Category: News in Brief

Kundabados ‘human circle’ marks Maldives World Diabetes Day focus

Maldivian associations and individuals representing all walks of life are said to have taken part in a special event held earlier this month on Kundabados to mark yesterday’s World Diabetes Day.

More than 800 people representing the Maldives’ police and defense forces, resort workers, fitness groups and tourism industry figures gathered on the island to form a human blue circle using umbrellas to mimic the Unite for Diabetes logo.

The event was organized by the Diabetes Society of Maldives – a local campaign group – in order to raise awareness in the country regarding the impact the disease can have on lives in the atolls as part of a wider international promotional campaign to play up the blue circle logo of Unite for Diabetes.  The day also saw a number of fitness programmes being offered to attendees at Kundabados.

In attempts to raise awareness about the importance of healthier lifestyles in helping prevent complications linked to the disease, the Diabetes Society of Maldives says it has supplied special awareness material to local media in recent months to better inform people.

Similar events regarding playing up the links between the blue coloured circle emblem and awareness of the disease have been held all over the world to commemorate World Diabetes Day.

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Dhiraagu signed up for court video conferencing services

Maldives-based telecoms group Dhiraagu will provide video conference technology to link the country’s Criminal Court and Maafushi Magistrate Court under a new agreement with the Department of Judicial Administration, reports Haveeru.

Ibrahim Ahmed Manik , the Chief Judicial Administrator, said at a signing ceremony that launching the video service, which has been devised to remove potential difficulties in transporting people between the individual courts, had been delayed from earlier this year, adds the report.

The Department of Judicial Administration has also claimed that it has met about 99 per cent of the annual objectives stemming from its 2010 budget. These objectives include training for both judges and administrative staff in skill areas like conferencing and IT skills, as well as programmes to improve English, according to Haveeru.

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US Special Representative to speak at American Centre

US Special Representative to Muslim Communities Farah Pandith will speak on the US’s ‘Commitment to Engagement with Muslim Communities’ at the American Centre in Male’ on November 21, at 4:30pm.

Kashmir-born Pandith is Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, focusing on Muslim communities in Europe. She is responsible for policy oversight for integration, democracy and Islam in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, and also works on issues relating to countering violent Islamic extremism.

Prior to joining the US Department of State, Pandith served as Director for Middle East Regional Initiatives for the National Security Council, and was responsible for coordinating US policy on Muslim World Outreach and the Broader Middle East North Africa initiative.

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President lays foundation stones for 1350 housing units

President Mohamed Nasheed has laid the foundation stone of 1000 housing units to be built in Hulhumale’ under an agreement between the Maldives and the Chinese government.

The 1000 housing units will be built across 40,000 square metres on the reclaimed island 1.3 kilometres north of Male’ to relieve housing pressure on the densely population city, one of the most congested in the world.

Chinese news agency Xinhua reported that Vice President of CMEC Li Chaoyang, the Chinese contractor building the project, said the firm would would abide by Maldivian laws and respect the and customs of the Maldivian people in the process of carrying out the project.

“We will strictly implement the contract, elaborately organise the construction works, and ensure the quality of the project. We will deliver an eco-friendly, enjoyable and high quality residential area for the Maldivian people,” Li said.

Xinhua reported Chinese Ambassador Yang Xiuping as saying that she was “very glad that the Chinese company, CMEC, won the bid for the project in Hulhumale. I wish it every success.”

According to the government’s Isles project, the units are expected to be completed in two years.

Earlier last week President Nasheed laid the foundation stone for another 350 housing units in Male’, which will be build by Indian developers Kargwal 18 SG.

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Maldives elected Co-Chair of World Bank’s Strategic Climate Fund Committee

The Maldives has been elected Co-Chair of the World Bank´s Strategic Climate Fund Committee, part of the US$6.4 billion Climate Investment Fund (CIF).

CIF consists of two funds: the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and the Strategic Climate Fund (SCF), which will channel funding through the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Inter-American Development Bank, and the World Bank Group.

The funds are intended to help developing countries trial low-emission development projects, including clean technology, renewable energy and sustainable forest management.

The Maldives was represented at the committee meeting by the President’s Envoy for Science and Technology, Ahmed Shafeeq ‘Sappe’ Moosa.

Moosa said he encouraged the private sector in the Maldives “to take a lead in benefiting from global financing mechanism which are now increasing targeted at clean technology and renewable energy to build more climate resilient communities.”

