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Guest Article: Mayor Ali Nizar on Building Community-Based Resilience and Addu City’s Strong Cities Journey

Publication Date:

30/04/2025

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Guest Articles

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Addu CityAli Nizarpublic safetySocial CohesionSouth Asia Regional HubWomen EmpowermentYouth Engagement

— 4 minutes reading time

Addu City, the second-largest urban area in the Maldives and home to about 35,000 residents, has faced significant challenges to its social cohesion and public safety. Despite its vibrant community, our city has faced persistent obstacles in providing essential public services due to limited resources and systemic corruption. Shortages in medication, water, sanitation and electricity, coupled with inadequate infrastructure in roads, housing and youth facilities, have contributed to growing frustrations. Furthermore, a lack of employment opportunities has led some youth to join gangs and extremist groups. For example, in May 2021, nine individuals were arrested for supporting violent extremist organisations, underscoring the urgency of addressing these issues.

When I was elected Mayor in April 2021, I committed to governing through public consultation, prioritising citizen needs and tackling these pressing challenges. The Strong Cities Network has enabled me to follow through on this commitment.

My engagement with Strong Cities started during the South Asia Regional Hub’s Inaugural Workshop in January 2023. The discussions opened my eyes to the critical role local governments play in preventing hate, extremism and polarisation. At the workshop, I highlighted the urgent need to build the capacities of mayors and city officials to complement existing national government-led initiatives to ensure public safety – particularly in the context of the Maldives’ decentralisation efforts of 2010. One challenge we face on this front is the lack of meaningful coordination between national and local authorities. In one instance, we have had national security agencies conduct an operation in our city without prior notification, making it difficult for me and my staff to reassure our communities about their safety. This underscores the need for a harmonised national-local framework on community safety and together with fellow Maldivian city leaders, I am also advocating for improved collaboration between national and local government bodies, aligned with Strong Cities guidelines and good practices.

Following this first engagement, Addu City proudly joined the Strong Cities Network as a member, reinforcing our commitment to city-to-city learning. I was also honoured to accept an invitation to join the Strong Cities Network’s International Steering Committee, alongside more than 20 other local leaders from across the globe.

Beyond enhanced national-local cooperation, women’s empowerment is a key priority for us. Addu City’s Women’s Development Committee, which consists of ten elected female members, works closely with civil society to create safe spaces for women to report harassment and contribute to policymaking. As my colleague and the Women’s Development Committee committee member Khadeeja Didi shared at Strong Cities’ Regional Workshop in Colombo earlier this year, the Women’s Development Committee play a crucial role in advising councils, promoting women’s rights and expanding opportunities for women’s leadership, education and health. the Women’s Development Committee have also been an important platform for grassroots engagement, ensuring that women’s voices are integrated into local decision-making.

A third strategic area of focus for us is youth engagement. To counter radicalisation to violence, we have implemented targeted interventions addressing various social and ecological vulnerabilities. In cooperation with the Maldives National University, we launched a leadership development initiative, which prioritises young women, to equip them with the skills needed to take on an active role in their communities and to provide more opportunities for youth engagement. 

Additionally, the Maldivian Red Crescent’s Youth as Agents for Behavioural Change initiative has empowered young people to foster non-violence and peace. It aims to foster non-violence, peace, and youth empowerment. Last year, a Youth Camp in Addu City brought together 21 young changemakers for interactive workshops and activities on diversity, gender equality, violence prevention and climate action. Supported by our City Council and national agencies, the camp provided practical training in leadership and civic responsibility, inspiring youth-led solutions to social challenges.

Addu City has actively contributed to global conversations on local prevention strategies through participating in Strong Cities’ Fourth and Fifth Global Summits, held in New York City and Cape Town, respectively. Both events equipped us with invaluable insights and frameworks for addressing threats to social cohesion and opened doors for new international partnerships.

At the Fifth Global Summit, my colleague, Deputy Mayor Mohamed Shuaau, spoke on the role of mayors and local governments in navigating the local impacts of global crises. He emphasised that although Addu is a small city, we are deeply affected by global events. He shared how, in order to be prepared for these impacts, we focus on strengthening the resilience of our community. To this end, we organise regular public meetings where citizens can express concerns and where we as leaders can reinforce messages of peace and inclusion.

Strong Cities resources have enabled us to develop inclusive initiatives supporting extremism prevention and strengthening social cohesion. Our continued collaboration will help us implement these approaches effectively, positioning Addu City as a model for community-based resilience across the country and wider region. Moving forward, we remain committed to strengthening partnerships with government agencies and the international community to build a safer, more cohesive society.

Together, we will ensure that Addu City remains resilient in the face of global challenges, demonstrating that even smaller cities can make a significant impact when equipped with the right partnerships and knowledge-sharing opportunities.

Of course, there were also serious learnings from both the non-statutory report and the statutory public inquiry report released in 2022. We are using recommendations from both reviews to improve our city’s response strategy and our broader preparedness.

Author

Ali Nizar
Mayor of Addu City (Maldives)

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