Repubblika bieżla
Lejliet appuntament internazzjonali mill-aktar importanti għall-pajjiżna … il-Presidenza Maltija tal-Kunsill Ewropew … Malta qed tiċċelebra it-tnejn u erbgħin sena mir-Repubblika tagħha.
Repubblika li qed taħdem aktar, qed tgħix aktar fit-tul, qed titgħallem aktar, qed titħallat aktar ma’ ġnus oħra u qed tesplora d-dinja ferm aktar minn qatt qabel.
Repubblika li ma tistax taljena ruħha
Iżda, mill-esperjenzi tiegħi, mal-poplu tagħna, fit-toroq ta’ pajjiżna, il-ħajja Repubblikana mhijiex turina suċċessi biss. Għalhekk, l-okkażjoni tal-lum tagħtina opportunità ta’ riflessjoni.
In-nuqqasijiet materjali; l-esklużjoni soċjali; it-theddida għall-kwalità tal-ħajja b’riżultat ta’ żvilupp li mhux dejjem huwa sostenibbli; l-iffullar ta’ żoni residenzjali; il-limitazzjoni ta’ spazji pubbliċi; l-istorbju u d-dewmien fit-traffiku; u l-iskarsezza tal-onestà u l-verità fil-ħajja politika.
Dawn huma wħud mit-temi li qed jinkwetaw lill-Maltin u liż-żgħażagħ ta’ rieda tajba f’pajjiżna, u li jixtiequ li r-Repubblika ta’ għada, tkun aħjar minn dik tal-lum.
Pont internazzjonali għall-paċi
Sadanittant, matul l-aħħar tnax-il xahar, it-tensjoni bejnietna, u bejn dawk li jqisu lilhom infushom Maltin, u dak li xi Maltin iqisuh bħala l-aljen, kompliet tiżdied.
Dawk li jġibu raġunijiet demografiċi u ekonomiċi, normalment iħallu bieb imbexxaq għall-konverżazzjoni kalma, matura u raġunata. Iżda mhux l-istess jista’ jingħad għal min biegħ ruħu lir-razziżmu.
Bħala gwardjan tal-Kostituzzjoni, nemmen li Malta għandha tkompli tospita b’imħabba u rispett lill-ġnus kollha li jgħammru fostna u li jżuruna.
Nemmen li moralment, m’għandniex, lil dawk li qed jgħinu fil-prosperità ta’ pajjiżna, u li ilhom is-snin parti mis-soċjetà tagħna, flok napprezzawhom, nikkastigawhom, billi nibgħatuhom lura.
Nemmen li dan il-pajjiż għandu jibqa’ jtenni l-vokazzjoni tiegħu li jservi ta’ spazju u pont internazzjonali għad-djalogu interkulturali u għal paċi.
Nemmen wkoll li din ir-Repubblika għandha tibqa’ kenn għad-drittijiet umani u ma tittollera ebda manifestazzjoni ta’ mibegħda, turufnament intern jew ħakma ta’ kultura fuq oħra.
Minkejja kollox, dan ma jfissirx li l-Ewropej m’għandhomx jirrispettaw lil pajjiżna u ma jerfgħux il-piż magħna … u bħalna.
Drittijiet umani – it-triq tal-maturazzjoni
Jien konvinta li jekk irridu li r-Repubblika tagħna tkompli fit-triq tal-maturazzjoni, jekk irridu nkomplu noħolmu li pajjiżna għad isir mudell eżemplari ta’ demokrazija u ġustizzja soċjali, irridu nagħżlu li:
- Jekk se ninżlu fit-toroq, se nimxu favur ir-rikonċiljazzjoni, it-tama, is-solidarjetà u l-kollettività.
- Jekk se nipprotestaw, se nipprotestaw kontra x-xenofobija, ir-razziżmu, l-esklużjoni soċjali u l-isfruttament tal-ħaddiem għall-profitt.
- Jekk se niċċelebraw, se nifirħu b’aktar drittijiet ċivili, b’liġijiet anqas diskriminatorji, b’liġijiet li jipproteġu l-ħajja ta’ kwalità, bid-dinjità tal-bniedem, bl-inklużjoni ekonomika, kulturali u soċjali, u bl-opportunitajiet indaqs għal kulħadd.
Il-Kostituzzjoni u l-Karta tad-Drittijiet Universali tal-Bniedem għandhom jibqgħu d-dawl li juruna t-triq tas-sewwa. Għalhekk, nappella biex ħadd ma joħroġ mill-proċess edukattiv mingħajr għarfien tajjeb tal-kelma u l-ispirtu ta’ dawn iż-żewġ dokumenti fundamentali għalina lkoll.
