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.
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Editor: Dennis Hardy
Deputy Editor/Web Design: Jane Woolfenden
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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:
- Penda Choppy, Creole Language and Culture Research Institute
- Christine Pejakovic, Education and Socio-Economic Research Institute
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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.
©2026 – Seychelles Research Journal, The University of Seychelles.
Cover photograph © Jane Woolfenden
ISSN 1659-7435
CONTENTS
♦ EDITORIAL
Read the editorial here: Editorial-Seychelles_Research_Journal-8-(1)
♦ ARTICLES
Representation of Heroin Addiction in Seychelles ♦ Page 3 ♦
Georges Nicette
This paper critically examines addiction in Seychelles, which has one of the world’s highest per capita rates of heroin use. Using qualitative research, including media analysis, interviews with former users, and insights from policymakers, the study explores how heroin use/addiction is represented and managed in this small island context. Media and official discourses often stigmatise users, framing them as deviant or diseased, which shapes public attitudes and reinforces exclusion. Former users describe persistent stigma, social isolation, and difficulty reclaiming a ‘normal’ identity due to limited anonymity in a close-knit society. Professionals highlight tensions between harm-reduction and punitive policies, complicated by resource limitations and political patronage. Employing a Foucauldian lens, the paper identifies dominant discourses: disorder, resource scarcity, politics, stigma, and normalization that structure both experience and policy. The findings highlight how these narratives sustain structural barriers and stigma, and argue for more inclusive, context-sensitive drug/addiction policies in Seychelles and comparable small island states.
Read the full article here: Representations_of_Heroin_Addiction_in_Seychelles-Georges_Nicette-Seychelles_Research_Journal-8-(1)
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Trauma-Informed Restorative Justice: A framework for strengthening youth wellbeing and community safety in Seychelles ♦ Page 24 ♦
Lisa Harries
This paper proposes a trauma-informed restorative justice framework, grounded in local realities and illuminated by international examples. It argues that Restorative justice is not a single programme but a paradigm for responding to harm – one that centres accountability, relationship repair, community involvement and future safety. When combined with trauma-informed practice – an understanding of how threat, loss and chronic stress affect the brain, behaviour, and learning – restorative justice becomes a powerful mechanism for preventing youth offending, supporting victims, strengthening families and building resilient communities.
Read the full article here: Trauma-Informed_Restorative_Justice-A_framework_for_strengthening_youth_wellbeing_and_community_safety_in_Seychelles-Lisa_Harries-Seychelles_Research_Journal-8-(1)
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Renewable Energy in Cycling Infrastructure: Acceptance and potential of a photovoltaic-covered bike path on Mahé (Seychelles) ♦ Page 39 ♦
Marco Buck and Benno Rothstein
This study evaluates the public acceptance of, and potential for, a photovoltaic-covered bike path in Seychelles as an innovative solution that links sustainable mobility with the production of renewable energy. A quantitative approach combining a survey and traffic counts was applied along a proposed corridor between Victoria and Providence. The survey, which ran in March and April 2025, involved 110 participants and examined attitudes towards opportunities and obstacles. Traffic counts assessed commuter volumes and the corridor’s practical relevance. The survey results reveal a generally positive attitude towards the project. Respondents highlighted benefits such as weather protection, energy generation and improved cycling safety. However, concerns were raised regarding the high cost of investment and the potential safety risks associated with improper use. The traffic counts confirmed substantial commuter traffic along the corridor, emphasizing its potential for a dedicated cycling route. Overall, the findings suggest that a photovoltaic-covered bike path could contribute to climate goals, support energy diversification and encourage sustainable mobility behaviour. Nevertheless, further research is required into the technical feasibility and financing models.
Read the full article here: Renewable_Energy_in_Cycling_Infrastructure-Acceptance_and_potential_of_a_photovoltaic-covered_bike_path_on_Mahé-M_Buck_and_B_Rothstein-Seychelles_Research_Journal-8-(1)
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A Case-Study of Seychelles’ Slave Routes Through its Folktales ♦ Page 70 ♦
Penda Choppy
Seychelles’ most popular folktale character is Soungoula, a trickster hero that can be traced back to the Nyanja people of Malawi, but the story is also known among other Bantu peoples in the Swahili region. This is a testimony to the tradition bearers who brought these stories to these island shores along the routes of slavery. In a study which included the origins of the diasporas that formed the Seychelles’ creolized population and which used Creole folktales as data, it was possible to identify a majority of the story types belonging to various tribes and regions in Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa. The trajectories of these different people across the slave routes of mainland Africa, through the satellite islands of the Southeast Indian Ocean, to the plantation islands of the Mascarenes and Seychelles, became evident as their folktale characters and story-types began to interact and merge. This has resulted in a common stock of stories in the Southeast Indian Ocean that characterize the creativity and resilience of the tradition bearers who remembered their homelands through these stories. This paper focuses on the characters, symbols and transformations of African folktales that were brought to Seychelles through the Indian Ocean slave trade.
Read the full article here: A_Case-Study_of_Seychelles’_Slave_Routes_Through_its_Folktales-Penda_Choppy-Seychelles_Research_Journal-8-(1)
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Local Ocean, Global Currents: Climate governance and the postcolonial legacy of Seychelles’ blue
economy ♦ Page 89 ♦
Hope Johnson
In recent years, Seychelles has emerged as a prominent advocate of the blue economy and climate action on the global stage. However, the policy frameworks that shape this leadership are deeply influenced by the country’s postcolonial governance structures. This paper critically examines how colonial legacies continue to inform the development and discourse of Seychelles’ climate policy, particularly in relation to the blue economy. This discourse explores how climate initiatives are framed within narratives of economic modernization, sustainability, and global responsibility. It asks whose voices are amplified or marginalized in the construction of national policy, and the extent to which community-led perspectives influence official climate governance. By tracing the discursive framework of the blue economy within a postcolonial context, it highlights the contention that global environmental goals can sometimes reproduce historical inequities, even as they promote sustainability. The findings underscore the importance of critically engaging with both the content and context of climate policy in small island states. Ultimately, the paper argues for more inclusive and reflexive governance models that centre local knowledge and experience in climate adaptation planning.
Read the full article here: Local_Ocean_ Global_Currents-Climate_governance_and_the_postcolonial_legacy_of_Seychelles’_blue_economy-Hope_Johnson-Seychelles_Research_Journal-8-(1)
Seychelles Research Journal 