Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has urged the Scout Association of Maldives and Scout Movement to play a special role in addressing the drugs problem in the Maldives.
Speaking at the inauguration function of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement's Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on Public Relations and Marketing, Dr Waheed said one of the biggest dangers the young people of the Maldives faced was the scourge of drugs. He added that he could not think of a better organisation than the Scout Movement to help improve the situation.
Dr Waheed noted that during the long history of Scout Movement, principles and values of scouting have not changed, although the specific issues it deals with have changed depending on the time and the place we lived.
Speaking in this regard, he said that this workshop would give the opportunity to review and reflect on where the Movement's priorities and needs lie in different countries, and identify how the Movement could be expanded.
In his address, Dr Waheed highlighted the three areas that he believed the Scout Movement in the Maldives should focus on.
He said it should expand the programmes into new areas including young people, both in school and out of school scout movements; address the issue of youth problems including youth employment and substance abuse; and address the issue of climate change.
The Vice President noted that there are more than ten thousand scouts in the Maldives, and said that we should make a commitment to expand the Movement to more islands. He spoke on the importance of opening the opportunity for more young people to become scouts because of the high ideals the Scouts Movement help instil in growth and development of young people.