Sadattant, intenni li:
- Min jgħid li hu fuq in-naħa tas-sewwa ma jistax ikun hu li jiżra’ l-mibegħda.
- Min jgħid li hu fuq in-naħa tad-demokrazija, ma jistax ikun hu li jxekkel id-demokrazija parteċipattiva.
- Min jgħid li jrid il-ġustizzja soċjali, ma jistax ikun hu li jwarrab lin-nies mill-ġid komuni.
- Min jgħid li għandu għal qalbu l-kwalità tal-ħajja, ma jistax ikun hu li jgħaffeġ fuq il-ħlejjaq li jsostnuh.
Żvilupp ekonomiku u soċjali
Il-bżulija tagħna l-Maltin, il-ħidma tal-komunità internazzjonali f’Malta li għarrfet toħloq il-ġid magħna, l-investiment dirett tal-barrani li għamel lil din l-art l-estensjoni ta’ daru, u l-klima politika u ekonomika stabbli, wasslu biex dan il-pajjiż joħloq il-ġid b’rata aktar mgħaġġla minn ta’ ħafna pajjiżi Ewropej.
Nieħu pjaċir ninnota r-rata għolja ta’ tkabbir ekonomiku, it-tkattir tax-xogħol, it-tnaqqis fil-qgħad, it-tnaqqis tad-dejn nazzjonali u l-parteċipazzjoni akbar tal-mara u ta’ persuni b’diżabilità fid-dinja tax-xogħol.
Progress ekonomiku rikonoxxut, saħansitra anke, mill-aġenziji ta’ kreditu internazzjonali.
Kull persuna li jirnexxilha tqum fuq saqajha hija rebħa għall-individwu u għas-soċjetà Maltija. L-inkluzjoni soċjali u ekonomika ta’ kull individwu, fl-ispirtu tal-Kostituzzjoni Repubblikana, għandha tibqa’ l-mira ewlenija f’politika li tgħaqqad l-iżvilupp ekonomiku mal-ġustizzja soċjali.
Filwaqt li fraħt u nifraħ b’kull statistika pożittiva dwar pajjiżna, b’dieqa ninnota li għad fadal numru konsiderevoli ta’ familji, li minkejja l-bżulija tagħhom, u minkejja li jbatu f’xogħolhom, għad m’għandhomx is-serħan il-moħħ ekonomiku.
Huwa immorali li nħallu f’xifer il-faqar jew fi stat perpetwu ta’ tallab lil min dejjem ħadem, jew lil min ġenwinament ma jistax jaħdem. Ikun ta’ għajb kbir għar-Repubblika jekk dan il-mument pożittiv għall-ekonomija ma nużawhx biex inkomplu nwaqqgħu l-ħitan tad-differenzi soċjoekonomiċi. Repubblika ġusta tieħu dawn id-differenzi bis-serjetà u tindirizzahom b’sens qawwi ta’ urġenza.
Għandi t-tama li l-miżuri kkontemplati mis-sena d-dieħla jħallu impatt pożittiv fuq komunitajiet li ilhom ibatu s-snin.
Jekk dan ma jkunx biżżejjed, nappella lill-politiċi tagħna biex ikomplu jieħdu l-azzjonijiet meħteġa ħalli min hu batut, iqum tassew fuq saqajh.
Repubblika ħanina ma taċċettax it-teżi li ekonomija b’saħħitha u attraenti għall-investiment lokali u barrani għandha tkun ibbażata fuq poplu bieżel imħallas bi ftit.
L-isfruttament m’għandu għeruq fl-ebda qafas etiku u morali, u allura, l-imġiba korretta f’dan il-qasam titlob li l-problema tal-isfruttar tal-ħaddiem tiġi attakkata bil-qawwa mill-istituzzjonijiet kollha kompetenti.
Napprezza x-xogħol tas-soċjetà ċivili li żammet il-faqar fuq l-aġenda nazzjonali. Nittama li d-djalogu u d-diskussjoni pubblika dwar il-paga minima jwasslu għal azzjoni konkreta f’qasir żmien, għax il-messaġġ ilu miktub fuq il-ħajt – paga xierqa għal min jaħdem għaliha.
Il-ħaddiem prekarju, li jgħix ħajtu f’inċertezza perpetwa, ma jistax ikompli jistenna.
