President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih called on Thursday on civil society across all islands to take a proactive role in addressing community-related matters, emphasising the importance and urgency of their engagement in tackling them. He made these remarks in his address at the function to present the first Civil Society Awards.
First Lady Fazna Ahmed and Vice President Faisal Naseem also attended the function at the Maldives Centre for Social Education (MCSE). Calling on society and the community to take action to address social issues, President Solih stressed that the people could fully realise the administration's development and progress in various sectors once the underlying social problems were addressed.
President Solih further emphasised the need to address the diverse social issues across different islands and regions of the country through a decentralised approach. He then highlighted the significant role civil society, including non-governmental organisations, can play in this effort.
The President noted that civil society could contribute to mitigating climate change, environmental conservation and protection, and addressing social issues. He added that civil society organisations should focus on addressing social issues and protecting the environment as their core objectives and highlighted the need for the entire society to participate in the administration's efforts to eliminate single-use plastics.
At the ceremony, President Solih presented awards to the recipients of the Civil Society Awards. The Vice President launched the "Mees Portal," and the First Lady presented award letters to the recipients of the NGO grants.
Introducing the Civil Society Awards is a significant milestone for the Maldives. The awards aim to foster social empowerment, encourage proactive engagement by civil society, raise awareness about pressing social issues, and recognise and acknowledge the invaluable contributions of civil society.