“This is an opportunity for Maldives to learn about and benefit from the wide range of climate change finance mechanisms that are available now. It also provides an excellent platform to interact and associate with leading professionals in the area.”

The Maldives was selected together with Ethiopia, Honduras, Kenya, Mali and Nepal as a pilot country under the Scaling-up Renewable Energy Program (SREP) in July 2010, with grant financing of up to US$30 million.

“Going forward, it is my hope that further funding can be channelled to the Maldives through the CIF program,” Moosa said.

Donors to CIF include the United States ($2 billion), United Kingdom ($1.212 billion), Japan ($1.190 billion), Germany ($741 million), France ($274 million), Norway ($177 million), Australia ($137 million), and Spain (US$108 million).

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President welcomes the release of Aung San Suu Kyi

President Nasheed has hailed the release from house arrest of democratically-elected leader of Burma Aung San Suu Kyi as a “historic step forward for freedom and democracy in Burma.”

Suu Kyi has been detained in her home in Rangoon for 15 of the last 21 years.

“Many people, myself included, have drawn strength from her courageous and tireless work for human rights and democracy,” Nasheed said. “Aung San Suu Kyi shines as a beacon of hope across Burma and the world. The Maldives will continue to work for Ms Suu Kyi´s complete freedom and we look forward to her being able to play a full and active role in Burmese politics,” the President stated.

Recent elections held by the Burmese military junta have been dismissed as fraudulent by international observers.

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Tolerance guards against the politics of polarisation: UN Secretary General

Tolerance is “especially necessary to guard against the politics of polarisation,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said in a statement to mark the International Day of Tolerance.

“Tolerance is the foundation for mutual respect among people and communities, and is vital for building a single global society around shared values. It is a virtue and a quality, but above all, tolerance is an act – the act of reaching out to others and seeing differences not as barriers, but as invitations for dialogue and understanding,” Ki-Moon stated.

“Tolerance does not mean accepting all practices and views as equal. On the contrary, its value lies in instilling greater awareness of and respect for universal human rights and fundamental freedoms.

“Tolerance cannot be taken for granted. It has to be taught, nurtured and communicated. Education, inside and outside the classroom, is essential for strengthening tolerance and for combating hatred and discrimination.

“On this International Day of Tolerance, let us recommit to dialogue and understanding among all peoples and communities, and let us focus our minds and hearts on those who face discrimination and marginalisation. A single humanity means living together and working together on the basis of mutual respect for the great wealth of human diversity.”

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High density living in the Maldives less than eco-friendly

There are many good reasons for a concerted global effort to mitigate global warming, writes eco-blogger China Matters.

“However, enabling the Maldives to continue its high population density/atoll-filling/trash-dumping/tourism-based lifestyle one metre above sea level is perhaps not one of them.

“The Maldives is in many ways an artificial human construct.  The capital city, Male, is one of the most densely populated cities in the world.

“In a quest for lebensraum, the island was expanded by filling in the surrounding sea floor to the encircling coral atoll and beyond.  A 3.5 metre high, six kilometre sea wall was constructed with Japanese aid to protect the island (mostly one metre above sea level).

“Another atoll a few miles away, Hulhumale’, was filled in to a height of two meters above sea level to serve as a new home if Male becomes unviable.”

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Islamic Ministry launches toll free religious helpline

The Ministry for Islamic Affairs has launched a toll free hotline for advice on matters of religion, reports Haveeru.

Launching the hotline on Thursday, State Islamic Minister Sheikh Shaheem Ali Saeed said Ministry scholars would be available to answer religious queries on 8003008901.

The Ministry also announced it had received Rf 25 million (US$1.9 million) in alms as of October 2010.

“We used to get about Rf13 to 14 million. Last year we collected Rf27 million and this year we have already collected Rf25 million. This is a huge improvement,” Haveeru reported Shaheem as saying.

The Ministry also released four free books covering alms giving and Islamic rulings on the practice. Media outlets were also awarded prizes for positive coverage of the Ministry’s works, Haveeru reported.

“Before I start my work every day, I check the websites of newspapers. I get encouragement from the media reports that praise us and try to correct mistakes identified in the reports that criticise us. I believe that media reports should be credited for the good name Islamic Ministry has been receiving,” Shaheem said.

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