Seychelles
The Republic of Seychelles, an archipelago off the east coast of Africa, has the smallest population of any African nation.
| Constitution and government | Education and children’s rights | Family, community, society, religious courts and tribunals | Freedom of expression advocacy of humanist values |
|---|---|---|---|
Constitution and government
The constitution and other laws protect freedom of religion or belief and this right is generally respected in practice. It provides for the right of individuals to change religion or belief and allows for freedom on conscience and thought.
Education and children’s rights
There are no faith based schools and the Government prohibits compulsory religious education in state schools, although most of these schools operate on land leased from the Catholic Church. It does however permit religious organisation to provide their own religious instruction during school hours.
Reportedly, non-Catholic students are relegated to the back of the classroom during this instruction and were not offered any alternative.
Freedom of expression, advocacy of humanist values
The government controls much of the nation’s print and broadcast media, including the daily Seychelles Nation newspaper. Strict libel laws are sometimes used to harass journalists, leading to self-censorship. The government can restrict the broadcast of material considered to be objectionable.
Religious broadcasting
The government provides broadcast time to religious groups on the national radio broadcasting service (but no Humanist or secular equivalent). Religious groups are not permitted to obtain their own broadcasting licences.
The small population is predominantly Roman Catholic. Despite the disapproval of both state and religious authorities, many Seychellois holds beliefs about magic, witchcraft, sorcery, fortune-telling, and obtain amulets or charms, called gri-gri, to as anti-luck charm against enemies. Some Seychellois believe in an ancient religion called Ahrjuje.
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