What's in a Name

So President Obama will be visiting Ghana starting tomorrow, and the country--Accra, especially--is really gearing up for it. Basically every taxi cab has an American flag in it, and countless Ghanaians have asked if I'm American. Even the fishermen from Kokrobite who I helped with their nets wanted to know if I knew the President. However, I think the most hilarious interaction is with the small children, who, perhaps at any other time would scream "obruni! obruniiii!" have now taken to screaming "obama! obamaaa!". I'm down with that.

In any case, Ghanaians are really honored to be hosting Obama, even if for just like 36 hours, and his visit does speak well to Ghana's progress over the last 20 years, progress that will hopefully continue, even with the new oil discovery. One of the leading stories on allAfrica right now comes from Human Rights Watch--a select excerpt:

"Ghana's progress on human rights is commendable, but it will have little meaning if left as an isolated example," said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "President Obama should encourage Ghana to promote abroad what it practices at home."

I'm not sure if Ghana yet sees itself as a leader in African affairs--certainly Ghanaians view their country as an example for the rest of Africa, but that doesn't necessarily make it a leader. Perhaps Obama's visit will form up such a sentiment.