Cassava Tuesdays: Creole Brand of The Republic of Seychelles

Capital: Victoria
Population: 94,677 (2016)
Official Language Spoken: Seychelles Creole (Seselwa), English and French
 Religion: Christianity, Islam, Bahai and Hinduism

President Danny Faure 

“Seychelles was part of the Paradise Papers, which revealed financial dealings of politicians, celebrities, corporate giants and business leaders.”

— November, 2017

COLONIAL PERIOD 

1502- Vasco Da Gama sailed from India to Africa at his arrival, he named the islands after himself, Les Amirantes (Admiral Islands). He is credited for discovering the island because none of the colored folks within distance ever dared to visit. I mean Seychelles is a hop and skip from two continents, but it took a European to “discover” this Island.

               ESTIMATED SHIP ARRIVALS TO SEYCHELLES

10 days from India
10 days from Saudi Arabia
4 days from Kenya
23 days from Portugal

I find it hard to believe that no one from these spaces “discovered” the island. In the late 1700s, the French colonized Seychelles and will name the island in honor of Viscount Jean Moreau de Sechelles (Minister of Finance, 1727 to 1743).

Portugal's Vasco da Gama explored the Seychelles (1502)

“Seychelles has the highest Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) per capita in Africa ($15,410 in 2016), but increasingly the effects of climate change are placing its economy—which relies heavily on high-end tourism and exports of tuna—at risk.”

— World Bank, 2017

As our other stories with "Empire" and Africa spaces go, there was a struggle from the French, British, Dutch, Arabs, and the Italians. They stopped by the island for precious stones, spices, and slaves. Similarly, to the early stories of Australia, Seychelles was used as a place to hold prisoners or exiles by the British.

Oddly enough, Seychelles keeps Somalian prisoners and it is all funded by the United Nations.

THE CASE OF NUTS AND NEUROTIC SAILORS

Coco De Mer, I am sure you can guess the Male and Female one right?

“World Bank approved a $9 million loan to help indebted Seychelles to restore economic stability.”

— 2009 (It was rough for everyone)

“Seychelles is ranked 93rd out of 190 economies on the Doing Business ”

— Word Bank, 2017

Seychellois Rupee

“
Seychelles is the smallest country in Africa ”

We discussed country branding last year, with the Sega Branding of Mauritius

What is the Creole Brand ? 

BLUE ECONOMICS & SUSTAINABILITY

BLUE ECONOMICS IN 2014

Seychelles relies heavily on tourism but the nation is on a mission to change that. The Island nation is trying to move away from being totally dependent on its tourism sector by developing its blue economy.

“ 40 out of 168 (No ranking available in 2016)”

— Transparency Corruption Perceptions Index, 2015

the outcome  IN 2016 (BRANDING ASSET #1)

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SUSTAINABILITY IN POLICY AND IN PRACTICE (ASSET #2)

The country has also taking a proactive approach instead of a reactive approach to dealing with sustainability and the blue economy of the country. Read below to understand more on the Seychelles Blue Economy Strategic Roadmap.

VISA RELATIONSHIP WITH THE REGION & power of passport? (BRANDING ASSET 3-4)

Country Branding done the right way “CAN” lead a country to the path of Soft Power. Remember, you can have a brand that is “sellable” but have no soft power. Despite the word SOFT, it is not easy to craft or apply into foreign policy. 

The Maldives has a recognizable brand, spectacular views that really are “The sunny side of life” but struggle with poverty and health care.

The Republic of Seychelles was first to scrap visa requirements for other African nations, despite the feelings not been mutual. In return, the country now has the most powerful African passport. The Seychelles passport ranks number 1 in the continent, 26 globally with a total of 141 accessible countries.

“Seychelles is home to one of the heaviest land tortoise, The Aldabra Giant tortoise born in 1846. ”

THE PEOPLE MUST BE CONSIDERED IN THE BRAND? (problem#1)

Marie Josee Bonne, Special Adviser, Ministry of Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports, Seychelles

“Majority of the 115 islands are uninhabited, they are dedicated as nature reserves ”

The Seychelles has one of the most progressive social development policies in the developing world, arguably owing to its size and population of just over 860,000 people. The United Nations, however, believes the policies are workable, even in heavily populated countries. It says the model should be deployed in other African countries.

