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Young leaders band to work for country |20 October 2014

Graduates of the Seychelles Young Leaders Programme (SYLP) have banded together to spearhead initiatives for the benefit of Seychelles and (its) people.

President James Michel joined Seychelles Young Leaders Association chairman Christopher Lespoir in unveiling the website of the association and accepted a copy of its constitution during the official launch ceremony on Saturday at the International Conference Centre.

Pro vice-chancellor of the University of Seychelles Lucy Athanasius presented Mr Michel, the patron of the Seychelles Young Leaders Programme (SYLP) with a copy of the Seychelles Young Leaders Association (SYLA) constitution in the presence of former President James Mancham, Vice-President Danny Faure, Designated Minister Vincent Meriton, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly David Pierre, secretary general in the Office of the President Lise Bastienne and other guests.

The logo of the association was also unveiled by Mr Lespoir, who noted that the motto is ‘Solutions for tomorrow through actions of today’.

The vision of the SYLA is to be a leading force in the development and strengthening of economic, environmental and social policies nationally. To be recognised for its qualitative contributions and set standards for policy options in the nation’s best interest.

Under the chairmanship of Mr Lespoir, the SYLA will provide a platform for SYLP cohorts/awardees to assemble and spearhead initiatives and projects for the benefit of Seychelles. It shall focus on five main themes – research, national policies, capacity building, social responsibility, and exchange programme and networking.


A registered association which abides by the laws of Seychelles, the SYLA comprises an executive board made up of chairman Lespoir himself, vice-chairperson Myrna Bonnelame, secretary general Sabrina Belle, treasurer Anabelle Cadeau, and five ordinary members – Maria Marie-Payet, Steven Rose, Marie-France Barra, Sabrina Agathine and Fred Hoareau. The term of office for trustees is two years, while the chairperson and vice-chairperson will stay in office for three years so as to have continuity in the activity of the board.

When addressing the guests and graduates, Mr Lespoir said the gathering is another footstep in a journey which started seven years ago when President Michel, in his keynote speech on the occasion of the National Day, spoke about plans to start off the SYLP.

“There was a need to improve our leadership and service delivery across the board and the programme was seen as one of the long-term tools to be used… A number of past SYLP graduates now hold key positions in our society and are making a difference. Young people of Seychelles, engagement has no boundaries, and these successes are just the beginning of many to come. Every day we have young Seychellois making a difference, walking the talk, but we should not rest on our laurels because there will always be work to be done. We belong to a small yet dynamic country, and as graduates of the SYLP we must work together for the future,” said Mr Lespoir, who added that the graduates do not have all the solutions but have been exposed to a new way of doing business, a way which complements the efforts being made by their colleagues.

Mr Lespoir also appealed to the graduates to make a difference through hard work and told their colleagues and superiors not to see them as “wishful thinkers” but as “professionals willing to work together with you all for the sake of Seychelles and our people”.



“Fellow young leaders, our tomorrow indeed starts today. Let us walk together, work together, grow together, and give together to the future of our country and our communities, united under the SYLA,” concluded Mr Lespoir.

In a vote of thanks, Michelle Murray said President Michel’s presence at the ceremony bears testimony to the firm conviction he has in the SYLP ever since he initiated this flagship programme.

“President Michel, thank you for believing in the potential of us young Seychellois and for giving us the privileged opportunity to be groomed as future young leaders for the New Seychelles. We shall not let you down,” said Ms Murray.

She also thanked Ms Athanasius for seeing each of the three cohorts through and for setting the ball rolling for the formation of the SYLA.



“The programme has, for nearly seven years, been grooming people who think global while acting local, have meaningful ideas, demonstrate real impact and seek to always challenge themselves and strive for excellence. It is anchored in the conviction that the world – and Seychelles in our case – is defined by the people who live in it and that at the end of the day we can only turn the challenges we face into opportunities by grooming entrepreneurial young leaders who would be empowered to better shape what the world and what the Seychelles of tomorrow will be about,” said Ms Murray.

The initiative for the setting up of the SYLA was prompted by the expressed wish of President Michel when he received a copy of an action plan at State House on July 18, 2013 from the graduates of the second SYLP cohort.

President Michel said on the occasion: “It is my wish that, following this plan of action that they have presented to me, they should develop it further and that the other groups of young leaders can join together afterwards and form a very powerful association that can become the academic think-tank for our country. It is necessary at this moment in time for young leaders to get together, to think, discuss and find innovative ways of how to bring about positive change in our country”.

Work on the setting up of the association started in September 2013 and during the first meeting Ms Athanasius outlined a modus operandi for the proposed new SYLA, made arrangements for a working group to prepare a draft constitution, and provided an opportunity for the SYLP students to network, and consider possible initiatives that might be undertaken by the new association.

Dr John Nolan, special advisor on Education to the President, was also present for this first meeting and he congratulated all concerned on this imaginative initiative.
 
“Drawing on the range of knowledge, skills and experiences they had gained from their involvement in the two-year SYLP, and the synergy that could now be generated from such a highly qualified group of young leaders, the new SYLA has the capacity and human resources to make a significant and valuable contribution to the ongoing development of the country,” said Dr Nolan during this meeting.

Three cohorts of students have already graduated under the programme and a fourth started the two-year Master’s degree course this year. When members of the fourth cohort complete their training, there will be 101 young Seychellois who would have undergone the training.

 

 

 

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