Paga indaqs għan-nisa u rġiel
L-istess ħidma trid titkompla biex naraw li n-nisa jitħallsu daqs l-irġiel għall-istess xogħol li jagħmlu. Ċifri komparattivi Ewropej juru li filwaqt li rnexxielna nżidu l-ammont ta’ nisa jaħdmu barra d-dar, id-distakk fil-ħlas għall-istess xogħol żdied meta mqabbel mal-progress f’dan ir-rigward irreġistrat minn xi pajjiżi Ewropej.
Statistika mill-Eurostat, ippublikata f’Novembru ta’ din is-sena, turina li d-differenza fil-pagi għall-istess xogħol bejn in-nisa u l-irġiel hija ta’ ħdax fil-mija anqas għan-nisa. Dan huwa distakk soċjali u ekonomiku inaċċettabbli u diskriminatorju li jeħtieġ li jittieħed b’aktar serjetà u indirizzat b’aktar ħeġġa.
Vjolenza domestika
Għaddiet sena oħra Repubblikana u b’dispjaċir ninnota li l-każijiet ta’ vjolenza domestika ddominati minn swat, stupru, u ċaħda materjali, ma waqfu xejn. Nisa, ħafna aktar minn irġiel, qed jgħixu bit-theddid u l-biża’ għall-saħħithom u ħajjithom kuljum.
Filwaqt li l-indipendenza ekonomika għenet il-ħelsien tal-mara, il-vjolenza domestika, għadha ddallam għadd ta’ relazzjonijiet soċjali f’dan il-pajjiż.
Il-veru ħelsien huwa bbażat fuq ir-rispett reċiproku u l-għarfien li ġisem il-bniedem mhu propjetà ta’ ħadd. Hawnhekk nappella għat-tisħiħ tal-edukazzjoni interpersonali, għat-titjib tas-servizzi ta’ solidarjetà f’dan il-qasam, u għal ġustizzja effettiva mal-vittmi.
Traffikar uman
Nappella wkoll biex l-awtoritajiet iħarrxu aktar il-glieda kontra t-traffikar uman, speċjalment ta’ nisa li qed jiġu mqarrqa minn kriminali li jwiegħdu s-sema fl-art lill-vittmi tagħhom. Jekk nagħlqu għajnejna għal dan il-fenomenu, inkunu qed inġibu fix-xejn l-għajta tad-drittijiet ċivili.
Akkomodazzjoni soċjali
Ħolqa importanti fil-katina tal-ġustizzja soċjali hija l-akkomodazzjoni. Repubblika ġusta ma tittollerax sitwazzjonijiet fejn familji differenti jiċċaħħdu mill-privatezza tagħhom għax ikollhom jgħixu flimkien, għax il-kirja hija għolja wisq għalihom, jew, agħar minn hekk, fejn familji jispiċċaw bla saqaf fuq rashom.
Is-suq dejjem il-profitt fittex.
Għalhekk, huwa l-obbligu tal-Istat li jara li, iċ-ċittadini ta’ dan il-pajjiż jaċċessaw spazji abitabbli bi ħlas soċjali. Hekk kif il-piż fuq l-individwi u l-familji f’dan il-qasam qiegħed jiżdied, l-awtoritajiet kompetenti jridu jħaffu l-pass biex il-proġetti ta’ bini ġdid u riabilitazzjoni ta’ bini eżistenti għall-akkomodazzjoni soċjali, jibdew u jitlestew f’qasir żmien.
Filwaqt li bi pjaċir ninnota ż-żieda fis-sussidju fuq il-kirjiet mis-sena d-dieħla, din il-miżura m’għandhiex titqies bħala l-bidu u t-tmiem tal-ħidma li hemm bżonn issir. B’hekk inkunu qed nassiguraw provediment ta’ akkomodazzjoni soċjali xierqa.
L-ambjent
Tul is-sena li għaddiet, l-ambjent baqa’ fuq nett tal-aġenda nazzjonali. Sena li matulha kibret it-tensjoni bejn is-soċjetà ċivili, bejn ir-residenti, bejn l-iżviluppaturi, u bejn l-awtoritajiet.
Minn din it-tensjoni joħroġ ċar li mhux kull żvilupp legali jista’ jitqies bħala żvilupp aċċettabbli bil-kejl tal-kwalità tal-ħajja u tal-ħarsien tal-biodiversità.
Jien konvinta li t-tensjoni fil-qasam tal-ambjent tonqos qatigħ jekk id-djalogu u l-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna, u tal-ġenerazzjonijiet futuri, jitpoġġew fiċ-ċentru tal-proċess tal-ippjanar u tal-iżvilupp.
