Pan-African Engagements in Contemporary Societies

As Africa and its people search for ways for the promotion of Pan-African engagements for cooperation and development, one cannot look further than indigenous African resources. The Akan Indigenous religious and moral values, which have been, for many years, the bedrock of religious and social cohesion for communal continuity, harmony, and development, provide avenues for critical exploration for Pan-African engagements. By means of information derived from interviews of eminent Ghanaian scholars on indigenous religion and moral values as well as secondary data from archival materials, the chapter argues that the Akan concept of religion is a force for unity and that the notion of the Supreme Deity, Nyame , as the father of all people, creator of the world, and the source of all things is a critical feature much needed for fruitful Pan-African encounters. The Akan notion of truth and morality as universal and social entities are common grounds for the promotion of interreligious engagements. It concludes that the Akan religion is a force for unity, and the social and universal moral values are essential ingredients in the search for Pan-African ideals for togetherness, cooperation, and peaceful co-existence.