bois Centre 9.00am
Wednesday in Accra George Padmore Centre 11.00am
Kwame Nkrumah Park 12.30am

22nd July, 2010 Durbar at Keta
Thursday Narration on the history Keta, Fort Prinzenstein 10.00am
Of Slave Trade in Anlo Volta Region
Cultural Performances
Tour of Fort Prinzenstein
and Atorkor Slavery Memory
Park

23rd July, 2010 Durbar at Osu
Durbar of Chiefs Mantse Agbonaa, Greater 10.00am
Tour to Osu Castle Accra
Cultural Performances

24th July, 2010 Cultural Carnival Independence Square, 9.00am
Saturday Accra

26th July – 1st Aug International Tourism Accra International 10.00am
2010 Investment forum Conference Centre
Accra
The Forum will include
Post Conference tours
for the participants to
various parts of the country

30th July,2010 Musical Concert Accra 9.00am
Friday

31st July, 2010 Reverential Night
Saturday Street Carnival Cape coast Castle, 9.00am
Candle light Procession Central Region
Testimonies-Spoken
Word
Roll Call of Ancestors
Reading of Proclamation
Youth Day

1st August,2010 Grand Durbar at Assin Assin Manso, Slave River 10.00am
Sunday Manso: and Reverential Gardens,
Central Region
Durbar of Chiefs
Wreath Laying on the
graves of two f former
slaves
Visit to the Nnonko
Nsuo (Slave River)

Download full price list of these tours here

Please note that these tours are provided by Ninns Ventures and Tours

The beaches of the Atlantic coast are popular with visitors and Ghanaians alike. Labadi Pleasure Beach and Kokrobite Beach, just 25km west of Accra, are particularly popular at weekends.

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