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Facts & History Culture & Heritage Ministry of Tourism & Diasporan Relations Ghana Tourist Board Ghana Tourism Federation

Emancipation Day is an annual event in Ghana, the Black Star of Africa and the gateway to the Homeland of people of African descent in the Diaspora.

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 re-affirm 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, Castle 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 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.

EMANCIPATION DAY 2008 PROGRAMME
THEME: EMANCIPATION, OUR HERITAGE, OUR STRENGTH

DATE	ACTIVITY	VENUE	TIME
18th July, 2008	Wreath Laying Ceremony in Accra	W.E. Du Bois Centre, George Padmore Centre, Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, Accra	9.00am 11.00am 12.30pm
19th July, 2008	Durbar at Keta Narration on the history of Slave Trade in Anlo Cultural performances Tour of Fort Prezeistein and Atorkor Slavery Memorial Park	Keta, Fort Prezeistein	10.00am
21st July, 2008	Durbar at Akwamu Durbar of Chiefs Demonstration of how to wear the traditional cloth Demonstration of how to prepare ‘oto’	Atimpoku	10.00am
22nd July, 2008	Durbar at Osu Durbar of Chiefs Cultural Performances What do you know?, Quiz Competition Finals	Osu, Mandela Park GNAT Hall	10.00am 10.00am.
24th July, 2008	Durbar at Salaga Durbar of Chiefs Tour of the Slave Wells	Salaga, Slave Market	10.00am
27th July, 2008	Durbar at Bono Manso Wreath Laying ceremony in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr., Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Malcom X, Mrs. Rosa Parks, Mrs. Corretta King, etc . Durbar of Chiefs	Bono Manso, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Centre	9.00am
29th July, 2008	Cultural tour of Asante and Ghana-Carribean Carnival	Kumasi, Cultural Centre	9.00am
30th July, 2008	Durbar at Assin Praso Re-enactment of river crossing Durbar of Chiefs Cultural Performances	Assin Praso, Heritage Village Durbar Grounds	11.00am
31st July, 2008	Laying of Wreath	Anomabu, Fort William	10.00am
31st July, 2008	Reverential Night Candlelight Procession Testimonies-spoken word Cultural Performances Roll call of Ancestors Reading of Proclamation	Cape Coast Castle	9.00pm
1st August, 2008	Grand Durbar at Assin Manso Durbar of Chiefs Wreath Laying on the graves of two former slaves Visit to the Donkor Nsuo (Slave River)	Assin Manso, Slave River and Reverential Gardens	10.00am
2nd August, 2008	Experiencing the return Boat riding from Cape Castle to Elmina Castle A short ‘Akwaaba’ Ceremony at Elmina Castle	Cape Coast Castle to Elmina Castle	10.00am