MTN Ghana reaffirmed its commitment to driving social transformation and national development as it partnered with the 2025 Bold New Normal Conference.
The conference was held under the theme “The Transformative Power of Culture and Language: Rethinking Socialisation for Prosperity.”
The conference brought together changemakers, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders to explore how culture and language can be harnessed as catalysts for personal and societal transformation.
The founder and convenor of the Bold New Normal movement, Lucy Quist, noted that transformation begins with individual mindset shifts and collective reorientation.
“Our part in God’s plan isn’t about creating a new one, it’s about being open to what He already has for us,” she said.
Sharing her personal journey, she reflected on how her lifelong mission to make life better for others has evolved from social media mentorship and her 2016 TED Talk to the 2019 publication of The Bold New Normal book.
She urged participants to see culture and language as central to shaping a renewed African identity.
“Language is powerful, it’s the reason we continue doing the things passed down for generations,
“If we want a new normal, we must reshape our story, rethink our culture, and rethink our language,” she noted.
She stressed that transformation is both a marathon and a daily practice that requires consistency, collaboration, and courage.
An Entrepreneurship Lecturer at Ashesi University, Jewel Thompson, shared some insights on the topic “Why Culture and Language Matter.”
She argued that transformation begins with understanding the role culture plays in shaping thought, behaviour, and survival.
“Language is important. What we continually say, we eventually do, and what we do, we become,” she said.
She cautioned against the habit of describing African societies as having a “poor culture,” emphasising instead that culture is multidimensional, spanning ethnic, political, and individual identities.
Drawing from research and anthropology, she explained that culture is not static but adaptive, evolving as a means of survival.
“Our communal and collective values are not weaknesses; they are our mechanisms for survival,” she noted, contrasting Africa’s community-driven ethos with the West’s individualistic systems.
She called for a cultural reframing that blends traditional values with innovation.
“Cultural transformation isn’t about abandoning tradition, it’s about repurposing and embedding our heritage into the systems we build today,” she said.
Jewel Thompson further highlighted that Ghana’s colonial history disrupted once-functional cultural systems, leading to passive societal behaviours.
“We are operating from a broken system,” she observed. “To fix it, we must reconnect with our roots and adopt systems thinking that re-embeds our traditions into modern institutions.”
She pointed to educational models at Ashesi University and other institutions that encourage entrepreneurship and ethical leadership as examples of this reformation in action.
Jewel Thompson called for a revival of storytelling and language as tools of empowerment.
“We must reclaim our narratives, rediscover our ancestry, and merge cultural wisdom with modern innovation,” she said. “Transformation begins when we take accountability for who we are, where we come from, and how we choose to evolve.”
The conference, supported by MTN Ghana, continues to serve as a platform for dialogue on leadership, identity, and innovation, reinforcing the telecom giant’s dedication to empowering communities through education, inclusivity, and thought leadership.