Kull meta niltaqa’ mat-tfal – li huwa ta’ spiss – huma qegħdin jgħiduli li l-imkejjen miftuħa fejn jilagħbu skarsaw, u li t-tnaqqir tal-ispazji miftuħa faqqrilhom ħajjithom, minkejja li ħafna minnhom jidhru li ma jonqoshom xejn.
Fost affarijiet oħrajn, it-tfal jaqsmu miegħi wkoll it-tħassib tagħhom dwar l-arja mniġġsa mill-emissjonijiet tat-traffiku u dwar it-tniġġis akustiku, jew noise pollution.
Jekk m’aħniex ser inżommu l-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna llum, u tal-ġenerazzjonijiet li ġejjin fiċ-ċentru tal-iżvilupp, dan se jfisser għatx ambjentali għada, u aktar eskluzjoni soċjali.
Sfortunatament għall-poplu tagħna, l-awtoritajiet f’pajjiżna, fl-ebda żmien, ma żammew biżżejjed … fiċ-ċentru tal-iżvilupp … il-kwalità tal-ħajja tal-ġenerazzjonijiet li għaddew, ta’ llum u tal-futur.
Jekk ser nibqgħu sejrin hekk, il-ġenerazzjonijiet li ġejjin żgur li ma jfakkruniex b’ġieħ jekk se nkomplu ngawdu l-mument b’ebda għarfien tad-drittijiet tal-ġenerazzjonijiet li għad iridu jiġu.
Għalhekk, nappella għall-għaqal u għall-integrità fil-qasam tal-ippjanar, u għall-għarfien sħiħ tal-prinċipju li n-nies għandhom jiġu qabel il-profitt.
Jeħtieg li l-politiċi tagħna jaħdmu flimkien għal viżjoni u strateġija ambjentali fit-tul, li tmur lil hinn mill-leġiżlatura waħda.
Riċiklar
Irrid ninnota wkoll li rridu nkomplu nżidu l-isforzi, ma’ dawk li qegħdin isiru fil-qasam tar-riċiklar, biex nassiguraw li niksbu r-riżultati mixtieqa. Ma’ nistgħux inħallu lil Malta tintradam taħt l-iskart li qegħdin nipproduċu.
Irrid infakkar li, mar-riċiklar u l-użu mill-ġdid tal-materjal, hemm il-prinċipju tat-tnaqqis fil-konsum. Il-kriżi tal-iskart ġej primarjament minn ekonomija mibnija fuq konsum bla rażan. Dan huwa aspett ieħor fl-ambjent tagħna li qed imarradna jekk ma npoġġux il-konsum għall-bżonn, qabel il-konsum bla bżonn.
Il-prinċipju ta’ naħdmu biex nikkunsmaw u l-enfasi fuq il-konsum bħala kejl tas-suċċess ekonomiku huma żewġ realtajiet li għandhom l-effett li jxejnu kull politika favur l-ambjent u l-immaniġjar tiegħu.
Hemm bżonn ta’ politika aktar koerenti u strateġija anqas frammentata f’dan il-qasam jekk iridu nevitaw kriżi serja fil-qasam tas-saħħa u tal-ambjent.
Edukazzjoni
Fis-sena Repubblikana li għaddiet, reġa’ sar investiment qawwi fl-edukazzjoni. Investiment li ssarraf fi skejjel ġodda, tiswija ta’ oħrajn, teknoloġija ġdida, aktar taħriġ kontinwu, skemi għal min waqa’ lura u oħrajn preventivi, u inizjattivi oħra. Minkejja dan l-investiment, l-analiżi xjentifika tal-esperti edukattivi ewlenin ta’ pajjiżna, u oħrajn, għadha tagħtina riżultati fl-edukazzjoni li normalment ma nassoċjawhomx ma’ pajjiżi li qegħdin jaspiraw li jkunu fost l-aqwa f’dan il-qasam.
Il-mijiet li ma joqogħdux għall-eżami tas-SEC, il-mijiet l-oħra li ma jgħaddux mill-istess eżamijiet wara ħdax-il sena ta’ edukazzjoni obbligatorja; it-terz tal-popolazzjoni studenteska li toħroġ mingħajr ħiliet bażiċi mill-fażi tal-edukazzjoni obbligatorja; il-qrib l-20% taż-żgħażagħ li, la qegħdin fl-edukazzjoni, u lanqas fit-taħriġ; il-parteċipazzjoni baxxa tal-adulti fl-edukazzjoni tul il-ħajja; u n-nuqqas ta’ ħiliet marbutin mad-dinja tax-xogħol, huma fost l-indikaturi ta’ tħassib marbutin mal-qasam edukattiv.
