Speaker Attends Summit

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Ghana's Speaker of Parliament, Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes recently joined international lawmakers and legislative staff from 30 countries in New Orleans for the 2008 Legislative Summit.

The speaker led the Ghanaian delegation which was made up of parliamentarians and parliamentary staff.

The summit which took place between July 22 and 26, 2008 is described as an international meeting of ideas, solutions, innovations and connections, and was opened by the former president of the organizers, National Conference of State Legislature, Senator Steven J. Rauschenberger.

During the summit the international delegates participated in a revolting discussion on New Ways to Communicate with Constituents.

Later they joined the Center for Civic Education in a New Orleans style luncheon, where a short presentation and film clip on the Center's initiatives around the world were featured.

The participants including Ghana's delegation, during their stay in New Orleans, were busy attending the more than 180 issue forums that examined the most important concerns facing legislatures today.

Delegates heard from the country's most notable issue experts, including Fred Krupp, President of the Environmental Defense Fund; Marvin Odum, President of Shell Oil; Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives and Lee Hamilton, President of Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Other speakers were Dr. James Johnson of the University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School; Kellyanne Conway, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Polling Company Inc and Celinda Lake, President, Lake Research Partners.

Many delegates took advantage of volunteer opportunities and visited the bayou as well as the Louisiana swamps.

The Louisiana Host Committee welcomed delegates at a spectacular Mardi Gras party at the Superdome on the second night of the summit.

A reception at the World War II Museum climaxed the Summit after the delegates had participated in a Mock Legislative Committee Hearing at the Louisiana Supreme Court Building.