A group of energetic schoolchildren registering their names of interest to join the national society as volunteers raised a simple yet deep question. Why is the future society called Maldivian Red Crescent and not Maldives Red Crescent? Why not even Dhivehi Red Crescent? A few people were at hand to shed some light into this philosophical query about the name of our upcoming society.
Discussions revolved around the principles of the English language…, a mouthful which cannot be spitted out…. and the effectiveness of the name for global exposure.
The initial working groups for the formation of the national society, representing a cross-section of the Maldivian community agreed through popular vote on just what the discussion was all about. Give a name which would convey a communal essence of the country and maximize on global exposure.
A primary school kid listening into the heated discussion put forth an inspirational comment;
What’s in a name? Some say a lot.
Does the name do anything significant? Nope, people do.
Tags: dhivehi, maldives, maldivian red crescent society, working group
July 20, 2008 at 4:08 pm
One thing to always keep in mind is that the Red Crescent society of the Maldives is not made just for Maldivians. The Maldivian Red Crescent (MRC) has to help or reach out to all peoples in the Maldives. And that includes the over 70,000 foreign workers in the country.
Calling it the “Maldivian” RC makes it seem like it’s limited to Maldivians. Rather, it should be the Maldives Red Crescent, as it would not differentiate between peoples due to nationality, sex, creed or social standing.
This is especially relevant when taking into account how racist most Maldivians are and how prejudiced they are towards foreign laborers.
July 25, 2008 at 12:39 pm
We one to say to gether make gud thinks gud kind
August 2, 2008 at 6:28 pm
The same type of discussion went on with discussion on our new NGO which is now named ‘Assoc. for Disability and Development’. Some wanted to give it a localized name while others argued with an English name and its advantages.
Nice post. keep it up.