Sunday, September 30, 2007

Seychelles expresses disappointment



The Seychelles Ambassador to the UN, Ronny Jumeau said he's disappointed that small island states and low-lying countries are not urgently getting technologies they need to adapt to the rising sea levels in some areas.

Ambassador Jumeau was speaking at a high level event convened by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, entitled 'The future in our hands: addressing the leadership challenge of climate change.'

"I must express my disappointment that most technology talked about today is aimed at helping the polluters mitigate their emissions, laudable as that may be, with hardly anything being said about technology to help us small island states and low-lying countries adapt to climate change," stated Jumeau.

The UN permanent representative, avowed that he wasn't "rattling another begging bowl," explaining that climate change-related technologies, such as equipments for observation, monitoring, research and setting standards "come at a price which we certainly cannot bear alone."

With time fast ticking, said that he hoped donor countries, organisations and private sector entities with available resources will assist vulnerable states to help themselves.

It is in this contest, that the Presidents of Seychelles, James Michel and Palau, Tommy Esang Remengesau have launched the Sea Level Rise Foundation.

"Together we are mobilising leadership, increasing resources and sharing skills, knowledge, technologies and innovations in a cost-effective and sustainable way that will catalyse action for conservation and sustainable livelihoods on islands and in low-lying areas in the face of climate change," explained Jumeau.

The objective of the foundation is to complement the UN's efforts by prompting global attention and action, including the innovation and transfer of the types of technologies that small island states and low-lying countries need, to address the devastating impact of climate change on their peoples and ecosystems and to help them adapt to new rising sea levels.

Editor’s Note: The projected sea-level rise is due to a revised estimate of the ice melt from glaciers. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Third Assessment Report, published in 2001, projected that the global average sea level would rise by between 9 and 88cm between 1990 and 2100.

11 years of Internet



Better stay on the alert or you’ll risk finding yourself embarrassedly on the net!” is now a common catch phrase amongst the population of the tiny Seychelles archipelago.

This month as the country marks the 11th anniversary since it got connected to the world’s largest network, many argue the above statement goes to show how central this technology is in the islanders’ lives whilst others pointed out their mistrust for it.

A series of interviews the writer conducted as part of a special assignment for the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, show the public’s attitude to the Internet varies from one extreme to another.

Whilst 12-year-old Shannen Henrie calls it “cool,” because it can spares her from boredom, the technologically minded radio presenter Nathalie Rose describes the web as “information at your finger tips.” But for Mrs. Johnette Mambé a pensioner who lives at Cascade and who has never used a mobile phone or type on a computer, let alone know the meaning of the acronym ICT, the web is a total mystery. She simply shouts back “what?” to my question of what she likes about the web?

In a country where the vast majority of the population is employed by the government, this is where their primary Internet source is.

Latest figures published by the National Statistics Bureau show that home Internet accounts are taking much longer to catch on. From the 2003 figures, it has increased by only 1, 061 to a total 3, 872.

What is the future direction is now a $30 million question. Whilst the government wants every home with an Internet connection by 2015, the private sector is more worried about how the struggling economy will raise the $30 million needed to transfer the islands’ connectivity from satellite to submarine fibre optic cable?

Cost is irrelevant, but speed not!,” cautioned VCS Chief Executive Mark Hoaureau. With the increasing number of users among the younger generation especially with the recent introduction of Internet in all secondary schools, one way or another, the fund will have to be raised.

"Seychelles geographical isolation means that it can benefit very highly from the Internet which will facilitate very cost effective communications and accessibility to the international market," expalined Tessa Siu from the Social Development Department.

The CBA assignment concluded that the business community finds it economical in terms of cutting down on some operational costs, the growing tourism industry sees it as a direct access to once inaccessible markets and traders likewise approve of its marketing potential.

But not everyone is buying all these pros. Quoting from Thomas Knowles' song entitled "Konsole" which says, “each time I tried to write, the tears of sadness damped my note pads,” Lina Laurence from the local radio station says the web lacks intimacy. “For me - It can never create this song’s imagery”.

Editor’s Note: The population concerns (from the lead) stamped from the scandal that rocked the islands following the vast circulation of nude photographs of local girls via email.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Seychelles @ HA 2007



The curtain has just fallen upon the 11th Highway Africa conference, at Rhodes University in South Africa. The occasion is the world’s largest gathering of African journalists.

Once again over 500 delegates from some 40 countries, including Seychelles converged on the temperamental municipality of Grahamstown, this time to engage on the chosen theme “Quality and professionalism in journalism and the media: the case for new media.”

The conference director, Chris Kabwato says the aim this year was to “brings us home to the core values of our profession and to engage on the values and practices of journalism.”

2007 is an important year for the Dark Continent as it marks the 50th anniversary of its first independent state, Ghana. The Highway Africa conference therefore, reminded the continent that her destiny is in her own hand and there is much work yet to be done.



The conference’s deliberations are part of the challenge of re-structuring a future Africa of hope and promise that is characterized by economics and social development and a culture of humane rights,” says Dr Saleem Badat.

The Rhodes University Vice Chancellor believes this annual event is an opportune moment for the media to reassess its mandate besides its role to inform, educate and entertain. Amongst other things, he believes the institution should self-assess its quality and standards, by maintaining its “intellectual independence and dispassionate objectivity and contributes to the formation of an informed and critical citizenry.”

African media and journalists have especial responsibilities and a profound role to play in holding a mirror to us about the real conditions of our societies and in fostering debate on the trajectories of democracy, human rights and development in our societies and on our continent,” he added.

The rendezvous for the 12th Highway Africa conference has been set for September 2008, whilst it is hope that the continent’s journalists continue to interrogate the issues of quality and professionalism in journalism in the media in the specific conditions and context of Africa.

Monday, September 03, 2007

Seychelles ICT in figures



Figures published by the National Statistic Bureau (NSB) shows an explosion in the number of cellular mobile telephone subscribers in Seychelles.

Up to December 2006, the total number combining Airtel and Cable & Wireless amounts to 72,019.

This means in three years the number of mobiles in Seychelles has grown by 22, 790 – the number of landlines at around 848, mostly in government offices.

The NSB figures shows a total of 22, 039 telephone exchange lines in 2006 compared to 21, 191 in 2003.

No details were available on the market share of each company.

But observers believe Airtel have the lion share of the GSM network, whilst C&W is the dominant force in fixed line services.

The boom in the number of handsets reflects the trend across the African continent, where mobile phone is having a huge impact.

However, the popularity of home Internet accounts is taking much longer to catch on. From the 2003 figures, it has increased by only 1, 061 to a total 3, 872.

Home Internet access will remain an unpopular choice, unless we address the two stumbling blocks: slow PC penetration and high cost connecting fee. As a result most people are choosing to access the Internet at work or in cyber cafés,” remarks a government ICT technician.

The Internet’s dilly-dally is further highlighted by the fact that cable TV which arrived in Seychelles much later, is more of an attraction in the homes. To date there are 4, 064 connections, whilst satellite dishes remains a predominately hotel based technology with only 122 registered dishes.

It should be noted that in its publication, the NSB put the country’s population at 85, 032.