In May 2022, CEPPS/IFES partner Transparency Maldives held a human rights-themed youth art competition in partnership with the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives. Eighty-nine students from 15 schools submitted art pieces focusing on their perspectives and experiences related to human rights topics including child abuse, war, and women’s rights.
The artwork was displayed from at the National Art Gallery in Malé and was viewed by nearly 350 people. The Minister of the Art was in attendance and the exhibition was promoted on social media by journalists. The exhibition was an opportunity for students, especially those from islands outside the capital area, to raise awareness of their experiences with human rights issues within their communities and share their concerns with adults, including civic and political leaders. The exhibit provided Maldivian youth a space in which to reflect on areas that they seek to reform as well as a forum put their civic rights to use to advocate for change. View the digital exhibition here.
