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An initiative to honour two of Ghana�s former presidents and the current president has been launched as a way of engineering peace in the country. Pure Creations, organizers of the program say the initiative will be activated through an art and photo exhibition titled �Portrait of the Johns� Celebrating Two Decades Of Peaceful Democracy In Ghana. Interestingly, Ghana�s Presidents throughout the Fourth Republic have the name John. Below is the copy of the statement issued as part of the "Portrait Of The Johns" initiative. SPEECH BY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF PURE CREATIONS, MR. PAUL BOATENG ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 14, 2012 AT NOVOTEL ACCRA Pure Creations limited, a strategic marketing communication agency has put together an art and photo exhibition dubbed �Portrait of the Johns� Celebrating Two Decades Of Peaceful Democracy In Ghana (1992-2012). Ghana is considered the beacon of African democracy and the gateway to Africa. Our democratic credentials are incomparable to any other African country. After a little over a decade of military rule with its consequent excesses Ghanaians opted for multiparty democracy with its touted benefits of material progress, guaranteed universal and economic freedoms. In 1990 Ghana was under the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) military rule and prepared for multiparty democracy and set up the constitutional assembly that drafted the Constitution which was subsequently approved in a referendum on April 28, 1992. The fourth republic was then ushered in by peaceful general elections in 1992, eventually won by the National Democratic Council (NDC) led by former President John Jerry Rawlings an offshoot of the PNDC. The NDC was in power for the eight years (1992-2000). In the 2000 election, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), led by former president John Agyekum Kufuor won the general elections upstaging the incumbent NDC led by President John Evans Fiifi Attah Mills. He was re-elected in December, 2004. President John Evans Fiifi Attah Mills took over the reins of presidency of Ghana after the general elections in 2008. OBJECTIVES OF THE EVENT The main objective of the event is to celebrate the 20 years of peaceful democracy in Ghana, honour and highlight the achievements of the various heads of state that have served during the period, honour other individuals and institutions that contributed to building peaceful and stronger democracy. Celebrate the lives, works and achievement s of the three presidents in the fourth republic, Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor and John Evans Atta Mills for their contributions to the growth and sustainability of Ghana�s democracy. Bringing President Kufuor, President Rawlings and President Mills at a single event to promote peace and unity as we prepare for both parliamentary and presidential elections as a gesture of peace which we believe will foster sense of unity among Ghanaians. As election 2012 approaches the event will serve as the perfect platform to educate the populace on political tolerance, the implications of the use of intemperate language, electoral fraud, electoral violence, voting procedures and avenues for addressing electoral disputes. ACTIVITIES THAT CONSTITUTE THE EVENTS Photo & Graphical Exhibition There will be photo, art and graphical exhibition of major events that have taken place under the fourth republic. The exhibition will be categorized on sector basis with various ministries, departments and agencies to educate the populace on achievement under fourth republic, backed by statistics. For example the number of schools that have been built over the past twenty years by the ministry of education. Peace Concert The exhibition will be concluded with massive peace concerts. This will aim at attracting patronage to the programme to have maximum impact. This event entails musicians and other speakers to promote peaceful democracy. It is expected to be a large concert held on every last day of each exhibition at a big auditorium. The music stars that will perform that night will join hands of political rivals to preach peace and talk about the significance of the 20years of democracy. The idea for the Peace Concert is to alleviate violence in elections and to bring the country together by the use of music as a uniting factor. The Concert is expected to bring about 10 biggest acts including hiplife, highlife, gospel etc and it is expected to attract more than 20,000 spectators. Grand Exhibition & Concert The climax of the event will be the grand concert and the awards night at the Banquet Hall, Accra where the following personalities and individuals will be honoured for their contributions towards 20 years of peaceful democracy: Mr. Ekow Nkansen Arkaah, Aliu Mahama, John Dramani Mahama, Speakers Of Parliament Justice DF Annan, Peter Alla Ajdetey, Begyina Sekyi-Hughes, Mrs Banford Addo, Chief Justices including Georgina Wood All Individuals who have stood for Election over the Past Twenty Years: Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, Dr Hilla Limann , Edward Mahama, Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo, Prof George Hagan, George Opesika Aguddey, Maj. General Erskine, Prof Albert Adu Boahene, Dan Lartey etc. Again we will award the best ministers, head of institutions and statesmen/women since the implementation of democracy, the awardees would be chosen by the public through polls in the dailies and on the internet. The Peace Flag We intend to present the Ghana flag dubbed the Peace Flag to all the various presidential and parliamentary candidates to append their signatures to it, to symbolize their pledge to their commitment to peaceful, free and fair elections. The flag would be sent to religious bodies; the Electoral Commission, the Security agencies, the traditional rulers and all those who matter in Ghanaian politics. The peace flag will also be signed by approximately one million Ghanaians across the country to serve as peace ambassadors and then it will finally be presented to the National Peace Council on the day of the grand concert. There will be a documentary on the signing of the flag that would be broadcast on the national televisions which will presented to the National Peace Council on the day of the grand event. Schedule of the Regional Exhibition and Peace Concerts 1. Tamale- May 17-18, 2012. 2. Kumasi- May 24-25,2012 3. Takoradi- May 31- June 1, 2012 4. Accra- June 21-27, 2012 We therefore appeal to corporate institutions, ministries, departments and agencies to support pure creations to make this all important programme successful. This event will also present golden opportunities to companies to associate their name brand and logo to this entire important project. Thank you very much for your time.