The Akan people are an ethnic group found predominantly in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Akans are the majority in both of these countries and overall have a population of 40 million people. The Akan speak Kwa languages.

The Akan are believed to have migrated to their current location from the Sahel between the 10th and 12th Century. The kingdom of Bonoman was established as early as the 11th century as a trading state between the Akan and their neighbors, especially those from Djenné, Timbuktu, Bornu among others. A gold boom in the Akan area between the 12th and 13th centuries brought wealth to numerous Akan peoples. During different phases of the Kingdom of Bonoman groups of Akans migrated out of the area to create numerous states based predominantly on gold mining and trading of cash crops. This brought wealth to numerous Akan states like Akwamu which stretched all the way to modern Benin and ultimately led to the rise of the most powerful Akan empire, the Empire of Ashanti.

From the 15th century to the 19th century the Akan people dominated gold mining and trading in the region and, from the 17th century on, they were among the most powerful groups in west Africa. They fought against European colonists to maintain autonomy. By the early 1900s all Akan lands were colonies or protectorates of the French and British. On the 6th of March 1957 Akan lands in the Gold Coast rejected British rule and, led by Kwame Nkrumah, were joined to British Togoland to form the independent nation of Ghana. The Ivory Coast became independent on 7 August 1960.

Amien Rais (born 26 April 1944) is a prominent Indonesian politician who led and inspired the reform movement that forced the resignation of President Suharto in 1998. Amien Rais was the leader of Muhammadiyah, one of the two biggest Muslim organizations in Indonesia, from 1995 to 2000. Amien Rais was the Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) from 1999 to 2004.

Amien Rais was born in Surakarta, Central Java, as the second child of Suhud Rais and Sudalmiyah. The couple were Muhammadiyah activists in Surakarta. Suhud Rais graduated from Muhammadiyah's Mualimin high school. He worked in Surakarta's religion affairs office. He also was a member of Muhammadiyah's Board of Education in Surakarta chapter. Sudalmiyah was an activist in Aisiyah, a Muhammadiyah's women organization and had been its chairperson for 20 years. She graduated from Muhammadiyah's teaching school "Hogere Indlansche Kweekschool". She was a member of Masyumi party in the 1950s. She was awarded " The Central Java Best Mother" in 1985.