French Assimilation Policies Spur Calls for Regional Language Education in Ghana

Language and culture play crucial roles in internal colonization and cultural elitism, as exemplified by historical cases like the imposition of Parisian French over regional languages in France and the Belgian projection of the Tutsi minority over the Hutu majority in Rwanda, which fueled deep ethnic tensions and ultimately genocide. In Ghana, there are calls to preserve indigenous languages like Ga, which face extinction due to urbanization and colonial legacies favoring English, emphasizing the need for inclusive cultural policies to combat tribalism. Globally, despite increasing interconnectedness through globalization, the resurgence of nationalism threatens to undermine collaborative efforts needed to tackle universal challenges such as climate change, technological disruption, and nuclear threats, highlighting the inadequacy of nationalist approaches in addressing 21st-century crises. Meanwhile, academic research on migration and diaspora communities, including studies on South Asian diasporic women, reveals complex dynamics of identity, empowerment, and trauma shaped by displacement and neoliberal urban contexts. These insights underscore the importance of recognizing cultural diversity and fostering inclusive narratives both locally and globally to address historical injustices and contemporary challenges.