Irridu naħdmu b’mod dirett mal-familji, fil-komunitajiet tagħna u mal-iskejjel biex niżguraw li t-tfal ma jaqtgħux l-aptit għat-tagħlim kmieni f’ħajjithom.
Sfida ta’ dan il-kobor ma tistax tiġi indirizzata b’mod frammentat.
Din mhix problema tal-qasam edukattiv biss.
Il-politika fl-oqsma soċjali, ekonomiċi u tas-saħħa għandha effett dirett fuq il-ħajja edukattiva fid-djar, u fuq il-preżent u l-futur edukattiv tal-individwu.
Id-dritt ta’ aċċess ekwu għall-edukazzjoni huwa wieħed mill-ħafna drittijiet fundamentali ta’ wliedna.
Drittijiet tat-tfal
Irrid nieħu l-opportunità wkoll biex infakkar fl-importanza u fl-urġenza li t-tfal tagħna għandhom jingħataw, bis-saħħa tal-ligi, id-drittijiet li pajjiżna kkommetta ruħu għalihom 26 sena ilu; meta rratifika l-Konvenzjoni tal-Ġnus Magħquda Dwar id-Drittijiet tat-Tfal, u l-protokolli sussegwenti. Protokolli li jħarsu u jipproteġu wkoll lit-tfal mill-abbuż tal-prostituzzjoni u tal-pornografija.
Nappella wkoll biex il-Protokoll dwar l-aċċess għall-ġustizzja mit-tfal jiġi ffirmat u rratifikat. Għalhekk qed inħeġġeġ biex ma jintilifx aktar żmien, u t-tfal Maltin u Għawdxin jingħataw id-drittijiet tagħhom infurzati minn liġi komprensiva għalihom.
Il-qasam tas-saħħa
Fil-qasam tas-saħħa, ħadt pjaċir ninnota żieda fil-baġit għall-mediċini relatati mal-kura tal-kanċer. Irridu nkomplu naħdmu biex il-Maltin u l-Għawdxin ikollhom aċċess sħiħ, komplut, u b’xejn għall-kura ta’ mard kiefer li jaħsad u jfaqqar.
L-arja politika
Matul is-sena li għaddiet, l-arja politika kompliet titqal. Ħafna mill-ġid li l-politiċi jwettqu flimkien, permezz ta’ diversi laqgħat f’kumitati u liġijiet ta’ fejda għal kulħadd, qiegħed jintradam taħt munzelli ta’ akkużi u kontroakkużi, tgħajjir, insinwazzjonijiet, skavar ta’ stejjer personali, u tfigħ ta’ tajn.
Dan kollu jwassal biex in-nies jinsew li l-politika qiegħda hemm biex kuljum ittejjeb il-kwalità tal-ħajja personali u kollettiva, u biex għada jisbaħ jum aħjar għalina lkoll.
Il-partiġġjaniżmu u l-popoliżmu sfrenat ibaxxu l-istima li għandha tgawdi l-ħidma politika.
Il-partiġġjaniżmu u l-popoliżmu sfrenat jifirdu lil poplu, li s-saħħa tiegħu għandha tkun fl-għaqda u fir-rispett lejn id-diversità.
Nistqar li l-imġiba fil-politika kif qed tiżviluppa f’pajjiżna qed tinkwetani.
Qed ikunu t-tfal u ż-żgħażagħ stess li qed jgħiduli li qed jiddejqu bl-eżempji mill-agħar li l-politiċi tagħna qed jagħtuhom fil-mod ta’ kif qed iġibu ruħhom ma’ xulxin.
Din is-situazzjoni qed tinkwetani wkoll għaliex qed twassal biex nies serji u mħajra għas-servizz ta’ ħaddieħor jitbiegħdu flok iqarrbu biex jidħlu għall-ħajja pubblika.
Għalhekk, se nieħu l-okkażjoni biex nappella u nħeġġeġ lit-tfal u ż-żgħażagħ Maltin u Għawdxin, biex ma jiddejqux juru li mill-politiċi tagħna jistennew eżempji li jispiraw il-pożittività fil-politika.
Irrid nappella wkoll liż-żgħażagħ biex ikunu l-attivisti tas-sewwa u jipparteċipaw fil-politika, ħalli nassiguraw li pajjiżna fil-futur, igawdi minn mexxejja li jirriflettu l-vuċi genwina u onesta ta’ dawk li jirraprezentaw.
L-imġiba tal-politiku għandha kontenut edukattiv qawwi. Għalhekk, id-dibattitu politiku għandu dejjem ikun infurmat, uman, dinjituż, integru, kalm u, fuq kollox, rispettuż.
