Organization

Organization

Meeting point

We have a forum for general maldives topics and a special Protect the Maldives section on the website www.malediven.at. The community is appreciating your visit.

Honorary member Hans Hass

Through decades of work, Professor Dr. Hans Hass, has contributed an enourmous effort to a better understanding of our earth. Without his research, his commitment, his spectacular pictures and documentaries our understanding of nature and environment would be considerably smaller. He always tries to enthrall people for the nature and appeal to everybody for more respect for environmental protection at the same time.

We feel very honoured to have Hans Hass as honorary member in our organization.

Prof. Dr. Hans Hass – honorary member of Protect the Maldives

Honorary member Heinz Pack †

Like no other, Heinz Pack discovered the Maldives in their originality. From the start, he fought with bis enthousiasm for the conservation the Maldives and the well being of their people.

With a small boat, withoutt any luxury, he explored the islands of the Maldives. Close contacts to the maldivian people allowed him to gain insight in the living of the friendly people. No tourist will ever experience this.

With touching words and poetic power he wrote down his experiences and stories in several books. He did not need picture postcards to let his recipients join the beauty of the Maldives, but just his words. With his books he made people rethink their view on the Maldives. A better understanding and more respect for this peculiar country were the result.

It is a big honor for us to have Heinz Pack as honorary member in our register.

Heinz Pack died on 27.05.2007. His passion, his commitment and his humaity will always stay in our minds as a model.

Heinz Pack – honorary member of Protect the Maldives

Forum

Visit our Forum.

History

Protect the Maldives was born as a simple idea in 2002. A tourist was calling for more educational information in order to to make tourism more environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable with the help of the tourists. Since nature cannot chose its tourists, tourists should behave respectfully, at least. The common sense was that it is not a lack of information rather than intentional misbehaviour. Lack of information about the peculiarities of little tourist islands in the middle of the ocean, right in one of the most sensitive ecosystems of the earth -- the coral reef. A quotation by Jacques Cousteau about the maldives became a guiding principle:

»The human being is a guest in this paradise and should behave accordingly.«

On the fertile soil of the maldives fans‘ enthousiasm, grew a sheet with some easy to follow rules which should apply to all all tourists. And which would not restrain anybody‘s holiday pleasures but really succeed to ease the strain on the environment by tourists. Communally, a program was defined and the work started. In the same year the first printed brochures were brought to the first partner island: Reethi Beach Resort. In 2004 the entry in the official register was realized to build a serious basis for the future.

Financing

As a non-profit organization we are dependent on donations and member fees. Every revenue will be completely spent on direct actions of the organization. The biggest expenses are printing of the brochures and the transportation of the withtakers. The printing costs and the paper are special prices by associated companies of our members. The warehousing and packaging is sponsored. Transportation cost are special prices. There is no backoffice and there are no employees. All members of the board work unsalaried. The accountancy, management, art work, prepress, translation etc. are being processed by the network of our members.

Shop

Currently, we can offer the following items. If you live outside Germany or outside the EU, please bear in mind that transportation cost may exceed the item‘s cost.

Mini ashtray: 1 piece = 5,- Euro (PLUS transportation)

Fits in your handbag, is water resistent and can be locked to your keys. Smokers can collect their stubs within and dispose later. On the boat, on the beach -- a small, handy and pleasant item.

T-Shirt: 1 piece = 15,- Euro (PLUS transportation)

Currently sold out. New production not scheduled yet. If you are interested please write a message to info@protectthemaldives.de.

Caps: 1 piece = 10,- Euro (PLUS transportation)

Currently sold out. Unifit size, metal clip, high quality material.

Stickers: 5 pieces = 5,- Euro (PLUS transportation)

A classic for your cases for example. 10 cm in diameter.

Buttons: 1 piece big = 3,- Euro (PLUS transportation), small = 2,- Euro (PLUS transportation)

Big: 56 mm diameter, small 37 mm diameter.

Board

President: Gerhard Geyer, Vienna, Austria

Vice-presidents: Michael Lange, Westerstede, Germany, Guido Schettler, Cottbus, Germany

Treasurer: Bettina Galle, Cottbus, Germany

Secretary: Jörn Bernard, Hamburg, Germany

sold out

Honorary Member Kurt Amsler

Kurt Amsler is one of the most famous underwater photographers of the world. He fights with passion for the conservation of the marine life. His work is an inspiration and has helped the world to get a better picture of the wonders of the underwater life. With his help we realized our brochure „Ecofriendly Underwater Photography“. We are very proud to have Kurt Amsler as an Honorary Member in our organization. Please visit his website: /www.photosub.com