EU pledges support for civil society

Local civil society will continue to get help and support from the European Union (EU), French ambassador to Seychelles Philippe Delacroix has said.


Minister Lloyd addressing the gathering. Ambassador Delacroix is first on the right, front row

He was speaking at the launch of a new website hosted by the Liaison Unit of Non-governmental Organisations of Seychelles (Lungos), which is the umbrella body for civil society groups.

The website – www.civilsociety.sc – which contains a comprehensive directory of NGOs, will serve as a one-stop location to raise awareness of the role and activities of civil society in Seychelles.

The project has received support from the ninth European Development Fund through the capacity building project for state and non-state staff, and also from the United Nations Development Programme through its office in Mauritius and its local project coordinating unit.

The event, last Wednesday at the International Conference Centre in Victoria, was attended by cabinet ministers, government officials and members of civil society.

Mr Delacroix described civil society as the nation’s living force alongside the government.
He said during past conferences at international level, he has noticed a rise in the involvement of NGOs. This, he said, boosts the interaction and dialogue between governmental and civil society delegations.

Mr Delacroix said backing up the activities of the NGOs is one of the key principles of the EU.
He added that the chosen themes for the joint project between the EU and civil society groups in Seychelles – protecting the environment, good governance, economy and politics, communication and dialogue – are now key issues for the country, especially when the government is carrying out a very courageous reform programme.

“It is very important that the transition process is done in a climate of dialogue between the government and civil society,” he said.

Mr Delacroix said on behalf of the EU he wishes to see further growth and development in local civil society, especially in acquiring new resources such as the website. He also promised to develop existing contacts with local NGOs for future collaboration.

The French embassy will always be open to civil society, both in its national capacity and as the representative of the EU, he added.

Addressing the guests, Minister for Health and Social Development Marie-Pierre Lloyd described the work of civil society as an important component of human and economic development, good governance and the process of empowering people.

She described the website launch as another opportunity to urge our citizens to come closer together and to play an active part in consolidating structures and processes to strengthen our nation and empower our people.

Mrs Lloyd added that in its Strategy 2017, the government made it clear that all sectors of society will be encouraged to contribute to national economic growth.

“On behalf of the government, I reaffirm Seychelles’ commitment to the principles of sound economic management, investment in people and sustainable management of our environment as crucial elements of our development,” she said.

Lungos chairman Bernard Elizabeth said through the website the NGOs will receive the necessary visibility to make them more accessible to both their existing and potential local and international partners.

This, he said, will help them to have better and faster access to projects and also to give information about their objectives and activities.

Apart from the website, Lungos has also set up “thematic commissions” covering different sectors of civil society. These, said Mr Elizabeth, aim to strengthen the capacity of NGOs to engage in policy dialogue and to take part in decision-making as co-partners with state representatives.

The commissions group NGOs accredited to Lungos according to areas of common interest – environment and natural resources; faith-based organisations; gender; professional organisations; social and health; socio-economic; rights and good governance; and youth, culture and sports.
http://www.nation.sc/index.php?art=16058
Sechelles -Seychelles Civil Society

It is very regretable we had to address the issues

Prior to the situation developing with the Somali pirates - the Bush Administration well able to act if they had so wanted against us and what we had written - namely our statement that Somali Civil society were involved in supporting the Seychelles Exile/Refugee return program, change in Seychelles and larger regional program. Our statement that after change came to our country and closer part of the world - we forgot, ignored - we refused to use the important good will, mechnism to assist - help the Somali find a solution like we have other other countries in now African Union and the region. Resulting in the SPUP/SPPF/People Party making important gain, capitalising on the inability of those people and nation to find a solution.

The fact that they have reverted to a politic of piracy.

Before Mr Bernard Elizebeth came on the play gound of Civil Society in Seychelles, those like Mr Gabriel Hureau, Mr Phillipe Boule, Mrs kathleen Pillay, our self and other in Britain who were battling it out not just to change the Seychelles political system - one party state government. The challenge of even being allowed to introduce and support Civil society work and functioning in Seychelles. The SPUP/SPPF government were dead against this.


We have been protesting where ever we can and on the web of the practice of Seychelles government and the SPUP/SPPF, their nasty habit of absconding with the work that others started, and giving some form of explanation why they are absconding with waht they did not start or belong to the or they did not belive in in the first place. yet they found it good to take over, abscond - very little notice have been taken of our protest.
Those in Seychelles who stood to gain importantly from others hard work.


