SEYCHELLES PRESIDENT RECEIVES MOST INNOVATIVE PEOPLE AWARD
November 20, 2009 -- President James Michel has been awarded a prestigious prize for innovators at the Lebanon 2020 Summit in Beirut. The President was a keynote speaker at the summit.
It was the former president of Ecuador, Mr. Jamil Mahuad, who presented The Most Innovative People Award (Natural Innovation) to President Michel.
“You took many problems that have been there for years …. and that requires first a clarity of mind to see the difference and second the courage of the character to do it.... You have the capacity to dream the future, to see the solutions to the problems in your country and at the same time to think about the steps to go there,” said Mr. Jamil Mahuad when presenting the award.
The President was given the award for his “lifelong commitment to the ideals of tolerance, collaboration, harmony with nature and sustainable tourism as the catalyst or development and peace.”
The President said that the award is testimony to the maturity of Seychelles as a young nation, one that has overcome isolation as a small island state in the middle of the Indian Ocean, and become a torch bearer for harmony and tolerance, and innovation in social and environmental development.
“Lebanon and Seychelles may not have much in common – after all our history is only a little more than 200 years old! – but we have that much in common with you: a resourceful, resilient and innovative people. And tonight I accept “The Most Innovative People Award” in the name of the Seychellois people. And I dedicate it to them,” said President Michel upon accepting the award.
President Michel said that he saw the award as a recognition of Seychelles’ achievement as one of the best governed countries in Africa, which was a result of the hard work and commitment Seychelles has placed in a human-centred approach to development.
“We have shown that by making the environment the central tenet of our development policy, economic, social and moral progress can be secured. This type of innovation tends to go against conventional wisdom, but due to our investment in the natural capital of our country, Seychelles today stands as one of the most exclusive and sought after destinations in the world.”
The President said that he wished that Seychelles would continues to show the world how peace, solidarity, compassion, tolerance and respect for the environment can shape the future of mankind.
“It is my wish that we continue to innovate and create. There is no greater celebration of life than our creativity.”
Read more about the award
THE MOST INNOVATIVE PEOPLE NATURAL INNOVATION
The mission of The Most Innovative People Award is to honor those people whose contributions to the humanities, the environment, the arts, business, knowledge, governance, policy, peace, design thinking, social innovation, and new sciences, have been the greatest value for the sustainable development and natural prosperity of their communities.
The Most Innovative People Award honors distinguished men, women, and youth on the basis of the creative ideas they spread, and the remarkable innovation(s) they created to positively affect the economic, social, environmental, and policy fabric of their society:
Foresight: For bold ability to learn from our global future to inspire a better present for society. Courage: For solid track record of upholding the vital virtues of innovations – confidence, compassion, respect, individualism, social mobility, honesty, integrity and diligence. Benevolence: For indelible effect in imparting a sense of significance, community and meaning through an open and cooperative spirit to providing people the opportunity to make the most of their lives regardless of their gender, race, status, religion or country of origin. Connected Leadership: For inspiring a culture of collaborative environmental innovations; and fighting for the equitable rights of women, children and small islands. Execution Excellence: For confident execution, relentless determination, and strategic effectiveness to solving some of the most pressing challenges facing society today.
FORMER RECIPIENTS OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE PEOPLE AWARD
H.E. Tarja Halonen President Republic of Finland, H.E. Paul Kagame President Republic of Rwanda, H.E. Vicente Fox Former President Mexico, Professor Stephen Hawking Theoretical Physicist, T.H. Edi Rama Mayor City of Tirana, Albania, Marc Yu Child Prodigy, Architect Emilio Ambasz Natural Architect& Industrial Designer, Dr. Hector Ruiz Executive Chairman AMD, Bill Gates Chairman of the Board Microsoft Corporation, H.H. Dr. Sheikh Ahmedbin Saif Al Nahyan Former Chairman Etihad Airways, T.H. Richard Daley Mayor City of Chicago, USA, H.E. Sultan bin Sulayem Chairman Nakheel, Dr. Neil Turok Founder African Institute of MathematicalSciences, Dr. Padmasree Warrior Chief Technology Officer Cisco, Samuel J. Palmisono Chairman IBM, Dr. Ashok Soota Chairman Mindtree Consulting, Desmond M. Tutu Archbishop, H.H. Sheikh AhmedBin Saeed Al Maktoum Chairman of the Board Emirates Group,