JOURNAL INFORMATION
Seychelles Research Journal is published twice a year, in February and August. The aim of this online, open access journal is to demonstrate the vibrancy of research in and about Seychelles. Boundaries are drawn loosely to include comparable issues elsewhere in the western Indian Ocean and in small island states further afield.
Information on how to submit proposed articles and on the refereeing process is explained elsewhere in the website. New proposals are always encouraged.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Editor: Dennis Hardy
Deputy Editor/Web Design: Jane Woolfenden
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Marketing Consultant: Guy Morel
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
International Advisers:
- Ashton Berry, Consultant, Australia
- David Brewster, National Security College, Australia
- Christian Bueger, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Jean-Pierre Cabestan, Hong Kong Baptist University
- Geoffrey Harris, Durban University of Technology, South Africa
- Kelly Hoareau, University of Tasmania, Australia
- Pascal Nadal, Diocesan Service of Catholic Education, Mauritius
- Peter Rudge, University of Staffordshire, UK
- Nilanthi Samaranayake, CNA, USA
- Jivanta Schottli, Dublin City University, Ireland
- Erika Techera, University of Western Australia
- Kris Valaydon, Founding Editor, Island Studies, Mauritius
Internal Advisers:
- Sylvanna Antat, James Michel Blue Economy Research Institute
- Diana Benoit, Sir James Mancham Peace and Diplomacy Research Institute
- Penda Choppy, Creole Language and Culture Research Institute
- Olga Klymenko, Education and Socio-Economic Research Institute
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Sponsors:
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
This is a publication of the University of Seychelles http://www.unisey.ac.sc
The views and opinions represented in this publication are not necessarily those of the institutions to which the authors and/or advisers are affiliated and, additionally, should not be attributed to the publisher.
©2023 – Seychelles Research Journal, The University of Seychelles
Cover photograph © Jane Woolfenden
ISSN 1659-7435
CONTENTS
♦ EDITORIAL
Read the editorial here: Editorial-Seychelles_Research_Journal-5-(2)
♦ ARTICLES
Monsters, Mythical Creatures, and Island Hopping in Seychellois Folktales ♦ Page 3 ♦
Thérésia Penda Choppy
The folktales of the Southwest Indian Ocean islands are described as being a common stock of stories which have followed an eastwards diaspora from Central Africa and the Eastern African Coast to the islands. These stories have sometimes merged with, or been reinterpreted in the creolization process, from Malagasy myths and legends originating from 9th century maritime migrations from Indonesia. This is part of the Indian Ocean World inheritance of the islands that predate colonialism. A very intriguing aspect of this heritage are monsters and mythical creatures that can be traced back to East Africa and Madagascar. In Seychelles, the extremes of insularity, hybridization and the imbalance of power caused by slavery has caused these creatures to be rationalized and simplified, and given new names in a language that was more acceptable to those in authority. This paper discusses how mythical creatures in Seychellois folktales have ‘island hopped’ across the Indian Ocean, and their transformation in the creolization process. These mythical creatures include the trickster Soungoula, the Swallowing Monster, Loulou, and the Vanishing Woman. The samples for this study have been extracted from the dataset for a wider study on folktales and creolization in Seychelles.
Read the full article here:Monsters_Mythical_Creatures_and_Island_Hopping_in_Seychellois_Folktales-Thérésia_Penda_Choppy-Seychelles_Research_Journal-5-(2)
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Syntactic Variation in Conversational Seychelles Creole ♦ Page 22 ♦
Olga Klymenko and Christine Pejakovic
This paper investigates the syntactic peculiarities of Seychelles Creole in an informal conversation. It focuses on spontaneous speech production and explores to what extent the regular syntactic principles of Seychelles Creole clause construction (Subject-Verb-Object order, realization of verb valencies) are observed in an unprepared conversational situation. Looking at the inputs in recipe-sharing conversations, the paper presents systematized descriptions of variation in constituent order and completeness of a spontaneous SC clause, dwelling on the semantic implications of the above variations. Analysis of syntactic variation in spontaneous conversation reveals context-based, functional characteristics of Seychelles Creole and contributes to its stylistically differentiated description. The results of the above analysis open avenues for further research into the creole-substrate relationship and typology of syntactic strategies for emphasis.
