Many Strong Voices speak out in Seychelles

Seychelles Nation - 29.10.2010
Activists from small island and Arctic states are meeting at the University of Seychelles (UniSey) campus at Anse Royale to talk about climate change and discuss their strategies for the coming five years.

The forum has been organised by the steering committee of Many Strong Voices (MSV), a platform where islanders and indigenous peoples of the Arctic combine to bring attention to the issues of climate change.

It is also a growing global network of researchers, policy makers, community organisations and Small Island Developing States that promotes the security and sustainability of coastal communities.

Around 15 people from Canada, St Lucia and Alaska, among others, are attending the meeting, which opened yesterday morning and closes today.

“The role of MSV is to peel back the veneer that science has projected and give a human face to the issue of climate change,” said Cletus Springer from St Lucia.

He explained that the islanders affected by the issue are not asking for too much – just that their way of life is protected, allowing them the simple pleasures of walking on a beach and taking a dip in the sea.

“Today, as we get together for our strategy meeting, let us combine our expertise to further impact on global decisions,” said UniSey president Dr Rolph Payet, who officially launched the meeting.

“I am aware of our resource and capacity constraints, but we have shown ourselves to be focused, resilient and determined in everything we do, and in many of our initiatives we have reached politicians as well as community leaders and even students.

“However bleak the outcome may be, we should strive to build more partnerships. And as we look ahead to Cancun, let us resolve to make known the issues facing our small nations and peoples today.”

The next United Nations climate change conference will be held in Cancun, Mexico, from November 29 to December 10.

One of the issues the delegates also talked about was making the industrialised countries more aware of the issue as the changes in climate affect the whole world.

“There are still climate change sceptics who do not believe in the real threat – in fact they are holding a convention in London right now, calling it Climate Fools’ Day,” said Mr Springer.

Dr Payet also asked for a credible and acceptable climate change pact, saying: “I am saddened by the continued lack of political assertiveness at the global level to resolve the climate change issue.”

Also during the meeting, the delegates looked at pictures of the effects of climate change in different areas of the world and listened to stories of the impact on the lives of people living there.
MSV was established in 2005 and partners with the Sea Level Rise Foundation in Seychelles.