We have equally spent some 10 years warning of the dangers of those at international level what wants to and have attempted to turn Seychelles into a Yugoslavia like they did after Tito. The bloody very dishonest war they propagated - the nationals not always well aware, informed of those international intentions, , those who took arms to defend their countries and later found themself facing the international Criminal Tribunal - for something they did not start. This is the Justice and such values in the world we live in.

Some of the protest and evasive action have born fruit - the modest progress those in Seychelles concerned have made to protect and safeguard in the eventuality of things.

The many EU officials and their institutions did not listen to nobody, their protest about the Yugoslavia situation, the EU have not listened about the Somali situation we have been protesting - had we not taken the bull by the horn the vast army of Eu institutions who had all agreed that Iraq had WDM, let us send NATO and the allies to destroy them and finish them. These are very hard and concrete facts.

There is a very grave danger in the Somali situation - the politic/role Seychelles government is lending itself to play. All those so call politicians who are easily blind folded, fooled by the media and other pretending to defend justice. After the bloody fiasco - the people have to live and live for generation with their mess.


Mean while in Seychelles we have weekly, monthly very process of cirtification, qualification and vamping of knowledge and relavant information. Everybody is failing to analyze their practice and behaviour - beside what took place in the past before the 3rd Republic, the grovernmetn practice and many NGO in Seychelles of absconding with hard work, efforts of other and not givien them any or due credit amounts to Piracy - Mr Ralph volcer in brief manner endavoured to explain the difficulties and problematic.

Now that we have EU institutions fairly directly involved in contribution to the smooth running of Civil society in Seychelles their many reasons, we can also do their dirty work in the region. Their Budege and the proice they are paying for those crazy Seychellois to do their dirty work - yet the EU lord it over the world their value of democracy and Justice. If they want to gain credibility they need to resolve other issues as to how the government work in Seychelles - the excuse of the proximity to Africa is not good enough to fight the corruption.

Now we come to the real reason for this thread. Given those in Seychelles from the former Exile/Refugee communities aware of the political practice of the SPPF government, how had they not fought from EU the system would have never changed -in spite of all the propaganda of the government.

For this very good reason - those Exile/refugee leaders in Seychelles to start not a political party but a national body , institutions which would have enshrined their vision, the reason our French and other European ancestors sacrificed, payed a very high price to start and build.

Everything take time -until last year we had fully expected Mr Phillipe Boule - with asll the resources at his disposition to either establish a body embracing what we have briefly said here or take a Branch of the body of our Seychelles EU community and in plant register it under the Civil society of Seychelles. To date this have not been done and those of us who have fought and worked exremely hard the past 30 years just like the SPPF/People Party and the government are very proud of their achievements and the 5th June - our Seychelles EU community world historic achievements, contributions and involvements. We have lend to change the destiny of mankind and of millions inhabitants of the world including the powerful and mighty USA, USSR, the COMECON, China and Africa.

The danger we see in the EU involvement with the civil society in Seychelles, where the USA, the USSR, Britian, the commonwealth failed they will come are coming and diluting - pretending what we hav achieve is small and it means very little. They use individuals, they can pay, talk to and apply gentle preassure to believe in them and carry out their orders.

We belive it very shameful that nowhere on the new site of the Seychelles Civil society is it mentioned what led to the government change of mind and heart and the establishment of NGO and civil society in Seychelles. Instead pictures of politicians and individuals supporting the present day establishment only.

Image carry strong message - those children growing up not being informed and told the other side of the coin the truth.

We had sincerely hope that by and with the efforts over the past three years to start a Heraldic merchandising buisness in Seychelles - once theri this would have given us the base to work from and have an EU presence in Seychelles for our community. After all from India, Africa, China, Russia they are all coming to set up and establish civil body in Seychelles. We the very one who led the fight, the struggle and made it all possible have nothing.

The EU is highly capable to judge what we have stated here, they do not operiate like the UN, the commonwealth, the USA or China or the Russians. We underline that defeat of the Socialist Block in the EU election and the next election will be in 5 years time is a dirct results of those in EU not wanting to listen, like the Lisabon Refurendum and the mess we are in and the economic mess we are in. Just like they have come to Seychelles and are openly suporting the Civil society to work and speak out in democratic manner for the societies they represent - we have better rights being in EU.

We trust those of you who will read our thread will inform Mr Gabriel Houreau, Mr Phillipe Boule, Mrs Kathleen Pillay - Boule, other former exile/refugees in Seychelles our thread - eventually their feed back. We also convey our EU community good wishes to them.

Note: Eventually if somebody could add a picture of the above here.