His Excellency Dr Mohamed Muizzu, President of the Republic of Maldives, called on Maldivians to show their commitment to the country in both words and actions, launching a national initiative intended to strengthen a culture of mutual respect across every inhabited island.
Speaking at a press briefing at the President’s Office on Monday, the President said the Cabinet had approved matters related to the launch of the Ih’thiraam Adhaa Kurumuge Qaumee Mash’roo’u, the National Respect Initiative, at its meeting on Sunday. The President’s Office said the initiative forms part of government efforts to revive, promote and strengthen mutual respect within Maldivian society, and that it is to be implemented nationwide.
The initiative is designed to run for five years and was developed through consultations with non governmental organisations, associations and other stakeholders. A detailed implementation plan, budget and timeline have been prepared, and Cabinet approved the proposal on 6 September.
A Call for Cross Party Participation
The President said it was regrettable that, while preparations for the launch were under way, opposition parties had discouraged their members from taking up the government’s invitation to participate. He said matters of national interest should sit above political differences, and urged all parties to show a united commitment to initiatives that serve the wellbeing of the country.
The point is a practical one as much as a political one. An initiative built around civic behaviour depends on reach into schools, island councils, mosques, workplaces and community associations, and participation is easier to secure where it is not read as belonging to one side of the political divide. The government has framed the invitation as open and continuing.
Tied to the 900 Year Milestone
The President also set out initiatives marking the 900th anniversary of the Maldives embracing Islam, counted in Hijri years. He announced a nationwide programme to install boards carrying Islamic reminders and dhikr along the main roads of every inhabited island.
The anniversary has been the organising theme of the government’s civic and religious programming this year. At a ceremony at Hulhumalé Central Park on 12 September, the President unveiled an official logo and slogan for the anniversary, to be used in official communications for a year, and announced the establishment of Maldives Awqaf Investments Limited, an entity intended to fund religious activities and infrastructure through business conducted on Shariah principles.
Placing the respect initiative alongside that programme gives it a longer frame than a single campaign year. Read together, the two are presented as a single effort to link national identity, faith and everyday conduct.
What Comes Next
The measure of the initiative will be in its delivery mechanics. A five year civic programme needs owners at island level, a defined budget line, and some way of reporting what has actually changed. The government has said a detailed plan exists. Publishing it, along with the institutions responsible and the indicators against which progress will be judged, is the step that would move the initiative from announcement to programme.
