VICTORIA, Seychelles — Members of the Seychelles National Youth Assembly (SNYA) presented a motion on environmental protection in the National Assembly, in a sitting presided over by Deputy Speaker Hon. Jefferson Isaac. The debate was thorough and ended in a positive right-of-reply by Hon. D’Unienville, who thanked his fellow colleagues for their inputs and solutions, emphasising that it was such discussions that would lead to tangible change for the country. With 14 votes in favour and one abstention, the motion was passed.
The deterioration of cultural values and symbolism, such as small-scale octopus fishing and breadfruit trees being affected by environmental changes, was noted as potentially impacting traditional ways of life, as well as the tourism industry, as Seychelles faces the potential loss of heritage. Member of the Parlement Régional des Jeunes de l’Océan Indien (PRJIO), Elgin Créa, remarked that there is a lot of potential for engagement with the SNYA.
Fellow PRJIO member, Camilla Cupidon, also emphasised that ‘the deliberations and solutions brought forward by the SNYA were effective and valuable to us as the PRJIO. We are taking notes of key points raised and look forward to amplifying the voices of our national youth representatives.’ Following the sitting, the SNYA members were introduced to the members of the PRJIO Seychelles cohort, namely Camilla Cupidon, Nadisha Malbrook, Fredo Dubel, Elgin Créa, and Steve Monnaie.
Speaker Hon. D’Unienville noted the importance of continuing to develop the relationship with the PRJIO, especially outside of the chamber in national events, social activities, and opportunities where both groups can come together to discuss the pressing issues facing the youth today. The motion’s passage reinforces the role of young people in shaping the country’s environmental agenda and signals a growing partnership between national and regional youth bodies in the Indian Ocean.
