Global Dialogue for Happiness |19 February 2018

VP Meriton shares experiences

Vice-President Vincent Meriton has shared his experiences after attending the World Government Summit (WGS) 2018 in Dubai last week.

VP Meriton was accompanied at the WGS by the secretary of state for poverty alleviation Dick Esparon and the principal secretary for social affairs Linda William-Melanie.

The WGS, held from February 11 to 13, unfolded under the theme ‘Shaping future governments’ with renowned international personalities delivering powerful addresses to around 40,000 participants from 140 countries in Dubai.

In a press conference on Thursday last week after his return from the summit, VP Meriton stated that Seychelles being considered a high middle income country could connect with the technological advancement in various fields such as in education, health, among others.

“For a society to remain joyful, we need to have a good government structure in education, health and social protection. During the 40 years of our development we have learnt that having more does not equate to being happy. A country needs to have good values and good tolerance to be able to move forward. Happiness plays a vital role in a country, it keeps each individual at the centre of the development of the country,” he said.

He added that the government of Seychelles is fighting really hard so that no one is left behind.

“Seychelles is ranked by the UNDP and World Bank as a high income country. Our generous welfare system ensures no one is left behind; there is free health care and education. As a small island developing state, we want what is best for our people. Our policies are people centered. And today, we enjoy one of the highest qualities of life in Africa. To have a better country we need to implement ICT in all sectors such as in education and health, teachers need to be evaluated on the subjects they are teaching along with performance on their classes. There should be better communication between patients and doctors. These are basic values that can make a country cheerful,” he said.

During the Global Dialogue for Happiness the experts, including those from Seychelles, met in workshops and sessions on topics related to happiness and well-being. The outcomes of these workshops and sessions are to be compiled in a manual that will help governments raise the level of happiness across nations. 

The structures that were discussed during the dialogue will be implemented throughout the years, so that it will benefit the country and make for a happy Seychelles.

Caption:

VP Meriton, accompanied by PS Wiliam-Melanie amd Mr Esparon, speaking during the press conference on Thursday