SCI Archives – June 2008
Research on SVI Mauritius
Question: Why was Mauritius granted branch status?
Aim: to look for information relevant to this question. Some other points of interest have also been noted.
- 1960 – 2 vols sent to Mauritius by IVS-GB. Trigger for SCI was 2 cyclones
- May 1960 – Feb 1961 – 2 vols active
- 1960 – first report by the 2 vol
- 6th August – first wc started (year?).
- Worked with support of government
- 25th May 1965 – explanation why they had decided not to use the name SCI but instead SVI (civil service is associated with government service)
- 30th June 1965 – (from Frank Judd, IVS-GB) explanation of conditions necessary to become a branch
- July 1965 – plans to establish a group under the name SVI
- 26th Sept ’65 – Ist official meeting os SVI: committee elected
- Oct ’65 – ICM working paper no. 5 – notes SCI has a concern in Mauritius (also West Africa, Southern Africa)
- end of ’65-early ’66 – vol sent with Oxfam support, who had responsibility to assist in the development of an SCI branch there.
- Dec ’66-Feb ’67 – field visit by IVS to Lesotho, Mauritius, Seychelles – mainly looking at work of LTVs.
- Mauritius going through a bad period, division and discord in leadership, stagnation in service.
- Feb ’67 – letter from Stan Brumby: SVI ready to appoint a full time employee in a community centre built by SVI at Carol.
- April ’67 – SVI split into 2 groups that were ‘opposed and irreconcilable’; letters written from both sides to IVS-BG; reference to ‘this fledgling SCI branch’.
- June ’67 – Douglas Childs visit to Mauritius – noted enquiry by Minister of Education. Also noted only 1 Mauritian has done a wc in Europe.
- 1967 – another cyclone – SVI to the rescue
- 1968 -outbreak of violence in Mauritius.
- 1968 AGM – Constitution written; first Mauritian MTVs in Europe; idea floated of volunteer exchange between Mauritius and India. [all through these years there is much support from IVS-GB and Ralph Hegenaur.]
- 1969 Karl Goder (SVI Mauritius) applies for position in ES – not sucessful
- Jan 1970 – IVS visit to Mauritius
- Mar 1971 – Press release ‘SVI closed’. Reasons given as lack of money, van not working, apathy. (Van was previously reported as missing along with one of the LTVs).
- Jan ’72 – Application from Laurent Felicity for post of Assistant Asian Secretary. Not successful.
- Jan ’73 – Field visit by IVS: recommends re-assess role of IVS before committing to future.
- Overseas Service Sub-Committee decided IVS should continue in Mauritius.
- Dec ’73 – Field trip by IVS: discuss appointment of full-time co-ordinator; SVI still shaky.
- Nov ’74 – another field visit: reports very small number of activities, volunteers mainly sent to outer islands.
- 1975 – another cyclone
- June ’77 – SVI in process of re-forming
- Nov ’78 – first volunteer for some years sent to Mauritius
- 1980 – preparation of application for branch status.
- April 1981 – 49th ICM in GB (England) Branch status granted after positive recommendation from International Africa Committee and Gerson Gu-Konu.
- 1984 – letterhead states: ‘SVI, branch of SCI’
- 1987 – attended ICM in Northern Ireland
- 1987 – SVI Mauritius nominates a candidate for SEED committee
- 1989 – SVI applies and is accepted as part of Asian structure of SCI
This investigation shows that the application to become a branch was initiated by SVI Mauritius. SCI reacted to this request and branch status was granted in 1981. In 1989 SVI Mauritius became part of the Asian structure of SCI.
