It just so happens that The World’s most poi- gnant reflections on kinship with planet Earth, in both issues now, are associated with Africa. We are grateful to His Majesty Adamtey I, King of Shai (one of the four traditional kingdoms of the Republic of Ghana), for giving us the oppor- tunity to read his thoughts on the pages of our magazine. Perhaps we all, once or twice, have felt the world gently push us to take certain actions and insistently repel us from others. Perhaps we are all familiar with the sense that our home- land is necessarily distinct from foreign lands. What may be necessary, it seems, is a trip to the African continent, in order to experience the entire globe as an indivisibly united home.
There is one thing that everyone should experience. It is a discovery without which life has no meaning — grasping one’s existence in connection with the Supreme Being, the Creator of everything. Some people accom- plish this earlier, some later.
When I was 6 years old, I was severely injured in my right eye, which left me in a coma for three months. The doctors did not expect me to recover. My parents prayed and asked God to help me. They promised that, if God would help me, I would do good to Him and humanity. Truly, God saved me, and, after three months in a coma, I regained consciousness. After nine months, I was discharged from hospital.
All in all, I was in hospital for a year. Since that time, growing up, I have learned to listen to the world. It’s hard to describe it in words, but I have a vision, a guide for my thoughts and actions. So I attribute my personal experience to the Supreme Being, the Creator of all things. But it is important to understand that, even if an individual has a supreme experience with God, without love, compassion, respect, and tenderness towards humanity, all knowledge is meaningless. God is the essence of love, and love gives us compassion, understanding, sensitivity. My philosophy is simple — life is very important, if you can live it to make a difference. And if you can make a difference, then you have God. Life lacks meaning, no matter how luxurious and festive a life it may be, for the individual who doesn’t make a difference in the world.
There are a number of threads linking people to the world, to their land of birth, to the air inhaled in their first outcry. In fact, all of us, not only the Kings of Africa, can trace our beginnings to the sand and soil of the Earth. We were created from the sand and soil of the Earth. In terms of people’s sources of influence or power, every African I know of talks of the concept of God, the Supreme Being that existed before anything and everything, that is beyond time and space, and that controls everything. Thus, I would say, while we appreciate what the earth provides, the plants and vegetation, more im- portant is the spiritual guidance that I need, that we all need. This comes not only from the wisdom of my forefathers, or through our histori- cal strength, but also from God, as an ultimate source, the Creator of all things. Now, there are those who believe in the sun, some who believe in the sea, in stones and rocks, but my belief is in God, the Creator, who created all things. God is the source of my inspiration.
It is a discovery without which life has no meaning — grasping one’s existence in connection with the Supreme Being, the Creator of everything. Some people accomplish this earlier, some later
My main achievement, my greatest sense of pride, is that I am a son, a child, a brother, and also a father to those who are less fortunate and can use my help. I try my best to provide my people the opportunity to have solid representation, locally, nationally, and internationally, and to protect their rights and interests.
The best thing I can do for the people is be an empathetic, listening ear, and to understand what they need provided in order to become good citizens of both the Kingdom of Shai and of the Republic of Ghana as a whole. It is my desire and my duty to make sure that I lead our people through peace, progress, and prosperity. When there is peace, progress is easily achieved. When progress is achieved, everyone prospers. So I feel that the best thing that I have at my disposal is a good love of people, as well as their trust that I can contribute to their lives, preserving their history, their culture, their values, and their dignity.
It may not be the easiest path, but people have a hard entry into the world and hard lives in it, whether born in a palace or a modest hut.
They say that people only throw their stones at the ripest fruit on the tree. If you’re not doing anything productive, no one will bother you, and, if you are, you’ll please some people and displease others. Nothing should be done solely for the sake of approval. So I do at times feel the burden of that huge responsibility. At times, I want to be free from this burden, to go and do the things everybody wants to do, that I want to do. There are times when I feel like I could be free, an average, normal person, rather than a king. But that is a privilege and a luxury that I don’t have. Every day, I must be aware that people are watching me, that people are counting on me.
I remember one time when speaking at the UN, negotiating with international organisations while travelling the world. Meeting with different people, I realised — and I can recall my astonishment at this discovery — that we are all the same, in spite of gender, in spite of race, in spite of culture. We all have the same needs — respect, recognition of the right to life, love, compassion, and consolation. We all bleed the same.