Contributing to the June Accra Discourse - Adding value for dramatic results

The Global Shapers Accra Hub of which I am part of has been organizing the Accra Discourse since January 2014. For the June edition, the theme was "Adding value for dramatic results." Esi Cleland-Yankson & I shared insights and experiences on adding value to work for dramatic results. The discussion was ably moderated by fellow +Global Shapers Accra member +Yawa Hansen-Quao.

For posterity sake and for those who missed it, below are a few tweets attendees captured as I was speaking etc. 

@abocco on the hot seat. Talking to us about himself. #PRESEC and #MIT days. #AccraDiscourse pic.twitter.com/eYTHjllxj3
— Francis Addai (@faddai) June 2, 2014

I shared some stories that I have already blogged about. Leading into Leadership - The Presec Years. Leading into Leadership - The MIT Years

@Abocco our excellent speaker starts his story. He talks abt how he wanted to go to MIT & got the opportunity to go to USA #accradiscourse
— Global Shapers Accra (@GlobalShapersAC) June 2, 2014

I first heard about MIT when +Arthur Musah got in. I followed him, Ebenezer Woode and George Heming there. That's where I picked up the +Mighty African name :-)

@abocco started blogging in 2005 using Ghanaian music. Exposing the content of the hit songs at that time. #AccraDiscourse
— Francis Addai (@faddai) June 2, 2014

Yeap, way back in 2005. You can see all those blog entries at GhanaConscious. Sounds on da ground and see-ins on the scenes.

He started to blog about songs! He wanted to use the online audience to drive an agenda. So he would write a lot #accradiscourse
— Global Shapers Accra (@GlobalShapersAC) June 2, 2014

This blog led to +Museke. I always used my writing, wherever it found itself to drive an agenda.

We don't need to go anywhere. With the Internet and technology we can go as far as anybody #accradiscourse
— Dieu-Donné Gameli (@donnaeo) June 2, 2014

Thanks to +Dieu-Donne Gameli for capturing this. The internet brings information to our fingertips and creates a level playing field. If only it was cheaper and faster around here......

The secret is out. You should be constitent and be a thought leader as you post on social media. You should be adding value #accradiscourse
— Global Shapers Accra (@GlobalShapersAC) June 2, 2014

Once, +Vanessa Kavi asked me about how she could get more followers on Twitter. I always use the case of a Ghanaian lady I found on Twitter who had over 3000 followers. She'd built this by just tweeting and retweeting about +Manchester United.

How many mandela's do we still have left when we are losing the greats like Mandela, Maya angelou etc. Where are the doers #accradiscourse
— Global Shapers Accra (@GlobalShapersAC) June 2, 2014

You mean, where are the activists? Like we discussed, not every fight is our fight. We can support many things but we can't lead everything. It's important for us to identify who's passionate about what in our network and support them to lead those fights.

In Rwanda you are required to do community service and when u are absent u r fined. We are not doing enough in ghana #accradiscourse
— Global Shapers Accra (@GlobalShapersAC) June 2, 2014

I learnt this from +Jemila Abdulai during the time we had had the +Diaspora Camp Africa Day Chat. We need to learn a lot from Rwanda.

The first time @Abocco used twitter was at barcamp africa at the @google headquarters. #accradiscourse pic.twitter.com/ZJsuXmx6tK
— Global Shapers Accra (@GlobalShapersAC) June 2, 2014

Fond memories. Twitter & Barcamp were made for each other. Twitter features heavily in this blog too. And a section for Barcamp as well. :-)

Twitter is a great place to meet ppl who re passionate aba what u do and also stay on top of things u care about. @abocco #AccraDiscourse
— Francis Addai (@faddai) June 2, 2014

See my Twitter firsts blog post. Been using Twitter religiously since January 2009 after my first post on October 14, 2008.

@Abocco was passionate about meeting young great ghanaians and would attend all african meetups in university in USA pic.twitter.com/bXLF8EFFJo
— Global Shapers Accra (@GlobalShapersAC) June 2, 2014

+Esi Cleland-Yankson asked me about how I managed to go to almost every African students association gathering in the US. Of course, I didn't go to almost every one of them. I did go to many of those around Massachusetts and in New England. Thankfully, MIT was close to many world-class colleges and universities that also had Ghanaian representation. Most of my spending while living in the US went into travel. I love traveling to different parts of the US, seeing places, people, making and meeting new friends.

@Abocco talks about analyzing to help make informed choices.He also talks abt the power of networking.#accradiscourse pic.twitter.com/q8qbmmwhpG
— Global Shapers Accra (@GlobalShapersAC) June 2, 2014

Networking is extremely important. For me, it's not just about many people knowing me, it's about knowing many people.

@Abocco talks abt how he made the choice to start business or ventures in a team. He did not want to start anything alone #accradiscourse
— Global Shapers Accra (@GlobalShapersAC) June 2, 2014

I can't imagine starting anything on my own anymore. I believe in the power of numbers and diversity. We talk about how partnerships are hard to build in Ghana, due to trust issues, etc but that's something we must brave and solve.

@abocco, you ve given me so much that I shud b @ Augusco to share.. Bt de tym ooo mentor
— sapanbil maxwell (@SapanbilM) June 2, 2014

This tweet made my night. I'm looking forward to Junior Camp Augusco, which would be the second one after last year's edition. It's a career guidance workshop, part of the +Junior Camp Ghana program of the +GhanaThink Foundation. The +Barcamp Cape Coast team is supporting. Stay tuned to +Global Shapers Accra to learn more about what we do and the subsequent Accra Discourse events.