En Moman Avek Prezidan - National unity key to progress
“National unity is indispensable for a country to develop and move forward,” President James Michel has stressed.
“I believe examples of what are happening in the world are enough to make us understand that without national unity we will not go far. Without unity there will be destruction, discord and a lot of negativity which will affect the country’s development,” added the President.
Mr Michel was speaking during his first En Moman Avek Prezidan programme for this year which was broadcast on SBC television last night.
During the interview, President Michel spoke at length on the need for national unity to move the country forward towards a new frontier.
Citing examples from the African continent and countries like Syria and Ukraine where civil war is creating havoc because of the absence of national unity, President Michel stressed that without national unity our country will not go far and social cohesion and economic development will be affected.
He said it is because of our unity – whereby we can live together and where there is social cohesion – that we have gained global respect and are seen as a shining example to the world.
“National unity is something very important to me, for the people of Seychelles and to the country. It is important that we do all we can to develop and nurture it,” said President Michel.
But the president said that this does not mean that there is no national unity in the country as it is something we have grown with since the creation of our nation.
“But if we look in the not too distant past, we will realise that this unity is being slowly eroded by political polarisation that has emerged since the formation of political parties after the return to multi-party democracy. Today I am making an appeal for us to intensify this effort towards national unity so that we can get rid of that political polarisation as much as we can which will help us better move forward towards the future, towards the new frontier that will bring us to the next stage of our development,” said the President, while pointing out that political parties were important for the transition process that was needed at that time.
Asked whether the recent developments regarding Liberation Monument (Zonm Lib) which has been relocated, the setting up in its place of a new monument, as well as the announcement of the new date for our national day are what were missing to complete the national unity process, President Michel said that a monument in itself does not create national unity.
“National unity lies in our mind, our heart, our soul and in the desire for us to be able to live together like brothers and sisters. It’s that deep desire within ourselves for us to move forward together. We do it with passion; passion for the love for others, for the Seychellois nation and the patriotism within us for our country. National unity evokes a patriotic feeling which transcends personal sentiments,” said President Michel, adding that a monument is there as a symbol, generally a powerful one, which reminds us of the different stages of our history.
“It is there to give perspective to the various events that our nation has gone through to be where it is now,” he said, adding that a symbol can even inspire a person to do more for the future.
Describing a monument as something that can retrace our past, President made reference to the new Liberty monument which he said reminds us of our struggle for liberty.
He mentioned the origins of the Seychellois people and the struggle at that time for liberation from slavery; the struggle against colonisation where there were lots of missed opportunities and oppressions and then the struggle for independence.
“So this monument symbolises all these steps in our history while at the same time showcases two youths with a flag which symbolises the road for the future,” said the President, adding that it indicates that our future is in the hands of our youths and the flag depicts the direction we are heading together in unity.
President Michel also referred to other national monuments like the Bicentenary Monument which he said represents the origin of the Seychellois nation where the three birds indicate the three continents making the nation; the Unity Monument which symbolises the Seychellois nation working towards unity.
With regard to the confrontational views that still persist about the June 5, 1977 event (Liberation Day) among certain sections of the population who are using it as an excuse to shun the call for national unity, President Michel said we should not start speaking about national unity from this period only.
He said we need to go further back when our ancestors were taken from their origins and when they also suffered.
“Excuses and explanations should begin from there. As the Seychellois nation developed and grew, lots of exploitation occurred along the way, even from our colonial masters,” said the President, adding that lots of injustices also occurred during the struggle for independence .
“The 5th of June has brought us where we are now. We cannot ignore history. History has happened and it is there. We must recognise that each stage of our history has its significance, its reason for happening at that time. For the majority of Seychellois the 5th of June means a very important thing,” said President Michel.
He said for the majority of people who now owns a piece of land and a house, the 5th of June means a big thing to them. All this came about from the radical changes that occurred from 5th of June which brought about reforms in the economy, land, education and health, to name some.
But the President also said that although he recognised that a certain group of people are not in favour of the 5th of June, we all have to move forward and work together.
“Let the lessons of our history and of our past guide us to do better and to not repeat the same mistakes committed in the past. Let us not again go through the sufferings of our ancestors. We must all now work for a better Seychelles, all together and this, according to me, is national unity – that feeling of love, that feeling of working together, that patriotic feeling to put the country first, to put Seychelles first,” said the President.
During the interview, President Michel also touched on other issues of national importance like the national consultation forum he said he will set up, the continuous drive to make it more easy to do business in the Seychelles, as well as the upcoming summit of African heads of state organised by the United States of America and to which Seychelles has been invited.