Il-Midja Tradizzjonali u s-Social Media
Hija moralment u etikament inaċċettabli, li xi sezzjonijiet tal-midja tradizzjonali, kif ukoll bloggers u individwi, qed jinqdew bis-social media biex tiġi attakkata l-ħajja privata ta’ persuni, u tal-familja tagħhom, kemm jekk fil-ħajja pubblika jew le. Dan jagħmluh biex mingħalihom jingħoġbu ma’ ċertu sezzjonijiet ta’ nies u jiffomentaw il-mibgħeda fostna, izda dan ma huwa xejn ħlief vjolenza psikoloġika maħsuba fuq il-persuna tal-individwu, u mhux attakk fuq il-ħsieb jew il-fehma tal-persuna.
Il-libertà tal-espressjoni ma tagħti dritt lil ħadd biex jhedded id-drittijiet tal-bniedem, inklus rispett għal ħajja familjali u għal privatezza.
Bħala poplu, ma nistgħux naċċettaw dawn l-oxxenitajiet. Dan huwa għajb għal min qed jagħmlu, għalhekk nerġa nappella lil partiti politiċi, lil entitajiet pubbliċi kollha, u l-poplu ta’ rieda tajba, biex jiddisassoċjaw ruħhom pubblikament minn dawn l-individwi.
Nixtieq ukoll li l-poplu tagħna jagħraf jgħarbel u jixtarr sew qabel ma jemmen kulma jiġi rrapurtat fuq il-midja differenti.
Jinħtieġ li ninvestu ferm aktar fl-edukazzjoni dwar il-midja mhux biss għat-tfal u ż-żgħażagħ tagħna, iżda wkoll għall-adulti.
Il-Presidenza Maltija tal-Kunsill tal-Unjoni Ewropea
Fix-xhur li ġejjin Malta għandha l-opportunità li tafferma l-prinċipji u l-valuri tagħha ma’ sħabha l-Ewropej. Nistenna li s-sitt xhur tal-Presidenza Maltija jkunu xhur fejn jiddomina d-diskors tas-solidarjetà u jfeġġu sinjali konkreti ta’ azzjoni fl-istess direzzjoni.
L-Ewropa għandha bżonn tirkupra l-kredibilità mal-poplu komuni, dak li jaqlagħha u jikolha.
Konvinta li pajjiżna ser ikun qed jaħdem biex, f’dawn is-sitt xhur li ġejjin dan il-kontinent f’nofs maltempata, jara l-bnazzi li jixraqlu.
Konklużjoni
Għeżież Maltin u Għawdxin, grazzi tal-ħidma tagħkom b’risq Malta Repubblika.
Grazzi tal-ħin li ddedikajtu lil uliedkom u lil għajrkom.
Nitlobkom tkomplu b’ħidmietkom filwaqt li nħeġġiġkom tiddefendu s-sewwa, bla biża’ u b’konsistenza.
Viva Malta Repubblika.
PR162862en
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Speech by President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca on the occasion of the Republic Day investiture ceremony
A hardworking Republic
On the eve of one of the most important appointments for our country – the Maltese Presidency of the European Council – Malta is celebrating its forty-second anniversary as a Republic.
A Republic which is working harder, is living longer, is learning more, and is interacting with other peoples, and which is exploring the world more so now than ever before.
A Republic that needs to remain focused
However, from my own personal experience, with our people, in our streets, our daily life as a Republic is not marked with success alone. Hence, this day presents an opportunity for reflection.
Material shortcomings, social exclusion; the threat to the quality of life resulting in development which is not always sustainable; the overcrowding of residential areas; the limitation of public spaces; noise and traffic delays; and the scarcity of honesty and truth in political life, are amongst the issues that are of concern to the Maltese of goodwill in our country, who would like to see a future Republic which is better than what we have today.
International bridge for Peace
During the past twelve months, the tension amongst us, as well as between those who consider themselves Maltese and those who are regarded as alien, continued to flourish.
Those who present demographic and economic reasons normally make provision for a calm, mature and reasoned debate. But the same cannot be said for those who embrace racist views.
As a guardian of the Constitution, I believe that Malta should continue to host all those who live among us, or those who come to visit us, with the utmost love and respect.
I am morally convinced that we should appreciate, and not condemn, persons who are helping to build our prosperity, and who form part of our society, by sending them back.
I believe that this country should continue to reaffirm its vocation to serve as an international medium for intercultural dialogue and peace.
