Although the Maldives is a small nation, one thing that can be extremely difficult to find is backdated information about the Maldives’ rich history and culture. Over the years, the folklore stories told and different historical practices that were a big part of the Maldivian culture so unique to the country have been lost. While bits and pieces of information can be put together by word-of-mouth and the little details that historians preserved, it has become crucial to formulate a proper method of archiving the details of Maldives’ history.
To foster an environment where future generations as well as the current generation of youth can be more knowledgeable about the Maldives and its history, the Maldives has now launched a prototype of a digital archive project on 7th October 2024. While this was an important project that would have played a crucial role in archiving important details about the nation, the Finance Ministry along with the Minister of Youth as well as the National Archives inaugurated this unique project that will ensure that information on Maldives’ history, culture and other important projects are preserved for future use.
In addition to the various benefits it will bring for future generations, this project will also bring a variety of benefits to the staff of the National Archives. In addition to being a source of practical experience for the employees, the digital archive project will also bring employees the opportunity to learn best practices, training and capacity building from field experts, training to comply with legal responsibilities, bring opportunities for strategic development, network and knowledge sharing as well.
This fruitful project which is a partnership between OAIS Cloud, Dr Davil Giaretta and the National Archive is one of the progressive steps that the Maldives is taking to ensure that its history and culture are not lost in time.