COUNTRY CARRIER AND TOURISM (ASSET #5) 

We have discussed the importance of a country having a reliable safe country carrier. Air Seychelle might be a small airline but enjoys six major code share partnership agreements with Alitalia, Jet Airways, Air Serbia, Air France, South African Airways, and Etihad Airways that owns 40% of the airline. Tourist can also enjoy authentic creole music on board. Your airline is supposed to celebrate and sell your country brand but with your culture constantly on the background.

The amazing Seychelles Islands...Not just another place,another World ! For a glimpse into this amazing island Nation ,please view the video. For more information about the Seychelles,please visit : www.seychelles.travel

CREOLE CULTURE
 

FOOD CULTURE

The traditional meal for the country is this delicious fruit bat. It can be served as a warm curry, stir fried or in coconut milk. 

SEGGAE MUSIC
 

This is a blend of reggae and sega, very popular with African Island countries. 

SEGGAE MUSIC

Kolonel from Seychelles Island Title : Parey Mon Devret Production : Dreamventure Special Thanks to : Darren Ladine : Hillary Rita

“The use of wood or charcoal is illegal in the island”

 

WE SHALL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS....

Promotional Seychelles Music Video geared in promoting Seychelles artist on an International level... Please feel free to subscribes, rate and view. Share it to your family and friends, Seychelles has been described as a Paradise on Earth, there's your chance to learn a little bit about it vast culture, through it's people's music.

See you next Cassava Tuesday!

Cassava Tuesdays: Cape Verde

We will be back next Cassava Tuesday!

Our first Lusophone Country for Cassava Tuesdays will be Cape Verde. There is a reason for the use of Cape Verde and Cabo Verde.... Hrrrggggh, What is in a name? We will discuss next time!

Cape Verde has no Soft Power but there is potential to build on a brand thanks to their Blue Economy.

Are you aware that Cape Verde has the second-best education system in Africa?
 

We will start with Amílcar Lopes da Costa Cabral and end with the branding possibilities for this island country. 

In the meantime, please enjoy the legendary Barefoot Diva, Cesária Évo from Cape Verde

Cesária Évora - Sodade Official music video - corrected and better HD sound

CASSAVA TUESDAYS: LIBYA KIF H'ALEK? (Are you okay?)

The Flag of Libya

Currency: Libyan Dinars

Capital: Tripoli
Population: +6.2 Million
Official Language Spoken: Arabic
Vernacular Languages: Varieties of Berber, Tedaga and Domari
*You can also speak Italian, English and French in the country. 
 Religion: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judiasim

 

LIBYANS ARE AFRICANS, ARE WE CLEAR??

“If you dey chop fufu..Nah African you be...

Fufu by any other name nah Fufu”

— Water & Cassava

Proper African Child... (My dad eats fufu with cutlery, it really hurts my feelings..)

Asida "Boiled Pudding".... All North African countries eat Asida, maybe different styles but this is usually eaten in the morning.  SMH!!! FUFU IN THE MORNING, YOU ARE SO AFRICAN!!!

“Sub-Sahara African Countries know fufu in many ways, in Libya they say Asida. You know the drill, eat with your right hand and if you can use your index and middle fingers, you my friend are an AFRICAN. ”

— Water & Cassava

MAN MAY LIVE ON FUFU ALONE

Bazin, Libyan style. Barley Fufu. This could be lunch or dinner

Sub-Sahara African Cassava Fufu with Egusi and vegetables

what is north africa? what is sub-saharan africa?

There are some extremely disturbing answers to this question which is surrounded around my beautiful Sahara. Have you visited? I had the opportunity of visiting the entrance to the Sahara through Morocco. The most popular arguments are
 

North Africa is part of the Arab World

“We all understand that the Arabs colonized North Africa and took part in the slave trade, right? ”

— Water & Cassava

Imagine terms like “British West Africa”??Damn I forgot, my maternal grandfather was born in a space that no longer exists, that is another issue with words like country. He was born in British West Africa in a space known as British Cameroons. 

