A few issues must be stated before we proceed with our portal community page. It started as a history page. Some two years have gone by and we have watchfully observed reactions. Beside the rich history of great Portuguese discoveries and navigation. This in turn involving the rivalry between France then and what later became the French Colonies of Ile Maurice, Bourbon - Ile Reunion, Ile D’abondance, Sechelles - Seychelles. In 1498, the Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama succeeded in rounding the cape of Good Hope after previous Portuguese attempt and called at various Arab-Swahili lands along the East African coast on his way northwards.
It was at one of those city ports that an Arab or Indian pilot showed him the way to Goa, India. Within the next ten years, numerous Portuguese expeditions explored the Indian Ocean, visiting Madagascar, the Seychelles - Diego Garcia (BIOT) and the Comoros Islands.
Around 1507, the Portuguese seaman Domingo Fernandez Pereira sighted Mauritius and named it Ilha do Cerne. (Island of the Swan)s, The group of islands consisting of Mauritius, Reunion and Rodrigues was name Mascarenes after the Portuguese captain, Pero Mascarenhas. Once again the very important rich Indian Ocean French heritage We have added some history links. Portugal history wikipedia
Through out the Colonial era of France later Britain Sechelles - Seychelles had and maintained reasonable good relation with the Portuguese people, those of East African, Goa and Far East. There was a ship linking the ports which called once a month. However the British Colonial administration dictated how far these friendly relation would go.
Things changed after our independence 1976, specially one year after the 5th June coup d’etat and the political change blowing across Africa. The politic of the world, the West, Capitalist and the East Communist - socialist world. The government of FA Rene to prohibit multi party in Seychelles, the imprisonment then the exodus of many leading Seychelles families to Europe, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Canada and USA.
Seychelles undertook to forge and build very special relation with several Portuguese speaking nations, Mozambique, Angola, Cuba, Brazil, Venezuela other Latin American Nations - Portugal itself. How much of this was due to the state of modern , then politic and Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion, Comoros and the many Indian Ocean nation Portugal had discovered we do not know. Because then there is the role of Portugal in the world, cultural, economic and diplomatic - particularly by the UN institutions. Seychelles was being isolated by the commonwealth also under the instruction of the West
From Europe, France, Germany, Italy Britain those from our early community after the second world war who had began making and maintaining contact with the Portuguese people given the rich history heritage.
The most important efforts to strengthened link with Portugal and Portuguese speaking nation, communities in Europe was undertaken after the 1977 5th June coup d’etat. Just like our self they were very much divided be they from the Latin American Nations in exile in Europe the wars raging in their countries or Africa.
In building our Seychelles EU community network the important work to cultivate those historic heritage and the facts that we had been uprooted once again and endeavoring to reestablish our roots in the land of our European ancestors. Be it form Britain, France, Germany or Belgium, their own countries and in the USA, the very important support we acquired to help put together that historic SIROP, DP, CDU, Alliance, MPD of JR Mancham, SNM/MPR exile return program of 1987 - 1995. The information we shared, their experiences in UN such implemented program and results.
It must be said the Portuguese speaking nation, communities in EU are very highly organized and represented in EU. Now we come to our community in EU and Portugal - we have a small community in Portugal proper. Combined with communities in London the very many important discussion, issues about building our community networks This portal project was started importantly supported by IT experts for Portugal and Portuguese speaking Latin America, and the SDA church in London. We have seen many great project they have put together.
The Portuguese language and culture is a very important culture in the world - the nation of Latin America, Culture, sports, social development, education, science and economy. Over the past 25 years the very many important issues our Seychelles EU community have been engaged in at community and national level.
Given the progress everybody have made, including the Seychelles government new position - we aim to build this page not solely for our communities in Portugal, also other Portuguese speaking we have important relation in EU
|