Small Islands Voice Global Internet Forum

The Small Islands Voice Global internet forum was launched in October 2002 with the objective of providing a mechanism for discussion and information sharing about environment and development problems in small islands. The target audience is the general public. Issues discussed have ranged from road development in Palau (Pacific) to crime and violence in the Caribbean.

In the first half of 2003, tourism development in Seychelles was a theme topic that evoked much response. The debate focused on whether the policy should be to focus on up-market resorts or to encompass a wider range including small scale and family owned operations. The overall consensus of the discussion was that any policy should include a whole range of styles and scales of properties and that all societal sectors needed to be involved in a successful tourism product.

Since that theme discussion, residents from Seychelles have played an active role in the forum responding on a variety of issues ranging from crime and violence to foreign investment.

Local newspapers in islands including Seychelles have requested permission to publish some of the discussions and this provides a good way of widening the debate to those people without internet access.