“My maternal grandfather is a Bakwerian from Cameroon”

— Njoku People

Geography as a Divider
The argument is around my beautiful Sahara! Do you know there are some folks out there that use terms like North Africa and Sub-Saharan based on the line of the Sahara? The Sahara is part of the following African Countries: - Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia. My visit to Morocco, I had the pleasure of meeting people from the Sahara that do not wish to be called Arab. They find it offensive and rude. 

Similarly, to people that listen to American Hip-Hop songs that mention the N* word. These people believe that ending it with -ga compared to -er towards any black person or anyone for that matter is perfectly okay. 

“Read this twice: I know many people that will beat the breaks out of your body for using the N* word, please do not let your favorite rapper send you to the hospital...”

— PSA from Water & Cassava

But in the words of X…..You don't know....Who We Be?

Best of DMX: https://goo.gl/LVLFFu Subscribe here: https://goo.gl/RLFjLM Music video by DMX performing Who We Be. (C) 2001 The Island Def Jam Music Group

---

HISTORICAL BACKDROP OF NORTH & EAST AFRICA SLAVERY 

TIPPU TIP:  THE AFRICAN SLAVE RUNNER

Slave runner or in my books a SOB but his parents named him Hamad bin Muhammad bin Juma bin Rajab el Murjeb. My primary school teacher referred to this man as Tippu Tip, a name forever stamped in African History. He was born in modern day Zanzibar, owner to 10,000+ slaves and sold people throughout North and East Africa. 

Let us use his name in a sentence: -
Hamad bin Muhammad bin Juma bin Rajab el Murjebi be tip man!  

.. THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE WAS NOT THE SAME AS THE ARAB TRADE??

“These are the folks in the plantation, please avoid them... RUN AWAY”

— Daughter of Bantu Folk

STUDY YOUR MAPS, PAY ATTENTION TO DATES....

You know about this story....

EXHIBIT A- EGYPTIAN SLAVE MERCHANT

Slave merchant, Cairo, c 1865 - National Maritime Museum. Slave sellers. (Pinterest)

Read that date as many times as you need to wash that disease of colonialism. 

exhibit b-COLONIAL TRAUMA ON AFRICAN SEXUAL LIBERTIES

The Arab slavemasters refer to some of those stolen men from the map above as Chamba. Chamba are Eunuchs. Now with your new map, see those spaces and let them stay in your brain. These men from those African spaces, had their penis sliced off their bodies.

 After slicing the penis from the body, hot coals were pressed on to the fresh wound. You can guess many of those men did not survive such injury. The female slaves were kept for the sick depraved sexual privileges from Arab colonial masters.  

Do you understand now why we argue African Sexual Liberties and our Sexual Ontology is thoroughly corrupted? We spoke of this topic on our Public Health Wednesdays entries. 
 

“...Before we discuss the modern day slavery in Libya, we need to be aware of certain issues. We are not
Believers in Historical Revisionism but......
”

LEADERSHIP IS COMPLICATED IN LIBYA...

There is a version of this story that begins with a young boy born in a colonial space, known as Italian Libya. Child to a camel and goat herder in the arms of economic oppression and a minority twice from foreign invaders and as a reality. Italian Libya previously colonized by the Ottoman Empire, a young boy growing up in a colony as his illiterate father’s father.
As a young man he would admire champions against colonialism such as Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein and in a very short time, he would be an associate to his hero.

“Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was a G.O.A.T. ”

— Water & Cassava

This man will be celebrated as a leader/hero to those from occupied spaces particularly in North Africa. However, for others, this man was a monster and nightmare that lasted for decades. 

“Redistribution of Wealth or Buying Loyalty??
Free Healthcare, Electricity, Interest free loans, push gifts for mothers, newlyweds got money for homes and citizens got some money from the oil sales of Libya.” ”

— Asking for a friend...

“Push Gifts: Your partner gives this to you after you push the child.....Apparently, he gave out $5k a push!”

— Water & Cassava

Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar Gaddafi is now dead and long gone. However Libya is left with a plate of complications.

