Mohamed Nasheed, the “Mandela of the Maldives,” will speak on June 28 as a part of Yes Lab’s Revolutionaries Live! lecture series.. In 2008, Nasheed led a non-violent movement that overthrew longtime dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and assumed the presidency of the Maldives. Since then he has fought to bring attention to the issue of carbon emissions and climate change, as the Maldives is the lowest lying nation in the world and rising oceans already threaten its water supply and its population centers. He talks about how Manhattan might face similar problems in the near future in the documentary The Island President, which premiered in March and focuses on his environmental efforts.
A 30-minute excerpt from the film will precede Mohamed Nasheed’s speech, which begins at 7 pm at 20 Cooper Square, 5th floor. For more information and to RSVP click here.
Click here to watch trailer for The Island President.