The Foreign Service Journal, May 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY 2015 17 A time of service…a time of need Help for Seniors May Be Just a Phone Call Away— Home Health Care Adult Day Care & Respite Care Prescription Drug Copayments Transportation to Medical Appointments Durable Medical Equipment For more information, please contact the SENIOR LIVING FOUNDATION OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE 1716 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20036-2902 Phone: (202) 887-8170 Fax: (202) 872-9320 E-Mail: info@SLFoundation.org Web Site: www.SLFoundation.org The Senior Living Foundation may be able to help you or someone you know. Some examples of assistance are: SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION As the lowest country on earth—sit- ting an average of 4 feet, 11 inches above sea level—the Maldives could be the first country rendered entirely uninhabit- able due to the effects of climate change, writes Jake Flanigan for Quartz . Lying close to critical trading routes in the Indian Ocean, the archipelago ha s had a close relationship with India his- torically. In recent years China has been a growing presence. With a strong inter- est in gaining a foothold in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is an obvious target for Beijing to court. But recent develop- ments have given Beijing pause, and planned major projects are now on hold. Reports that an estimated 200 Maldiv- ians—out of a population of 359,000— have joined the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria raise concern as to the penetration of Islamic fundamentalism in the country. Nasheed was ousted in 2012 in what appears to have been a coup. In 2013, a new election marked by irregularities put power back into the hands of the Gay- oom family: former president Gayoom’s half-brother Abdulla Yameen was elected president. The regime has gone after other potential political rivals in recent months. Supporters protesting the Nasheed verdict have been attacked while police stand by. Three journalists covering the story in Maldives were arrested in Malé on March 25 and held without charge. Nasheed’s supporters are concerned about his safety and hope international attention might save him. Nasheed’s legal team was joined in April by well-known human rights law yer Amal Clooney, founder of Freedom Now Jared Genser and former U.N. Special Rapporteur on Counterterrorism and Human Rights Ben Emmerson. n —Shawn Dorman, Editor