Friendship league members discuss body’s future in Africa |25 October 2011

Two members from the international committee of the IFL – its vice-chairperson Rob Lindsley and Paul Sikizigivu – are also attending the meeting.

The two-day meeting being held at the Lungos conference room at Orion Mall was officially opened yesterday morning by Mr Lindsley in the presence of Lungos chairperson Bernard Elizabeth and chief executive Steve Lalande.

Mr Lindsley said IFL Africa has the spirit and the ability to build strong groups on the continent helped through internet networking. He called on the members to concentrate on projects that can succeed and bring differences to people’s lives in the communities.

IFL Seychelles chairperson Marie-Nella Azemia said local members are glad of the opportunity to host this meeting and warmly welcome the guests to our shores.

She said that during the two days, the working group will concentrate its discussions on the IFL development, commitment and charter its way forward in Africa.

The IFL was founded in Europe in the 1930s with the aim of promoting and spreading peace, friendship, love, charity among people of different cultures, beliefs, background and social status around the world. It also aims to encourage people around the world to get to know one another in many different ways such as through cultural exchanges, charity and voluntary activities.

“IFL is a very important NGO in today’s environment where people are suffering because of division plagued by all kinds of inhuman acts,” said Mrs Azemia.

She noted that the IFL may be the answer if members really want to make a difference in people’s lives around the world, in Africa in particular.

It is expected that at the end of the two-day discussions the working group will come up with concrete proposals as to the IFL commitments in the light of today’s challenges.

Mr Elizabeth also welcomed the guests taking part in the meeting and had words of encouragement for them.

Since it was set up here in the 1990s, IFL Seychelles has to date over 40 members and has been involved in peace, charity and voluntary activities both locally and internationally.

It has helped bring together various communities including Kenyan, Guinean, Malagasy, Nigerian and others living in Seychelles through activities organised, including a peace concert some years back.

It has also gone into communities in the region and has held charity missions to Kenya for five years now and helped Kenya, Zambia, Senegal and Malawi to set up their local chapters.

IFL Seychelles has gained much regional and international visibility through its various activities and each year it takes a delegation to the movement’s international assembly.