Read the full article here: Syntactic_Variation_in_Conversational_Seychelles_Creole-Olga_Klymenko_and_ Christine_Pejakovic-Seychelles_Research_Journal-5-(2)
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Mainstreaming Climate Adaptation into Sectoral Policies in Seychelles ♦ Page 37 ♦
Daniel Etongo
Integrating climate adaptation into existing policies and practices rather than creating new or specific adaptation policies is a key strength of mainstreaming and why it is being promoted globally. Mainstreaming climate adaptation into sector and national strategies is crucial in achieving sustainable growth. This paper reviews the extent to which climate adaptation has been mainstreamed into sectoral policies in Seychelles, complemented by expert interviews to tease out barriers and how they might be overcome. While significant progress has been made in adaptation mainstreaming in the agriculture, water, and energy sectors, little progress has occurred in the blue economy, forestry, and health sectors. This has been attributed to an absence of national policies and/or lack of add-ons to adaptation projects. For example, mainstreaming climate adaptation into sector policies and strategies has occurred ad hoc through different projects. Some of the mainstreaming barriers identified include a lack of human and financial resources, greater priorities for sector-based policies and action plans (e.g. energy policy, wetland policy and action plan, etc.), and the problem of coordination and cooperation among stakeholders. Proposed strategies for improvement include long-term climate impact studies, better public-private partnerships, building on existing adaptation projects, ensuring policy coherence, and enhancing access to human, technical, and financial resources. Lastly, adaptation mainstreaming is a process that the government should institutionalize across sectors to promote sustainable growth.
Read the full article here: Mainstreaming_Climate_Adaptation_into_Sectoral_Policies_in Seychelles-Daniel_Etongo-Seychelles_Research_Journal-5-(2)
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Chagos and the British Indian Ocean Territory: A colonial anachronism in the post-colonial era ♦ Page 59 ♦
Dennis Hardy
Chagos, a remote archipelago in the Indian Ocean, was until the mid-1960s known only (if at all) for its coconut plantations. That is, until Britain redesignated the colony as the British Indian Ocean Territory and allowed its American ally to occupy the largest island, Diego Garcia, for a regional military base. To make way for new priorities, the occupants of all the islands were forcibly removed. And so began a dispute extending over six decades, in which newly-independent Mauritius claimed that Chagos was rightfully a part of its own sovereign nation. Colonial and post-colonial practices were brought into contention; human rights were foregrounded in the courts; geopolitics determined the course of events; and all the while economic and environmental factors played their part. The dispute became an international cause célèbre and only now are there signs of a final resolution.
Read the full article here: Chagos_and_the_British_Indian_Ocean_Territory-A_colonial_anachronism_in_the_post-colonial_era-Dennis_Hardy-Seychelles_Research_Journal-5-(2)
……………………………………………………………………………………….
China and Cape Verde: How can a small African island state navigate between great powers? ♦ Page 72 ♦
Jean-Pierre Cabestan
Cape Verde’s relations with China have rapidly deepened since the early 2000s and even more since the launching of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by Xi Jinping in 2013. China has shown an increasing interest in this small archipelagic nation situated in the Atlantic Ocean, around 600 kilometres west of the African continent, providing much development assistance. Its strategic location, stability and openness, as well as China’s growing global ambitions explain this interest. Yet, Cape Verde has managed to resist some of the offers from China and remains closer to the West, both the United States, which for security reasons is worried about China’s inroads, and the European Union, which has for a long time established a close partnership with this former Portuguese colony. This article shows both China’s modus operandi in small island states close to the African continent, such as Cape Verde, and the ability of these states to keep some agency in their relations with great powers, an agency that allows them to balance their relationships and optimize their interests. Interesting parallels can be drawn with another small island state with African connections, Seychelles.
Read the full article here:China_and_Cape_Verde-How_can_a_small_African_isand_state_navigate_between_great_powers-Jean-Pierre_Cabestan-Seychelles_Research_Journal-5-(2)
♦ RESEARCH NOTES
To Have an Army or Not: Small Island Security in the South Indian Ocean ♦ Page 93 ♦
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Confronting Challenges in Journalism Education ♦ Page 99 ♦
Confronting_Challenges_in_Journalism_Education-Timpthy_Vest_Klein-Seychelles_Research_Journal-5-(2)
Seychelles Research Journal 