Mohamed Nasheed

Biography: Nasheed is a Maldivian politician. He is the current President of the Maldives. He is the founder of the Maldivian Democratic Party and was its presidential candidate in the October 2008 presidential election, defeating long-time President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in a second round of voting. He was sworn in as President on November 11, 2008.

He is a former member of Parliament for Male. He was an outspoken critic of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and his policies. Due to his criticism of the government over the years, he was arrested and sentenced several times.

Mohamed Nasheed is a holder of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (GCSK).

In May 2009, Nasheed was presented with Coral Cultivation Initiative Award by Huvafen Fushi Resort and Underwater Spa, Maldives in recognition of his active participation in cultivating coral in the resort?s nursery as well as for his efforts in creating greater awareness on the impact of climate change in the Maldives.

President Nasheed during the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.In June 2009, the Anna Lindh Memorial Fund awarded Nasheed, the 2009 Anna Lindh Award for the instrumental role he played in bringing democracy to the Maldives and in recognition of his efforts on the world stage to highlight the dangers of climate change by bringing people and their human rights at the heart of the debate.

In the September of 2009, at the global premier of the "Age of Stupid" Nasheed was presented with a "Not Stupid" Award for his efforts to tackle climate change and for the Maldives? announcement to become the first carbon neutral country in the world. In the same month, Time magazine named Nasheed No.1 in the "Leaders & Visionaries" category within its annual list of "Heroes of the Environment (2009)".

On the Earth Day of 2010, Nasheed was awarded the Champions of the Earth Award, the United Nations? most prestigious environmental prize at a gala event in Seoul, Republic of Korea which was in conjunction with the B4E Business for the Environment Global Summit. The summit was attended by more than 1,000 representatives from business, government, and civil society. According to a press release by the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP the award was in recognition of Nasheed, being "an articulate voice for the vulnerable and the poor facing the challenges of global warming and also a politician who is showcasing to the rest of the world how a transition to climate neutrality can be achieved and how all nations, no matter how big or how small, can contribute".

In August 2010, Newsweek named President Nasheed in its list of ?world?s ten best leaders? he was also referred to as a hero among environmentalists.

In 2010, he was named by Foreign Policy magazine to its list of top global thinkers