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The Seychelles Research Journal |29 January 2021

The Seychelles Research Journal

This year’s first issue of the Seychelles Research Journal

First issue for 2021 is out

 

The first issue for 2021 of the Seychelles Research Journal has been published.

This free, online publication can be accessed at www.seychellesresearchjournal.com and the editor can be contacted at dennishardy@ymail.com

 

The Indian Ocean: A Kaleidoscope of Change

The first issue for 2021 opens with a reminder that the previous year marked the 250th anniversary of the permanent settlement of Seychelles. In an interview with Seychellois author Robert Grandcourt, questions are asked by Anne-Berenike-Rothstein that reveal thoughtful insights about this distant past.

One of the delights of an interdisciplinary journal is how it introduces the reader to subjects that might not otherwise have been familiar. In this issue we include three fascinating articles that each contribute further to our understanding of Creole language and culture. Pascal Nadal and Aruna Ankiah-Gangadeen show how Mauritian Kreol is acknowledged as an important language in its own right.

Their wider argument is that it illustrates that local languages and their associated cultures need not be swept aside in the interests of dominant, international languages like English and French. Globalisation may not always have the last word.

Two other articles which explore different aspects of this general theme are those by Penda Choppy and Anne-Berenike Rothstein. Mrs Choppy acknowledges the importance of African and European influences on creole identity but she also draws attention to a missing element, namely, the part played by the Indian Ocean region itself. In turn, Rothstein shows how the oral tradition has

made its own contribution to our understanding of the evolving nature of Creole culture.

On the geopolitical front, Jean-Pierre Cabestan offers a detailed analysis of changing relationships in the Indian Ocean, especially those between India and China. In a meticulously-sourced article, he shows how Seychelles finds itself in the middle of a major power rivalry. This can work two ways for our small island state: it can either make Seychelles subject to the dictates of the larger

ones, or, alternatively, it can offer a source of leverage to extract much-needed benefits. Cabestan carefully weighs up the options and concludes on an optimistic note: ‘One should not understate the Seychelles agency and more generally the ability of small island states to influence events, especially events that concern their own security and future’.

Dennis Hardy’s contribution also stems from an interest in geopolitics but focuses on the specific issue of food security. The ongoing pandemic has, among many other impacts, seriously disrupted global supply chains and questioned whether a small island state like Seychelles, highly dependent on food imports, can secure sufficient for its needs. In whatever way one looks at the problem, more supplies must be produced locally, and the article suggests broad target numbers to guide a national food security strategy.

Finally, flying the environmental flag on her own this time, Malshini Senaratne writes about seagrass as an under-rated source of carbon storage. As Seratne explains, “research suggests that an acre of seagrass could store about three times as much carbon as a terrestrial rainforest. In line with these preliminary calculations, seagrass meadows may be responsible for more than ten

percent of carbon storage in the ocean”. Research is still quite patchy but there is enough evidence to encourage further work on this important subject.

A further note on the journal is that, following a successful application based on the evidence of our first two years of publication, the journal has been accredited by the Norwegian Register for Scientific Journal, Series and Publishers. This body is one of several international bodies that verify standards, and accreditation in our case means that we have provided evidence that our processes are sound and that more than 50% of our articles are sourced from outside the University of Seychelles. For present and future authors, not to mention our readers, this is an important index of international credibility.

Finally, we are delighted to record that a locally-based business, East Indies Company, has agreed to sponsor the journal. This present issue is entirely funded by the company, giving voice to the idea that ‘fine wines and good research’ are natural partners.

 

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