Since 2005, Maldivians have been working with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Government of Maldives to form a Maldivian Red Crescent Society, an organization that would be in a position to respond to the needs of most vulnerable people in the Maldives. The National Society formation process is currently in its final stage, and we are optimistic that the Maldivian Red Crescent (MRC) will be able to hold its first General Assembly before mid 2008 and elect its first Governing Board.
Why does Maldives need a Red Crescent Society?
There are 186 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world. This unique network forms the backbone of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. National Societies support the public authorities in their own countries as independent auxiliaries to the government in the humanitarian field. National Society volunteers are often the first on the scene when a disaster strikes and remain active within affected communities long after everyone else has come and gone.
In the absence of a National Society in the Maldives, it is the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and National Societies of other countries – American, Australian, British, Canadian, French and German Red Cross societies – who have been involved in providing humanitarian assistance since the 26 December 2004 tsunami disaster. These partners have been working with many dedicated Maldivians who are committed to continue serving humanity way after completion of tsunami recovery programmes. It is therefore essential that a Maldivian National Society – the Maldivian Red Crescent – is formed to carry on humanitarian work. Every interested Maldivian would be able to either serve it as a volunteer or as a member, or to support it financially through donations.
What has been done so far on the formation of MRC?
With the support of the International Federation, a committee called the Interim Planning Group (IPG), comprising of 20 elected and nominated volunteers representing Maldivians from Male’, the Atolls, Maldives Government and members of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement present in the Maldives was formed. This committee was tasked to work on the formal creation of the Maldivian Red Crescent.
According to the IPG’s responsibilities, representatives from Male’ and Atolls have been elected, the Rules of Procedure have been finalised, and the amended version of the MRC Statutes was submitted to the Attorney General’s office in January 2008. With these, all the requirements to hold the first General Assembly are in place, pending approval by the Government.
Furthermore, the IPG has formed a programmes and services sub-committee to meet with all members of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in the Maldives as well as with some groups of volunteers such as the First Aid Practitioners Network, to discuss about activities MRC can potentially develop in the future. Some possible activities include disaster response, disaster preparedness and first aid training, work to control and prevent diseases such as dengue fever, training of island communities on safe water and waste management, creating awareness on issues such as discrimination and road safety as well as working with the youth. It is important to note that all activities of the Maldivian Red Crescent will be based primarily on the needs of the most vulnerable communities.
What next after the MRC formation is formally approved by the Government?
Once the necessary documentation is approved by the Government, you can become a volunteer or member of MRC. Volunteer registration process and membership recruitment will only be done after MRC is legally formed and the first General Assembly is held, hopefully by mid 2008.
In the interim, elected representatives from each Atoll represent the interest of the Atolls in the formation process. So, whilst we wait for the Government approval, if you are interested in Red Cross or Red Crescent volunteering, especially in islands or Atolls where some Red Cross assistance activity is ongoing (construction of houses, water sanitation, waste management, psycho-social support, etc), please approach the responsible officials in your island or Atoll. They might find a way of utilizing your skills or services. Soon after the MRC is formed, announcements will be made, and you would be able to register as a volunteer or a member.
*Article from Information Bulletin, March 2008, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Tags: bulletin, Crescent, cross, federation, formation, IFRC, information, international, march, National, Red, Society, status, update
April 13, 2008 at 10:12 pm |
Isn’t it taking too long to have Dhivehi Red Crescent? The information about remaining steps is too vague. Could the blog administrator explain exactly when the government is going to register MRC!
April 14, 2008 at 6:58 pm |
It is true that the Maldivian Red Crescent formation process has been going on for over two years now – your concern is appreciated and is shared by many. However there are processes that have to be gone through and standards that must be met for the MRC to be established. One of the requirements is the formulation of a Red Crescent law. This takes time and, naturally, such a process is not driven by deadlines. All things need to be gotten right from the start.
To answer your last question, we cannot give the exact date when the government will recognize MRC but we are sure that the national society will come into legal existence during 2008 (with government approval).