Seychelles Nation will come back on these issues.
“I believe examples of what are happening in the world are enough to make us understand that without national unity we will not go far. Without unity there will be destruction, discord and a lot of negativity which will affect the country’s development,” added the President.
Mr Michel was speaking during his first En Moman Avek Prezidan programme for this year which was broadcast on SBC television last night.
During the interview, President Michel spoke at length on the need for national unity to move the country forward towards a new frontier.
Citing examples from the African continent and countries like Syria and Ukraine where civil war is creating havoc because of the absence of national unity, President Michel stressed that without national unity our country will not go far and social cohesion and economic development will be affected.
He said it is because of our unity – whereby we can live together and where there is social cohesion – that we have gained global respect and are seen as a shining example to the world.
“National unity is something very important to me, for the people of Seychelles and to the country. It is important that we do all we can to develop and nurture it,” said President Michel.
But the president said that this does not mean that there is no national unity in the country as it is something we have grown with since the creation of our nation.
“But if we look in the not too distant past, we will realise that this unity is being slowly eroded by political polarisation that has emerged since the formation of political parties after the return to multi-party democracy. Today I am making an appeal for us to intensify this effort towards national unity so that we can get rid of that political polarisation as much as we can which will help us better move forward towards the future, towards the new frontier that will bring us to the next stage of our development,” said the President, while pointing out that political parties were important for the transition process that was needed at that time.
Asked whether the recent developments regarding Liberation Monument (Zonm Lib) which has been relocated, the setting up in its place of a new monument, as well as the announcement of the new date for our national day are what were missing to complete the national unity process, President Michel said that a monument in itself does not create national unity.
“National unity lies in our mind, our heart, our soul and in the desire for us to be able to live together like brothers and sisters. It’s that deep desire within ourselves for us to move forward together. We do it with passion; passion for the love for others, for the Seychellois nation and the patriotism within us for our country. National unity evokes a patriotic feeling which transcends personal sentiments,” said President Michel, adding that a monument is there as a symbol, generally a powerful one, which reminds us of the different stages of our history.
“It is there to give perspective to the various events that our nation has gone through to be where it is now,” he said, adding that a symbol can even inspire a person to do more for the future.
Describing a monument as something that can retrace our past, President made reference to the new Liberty monument which he said reminds us of our struggle for liberty.
He mentioned the origins of the Seychellois people and the struggle at that time for liberation from slavery; the struggle against colonisation where there were lots of missed opportunities and oppressions and then the struggle for independence.
“So this monument symbolises all these steps in our history while at the same time showcases two youths with a flag which symbolises the road for the future,” said the President, adding that it indicates that our future is in the hands of our youths and the flag depicts the direction we are heading together in unity.
President Michel also referred to other national monuments like the Bicentenary Monument which he said represents the origin of the Seychellois nation where the three birds indicate the three continents making the nation; the Unity Monument which symbolises the Seychellois nation working towards unity.
With regard to the confrontational views that still persist about the June 5, 1977 event (Liberation Day) among certain sections of the population who are using it as an excuse to shun the call for national unity, President Michel said we should not start speaking about national unity from this period only.
He said we need to go further back when our ancestors were taken from their origins and when they also suffered.
“Excuses and explanations should begin from there. As the Seychellois nation developed and grew, lots of exploitation occurred along the way, even from our colonial masters,” said the President, adding that lots of injustices also occurred during the struggle for independence .
“The 5th of June has brought us where we are now. We cannot ignore history. History has happened and it is there. We must recognise that each stage of our history has its significance, its reason for happening at that time. For the majority of Seychellois the 5th of June means a very important thing,” said President Michel.
He said for the majority of people who now owns a piece of land and a house, the 5th of June means a big thing to them. All this came about from the radical changes that occurred from 5th of June which brought about reforms in the economy, land, education and health, to name some.
But the President also said that although he recognised that a certain group of people are not in favour of the 5th of June, we all have to move forward and work together.
“Let the lessons of our history and of our past guide us to do better and to not repeat the same mistakes committed in the past. Let us not again go through the sufferings of our ancestors. We must all now work for a better Seychelles, all together and this, according to me, is national unity – that feeling of love, that feeling of working together, that patriotic feeling to put the country first, to put Seychelles first,” said the President.
During the interview, President Michel also touched on other issues of national importance like the national consultation forum he said he will set up, the continuous drive to make it more easy to do business in the Seychelles, as well as the upcoming summit of African heads of state organised by the United States of America and to which Seychelles has been invited.
Seychelles Nation will come back on these issues.
Forrás: www.nation.sc