This is the Prime Minister Fayiz Al-Saraj of Libya but depending on whom you ask.....it is complicated

HOW THE HELL DID LIBYA GET HERE?

On this day five years ago, a NATO-led coalition began its military intervention in Libya. French fighter jets were deployed over the African country on March 19th, 2011. The operation triggered a series of events that changed the face of Libya. RT LIVE http://rt.com/on-air Subscribe to RT!

ABOUT THE ARAB SPRING AND LIBYA.......

DEAD BODIES ON THE SHORES OF LIBYA

The bodies of migrants headed across the Mediterranean desperate for a better life wash up on the shorelines of Garabulli, Libya. Christiane Amanpour reports.

AUCTION, AUCTION

Smugglers in Libya are auctioning migrants off as slaves. At a property outside Tripoli, CNN's Nima Elbagir witnessed a dozen men go under the hammer in the space of minutes.

EXPLOITATION

Hundreds of African refugees and migrants passing through Libya are being exposed to harsh realities in their quest to reach Europe. Many are held for ransom or subjected to forced labour or sexual exploitation. Leslie Mirungu now brings us the story of returnees from Gambia.

MALTREATMENT AND CHILDREN

Sky's Alex Crawford uncovers evidence of beatings and poor treatment inside overcrowded detention centres which house thousands of migrants moving through Libya to try to get to Europe.

“Slaves in 1850 cost on average $400 -$1600, currently in Libya a slave is sold for $400”

“Our Top 7 Reasons for Modern Day Slavery in Libya”

— Water & Cassava

1.   Civil War & Isis

Shit is bad in Libya and there are no ways to mince words about this very clear fact that some wish to be in denial about.

The Government House of Representatives were democratically elected in 2014, while the global community accepts this as fact, in Libya it is just complicated. The rival party General National Congress (AKA, National Salvation Government) in addition to countless rival groups that rule different regions of Libya will not come together as one government.

This is the definition of insanity and madness. The same people killing each other came together to kill Gaddafi but cannot come together for their country.
Well as the Libyan people are slaughtering each other, ISIS is enjoying the oil reserves of the country.

A couple of days ago, there was an issue with Tobruk airport and the Government House of Representatives not allowing the plane to land

2.   Academia

During the days of Gadaffi, Libya had the highest literacy rates in Africa. Schools and Universities were completely free because of all that oil! After his death, infrastructures of schools and constant bombings made it very difficult for students to access education. It is very difficult to understand your instructor as bombs drop around you or as classmates and teachers get killed daily.

3. Banking
Constant robbing and bombing around the bank makes it difficult to conduct business. The inflation rates are so high in Libya and there are barely any foreign investors trying to invest in the country.

Central Bank of Libya Governor Saddek Omar El-Kaber speaks to Capitol Intelligence/CI MENA using CI Glass during IMF World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington, DC. October 14. 2017

4. Oil Production

The country of Libya is home to one of the largest reserves on our big blue planet with over 45 billion oil barrels. During the reign of Gadaffi, the country produced over 1.6 million barrels of oil a day but now that has dropped to 260,000 barrels.

5. Liquor and Drugs

Alcohol consumption in Libya is now a norm and people are making their own stronger versions of vodka, this is also killing the people.

6.  Who oversees Libya?

There are no governing bodies and no agreed legal frameworks!... We have two “governing bodies" again I use governing bodies very loosely as they cannot agree on anything. Ministers and Government officials at anytime can be killed, kidnapped or assaulted. There are no functioning hospitals or staff members to treat the people. These dysfunctions with daily bombings is just a brewing pot for the current issue.

7. Slavery/Human Trafficking

The new thriving economic despicable nauseating industry since the death of Gadaffi. Proximity to Europe makes it a popular passage for immigrants from Libyan’s southern neighbors: Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad. Smugglers can enjoy their new business because there is not a functioning government in the country.

THIS IS THE FAULT OF ALL MENTIONED COUNTRIES AND LIBYA.

 On Monday we discussed the Blue Economics of Africa, but we also discussed the need for agreed frameworks which would prevent such tragedies.

See you next Cassava Tuesday