Le Club de Madrid meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan

It is announced from the office of former President James R. Mancham that the former President has been invited to participate in a meeting of Le Club de Madrid to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from the 28th-29th of April 2014, which the Club is organizing jointly with the Nizami Ganjavi International Center on the theme of ‘Shared Values in the South Caucasus and Beyond.’

The first forum on this subject took place also in Baku in March 2013 and provided the opportunity to exchange views on social inclusion in the region.

The 2014 forum will consider ways and means to promote ‘Shared Societies and Social Inclusion’ and develop concrete recommendation from a global standpoint.

It is to be noted that in December last year, former President Mancham was inducted as a member of Le Club de Madrid which is an independent non-profit organization composed of over 90 former Presidents and Prime Ministers from more than 60 different democratic countries who are committed to share their experience in government and overcome the challenges of leading and discussion-making in contemporary politics worldwide. In fact, the Club constitutes the world’s largest forum of former heads of states and governments and operates under the motto of ‘Democracy That Delivers.’

In a statement from his Glacis-sur-Mer office on Sunday 6th April, the former President explains that the topic of ‘Shared Values’ is extremely important for human contentment because one of the main causes of internal war and genocide is the attempt by cultural, religious and national ethnic groups to impose their specific ideology on all people residing in the territory of a State.

“For a State’s system to be viewed as legitimate by all peoples living on its territory, its constitutional values need to be based on ‘Shared Values’ that all or nearly all, people can accept,” Mr Mancham stated – adding that the policy of ‘Shared Values’ is vital for a Seychelles thriving for national unity.