CDWS message on Constitution Day 2019 |19 June 2019

‘Let’s make the Constitution an active part of our lives’

“To preserve the Constitution we must all be willing to make it work, to make it an active part of our lives.”
This reflection comes in a message from the Citizens Democracy Watch Seychelles (CDWS) on the occasion of Constitution day celebrated yesterday.
The full text of the message reads:

“Once a year, we pause to commemorateConstitution Day, a day to acknowledge the importance of having been granted our own Constitution – the supreme law governing our Nation.  Our Constitution embodies the vision and collective aspirations of the Seychellois citizens, to build a just, fraternal, and humane society.

“’We, the People’ enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution signifies an amazing, unique and profound philosophy that defines who we are as Seychellois; how we interact, how we think, how we socialise, and how we serve each other in our communities. The significance of the Constitution and its impact on our daily lives cannot be over emphasised. It is the foundation of our nation, the framework for our government, and an instrument of protection of all fundamental rights, freedoms and civil liberties.

“The tradition of celebrating Constitution Day, not only reinforces the spirit to uphold the supremacy of the Constitution, but the duty to educate our future generations in the importance of democratic governance.  
“One of our fundamental duties enshrined in Article 40 of the Constitution, is ‘to uphold and defend the Constitution and the law’.  However we cannot achieve this if we ourselves are not familiar with the Constitution. Each individual has the responsibility to be educated and informed; the responsibility to vote; the responsibility to give back to the community; the responsibility to listen openly to opposing points of view and learn from them; and the responsibility to participate respectfully in the democratic process.

“Citizens Democracy Watch Seychelles (CDWS) on this day of the 26th anniversary celebration of our Constitution, urges all citizens to take an interest in our Constitution – to be a part of those who appreciate and understand that the Constitution is the very source from which essential tenets of a modern democracy flow.  CDWS encourages every citizen to pause and reflect on the fact that the Constitution is a social contract governing relations in a society, between the people and their government and other institutions.

“More and more people feel a sense of commitment to be actively involved in activities to improve the quality of life in society. This is called ‘citizen participation’. As citizens become more involved in public life, the role of government needs to adapt and take greater account of this. The three arms of Government (Executive, Legislature and Judiciary) must create the civic space for citizens to exercise their right to participate in public affairs either individually or through associations.  Ultimately, this will require citizens and government to devise new ways of relating to each other and working together to promote democratic governance.

“Citizens Democracy Watch Seychelles (CDWS) is committed to taking a more active role in empowering citizens and encouraging more people to take part in the democratic process at the community and national level!

“As a nation, ‘We, the People’ must understand that the supreme law of the land must be affirmative, inclusive and participatory.  The Constitution lays the foundation for a strong and unified nation.  To preserve the Constitution we must all be willing to make it work, to make it an active part of our lives. Let us join hands to forge ahead with a greater sense of purpose and a greater sense of unity, to build a more prosperous and resilient nation where every citizen is treated with fairness, respect, equality and dignity.
“The Constitution does not just protect those whose views we share; it also protects those with whose views we disagree.” Edward Kennedy.