I insist also that this Republic should continue to be a champion of human rights and should not tolerate any manifestation of hatred, internal conflict or the domination of one culture over another.
Nonetheless, this does in no way mean that Europeans should not respect our country or that they should not share the burden with us and like us.
Human Rights – the road to maturity
I am convinced that if we would like our Republic to continue on its path towards maturity, if we would like to continue to affirm our aspirations that our country becomes a role model of democracy and social justice, we must make important choices:
- If we are going to take to the streets, we must continue in our path of reconciliation, hope, solidarity and collectivity.
- If we are going to protest, we will protest against xenophobia, racism, social exclusion and the exploitation of workers for profit.
- If we are going to celebrate, we will applaud the increase of civil rights, laws which are less discriminatory, laws which protect a life of quality; which safeguard human dignity; and which promote economic, cultural and social inclusion as well as equal opportunities for all.
The Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights should remain the guiding light in our pursuit of righteousness. Therefore, I appeal that no one should abandon the educational process without a thorough knowledge of the contents and the spirit of these two documents which are fundamental for all of us.
In the meantime, I reiterate:
- Those who assert that they are in favour of righteousness can never be the ones to sow the seeds of hatred.
- Those who assert that they are in favour of democracy cannot be the ones to impede participatory democracy.
- Those who assert that they are in favour of social justice cannot be the ones to exclude anyone from the common good.
Economic and Social Development
Those who hold in high esteem the quality of life, cannot be the ones to trample over the same creatures that sustain them.
The diligence of us Maltese, together with the efforts of the international community in Malta which helped us in the creation of well-being, the direct investment made by foreigners who chose to make our country an extension of their residence, and the stable political and economic climate, have resulted in the creation of wealth at a faster rate than most other European countries.
I am pleased to note the high rate of economic growth, the increase in job opportunities, the reduction of unemployment, the curtailment of the national debt and the increase in the participation of women and the disabled in the work force.
Economic progress has been recognized even by international credit agencies.
Every single person who succeeds in standing on his own two feet is evidence of an accomplishment both for the individual himself as well as for the Maltese society.
Social and economic inclusion of every individual, in the spirit of the Republican Constitution, should remain the main objective in a system of governance which consolidates economic development with social justice.
Whilst I appreciate and rejoice at every positive statistic about our country, I note with regret that there are still a considerable number of families, who are struggling to make ends meet despite being diligent and hardworking.
It is immoral to reduce people who have always worked hard and those who genuinely are not able to work to the brink of poverty or to a perpetual state of destitution. It would be an atrocity for our Republic if we do not take advantage of this positive economic growth in order to remove the barriers between social-economic anomalies.
A just republic recognizes the gravity of such differences and addresses them with a great sense of urgency.
I hope that the proposed measures from next year will leave a positive impact on communities which have been suffering for years.
However, if this is still not enough, I appeal to our politicians to continue to take the necessary measures to enable all those suffering to really make it on their own.
A caring republic does not accept the theory that a healthy economy, which attracts local and foreign investment, should be based on hardworking persons who are paid a pittance.
Exploitation should have no roots in a truly ethical and moral structure, and therefore correct practice in this sector calls for the exploitation of these workers to be seriously condemned by the competent authorities.
I do appreciate the efforts of the civil society to keep the issue of poverty on the national agenda.
I hope that the public dialogue and discussions on the minimum wage will lead to concrete action shortly, because the message has long been written on the wall – a decent wage for those who earn it.
The precarious worker, living in a state of constant uncertainty, cannot wait any longer.
Equal pay for women and for men
We should also ensure that women are paid the same wage as their male counterparts for the same line of work.
European comparative figures show that whilst we succeeded in increasing the number of gainfully occupied women, the gap in the wages for the same job has widened in comparison to the progress registered in this sector by some European countries.
Statistics by Eurostat, published in November of this year, indicate that the difference in wage for the same work between women and men is eleven percent lower for women. This social and economic gap is unacceptable and discriminatory and should be treated with the utmost seriousness and addressed with urgency.
Domestic Violence
Another year of our Republic has almost gone by and I regret to note that the cases of domestic violence, mainly beatings, rape, and severe material deprivation, have continued.
Women, much more frequently than men, are living with constant threats and fear for their health and their lives every single day.
Whilst the economic independence has helped women in general, domestic violence is still overshadowing social relationships in this country.
True freedom is based on mutual respect and the acknowledgement that the human body cannot be someone’s property. I would like to appeal for the strengthening of interpersonal education, the improvement of all services involved in offering solidarity in this sector and the effective justice for all victims.
