Our Work
MDN was originally formed as the Maldivian Detainee Network in 2004 following the mass arrest of over 300 people on the 12th and 13th of August the same year and subsequent allegations of human rights violations taking place in State custodial centres. The arrests were made following the first public demonstration calling for people’s rights and democracy in the Maldives.
Democracy Café
The Democracy Café’ a project funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) engaged youth and first-time voters to inform them of socio-political issues, and mentor young people in preparation for elections. The purpose of the project was to engage youth into making informed decisions and fully exercise their right to political participation...
Parliament Watch
The Parliament Watch project, one of our flagship programs, ran in two phases - funded by the UN Democracy Fund and the British High Commission in Colombo. Some of the activities undertaken by the program include a nationwide public awareness program on the roles of the parliament as a state institution...
Defending the Defenders
MDN initially began advocating for the protection of human rights defenders in 2007, asking the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives to recognise HRDs and the threats they face. While MDN provided support to HRDs at risk in various ways over the years, this project is the first national project focusing on holistic security...
In Other Words
In Other Words is a short-term project focusing on deradicalisation in the Maldives. Supported by the Global Centre for Cooperative Security, this project assessed existing extremist discourse in the name of Islam, and researched alternative and counter narratives within legitimate and modern Islamic scholars...
MDN was originally formed as the Maldivian Detainee Network in 2004 following the mass arrest of over 300 people on the 12th and 13th of August the same year and subsequent allegations of human rights violations taking place in State custodial centres. The arrests were made following the first public demonstration calling for people’s rights and democracy in the Maldives.
End Death Penalty, Protect Human Dignity
Efforts to advocate for the restoration of the unofficial moratorium on the death penalty in the Maldives began with the enforcement of the Regulation on Investigative Procedures and the Implementation of Offenses amounting to the Death Penalty, in 2014....
Police Reforms
As part of a regional project titled Civil Society and Police Reform in South Asia, MDN conducted activities in partnership with the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI). The project was supported by the European Union and led by...