Editorial-Indifference in our community must stop!

At the recent celebration of Ghana's 47th independence anniversary in Toronto, the organizers of the function, the Ghanaian-Canadian Association of Ontario, used the occasion to lament the lack of support from the Ghanaian community in our efforts to own a community center.

Though we of the Ghanaian News do not see the urgency of the community center as a priority and a means of rallying the members of our community together, we agree with the association on its concern over the apparent apathy among our people.

It is predicted that by the year 2010 the population of Ghanaians in Canada will reach 120,000 as a result of continuing immigration. As the community grows in numbers, the same cannot be said of its commitment to building a dynamic and vibrant community, which could take its rightful place among the various ethnic communities that form the Canadian cultural mosaic. There is too much apathy among our people. Members of our community show less or no interest in issues that affect the community as a whole. This negative attitude is regrettable indeed.

The reasons for this indifference are varied, while the Ghanaian news see the lack of provision of able leadership for the community as one of the major reasons, we also identify egoism and selfishness on part of some community members as well as some inward looking professional bodies with the Ghanaian community as contributing factor. For example, since its inception, the Ghanaian-Canadian Association of Ontario has not been able to provide the driving-force to bring all Ghanaian-Canadians under its umbrella for a common cause.

Also, many members of our community members do not set their priorities right. They fail to participate in activities that aim at addressing issues, which are of paramount community concerns.

We therefore appeal to our community churches, cultural associations and professional/business associations to educate their members on the need to get involve with the community.

Individual Ghanaians living in Canada ought to come out of their shells and show interest in pulling up our community together instead of looking on unconcern as the community falls apart.

We need to take a cue from how the Somali community in Canada is pulling together to make their presence felt by the Canadian government in a positive way. Posterity won't forgive us if we allow apathy to take the better part of our community. Let's rise above individualism, division, and partisan attitude to build a dynamic and vibrant community of Ghanaians in Canada.

It is obvious that Canada offers a conducive climate for diversity to thrive and flourish in every facet of integral development let alone our communal and mutual relationships.

Let us desist from spawning apathy in diversity, which will only augment a community falling from glitz of unity into the grunge of insensitivity.