Human Trafficking
I also appeal to the authorities to intensify the fight against human trafficking, especially of women being exploited by criminals who promise them heaven on earth. If we turn a blind eye to this phenomenon, we would be annihilating the cry for civil rights.
Social Accommodation
An important link in the social justice chain is accommodation. A just republic does not tolerate situations wherein different families are denied their privacy rights because they are obliged to live under the same roof since they cannot afford the high rental rates or, worse than that, where families are rendered homeless.
The market always seeks profit.
Therefore, it is the State’s obligation to ensure that the citizens of this country have access to habitable spaces with social rates. As the burden on individuals and families in this sector continues to increase, the competent authorities should step up the projects of new buildings as well as the refurbishment of existing buildings for social accommodation and ensure that these are ready as soon as possible.
Whilst I note with great satisfaction the increase in subsidy on rentals as from next year, this measure should not be regarded as the be-all and end-all of the work to be undertaken to ensure the provision of appropriate social accommodation.
The Environment
During the past year, the environment remained high on the national agenda. A year during which the tension among the civil society, residents, developers and authorities increased.
This tension clearly shows that not every legal development can be considered as acceptable development in the light of quality of life and the protection of biodiversity.
I am convinced that the tension in the environment sector would be greatly reduced if dialogue and the quality of our life, and that of future generations, are put at the centre of the planning and development process.
Whenever I meet up with children, which is often enough, they always complain that there is a lack of open spaces where they can play and that this has impoverished their lives even though most of them give the impression that they don’t lack anything. Children also share their concerns regarding air pollution from traffic emissions as well as noise pollution, among other things.
Unless we keep the present quality of life, and that of future generations, at the centre of development, this will lead to an environmental drought in the future, and more social exclusion.
Unfortunately for our people, the quality of life of past, present and future generations was never put at the centre of development by the authorities in the past.
If we persist on this trajectory, future generations will not pay us homage. We cannot continue to enjoy the present moment with complete disregard to the rights of future generations.
Therefore, I appeal for diligence and integrity in the planning sector and for the absolute recognition that people come before profits.
It is vital that our politicians work collectively towards a long-term environmental vision and strategy, which goes beyond a single legislation.
Recycling
I would also like to note that we have to continue to increase our efforts, together with those already being made in the recycling sector, to ensure that we achieve the desired results. We cannot allow Malta to be buried under the waste that we ourselves are generating.
I would like to remind you that besides the recycling and re-use of material, there is also the principle of reduction in consumption. The waste crisis originates primarily from an economy based on extensive consumption. This is another aspect of our environment which is detrimental to our health if we do not exchange needless consumption with necessary consumption.
The principle of working for consumption and the emphasis on consumption as an assessment of economic success both have the effect of hindering every policy in favour of the environment and its management.
We need a more coherent policy and an integrated strategy in this sector if we are to avoid a serious crisis in the health and environment sector.
Education
In the last republican year, we saw a huge investment in the education sector.
An investment which lead to new schools, refurbishment of others, new technology, further continuous training, schemes for those who lagged behind and other preventive measures, and other initiatives. Despite this investment, scientific analysis by our top education experts, and others, shows insufficient results in an education system that one would normally associate with countries aspiring to be amongst the best in this sector.
The hundreds of students who do not sit for their SEC exams, several other hundreds who fail these same exams after eleven years of obligatory schooling; the one-third of the student population which ends its obligatory education without the necessary basic skills; the approximate 20% of youths who are neither studying nor in training; the low participation of adults in life-long learning; and the lack of skills relating to the labour force, are among the worrying indicators relating to the education sector.
It is vital for us to work directly with families, in our communities and with schools to ensure that children do not lose interest in learning early on in their life.
Such a challenge cannot be addressed with a piecemeal approach.
This problem is not true of the education sector alone.
Social, economic and health policies have a direct effect on educational family life and on the present and future education of the individual.
The right for equal access to education is one of the many fundamental rights of our children.
The Rights of Children
I would like to take this opportunity to point out the importance and the urgency that our children are awarded, by virtue of law, the rights which our country committed itself to 26 years ago; when it ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the subsequent protocols. These protocols respect and also protect children from the abuse of prostitution and pornography.
I also appeal that the Protocol on the Access to Justice for children is signed and ratified. Therefore, I recommend that no more time be wasted, and that Maltese and Gozitan children are awarded their rights enforced by a relevant law.
Health
With regards to the health sector, I am pleased to note the increase in the budget for medicines relating to the cure of cancer. We must continue to work hard so that people in Malta and Gozo have full, complete and free access to the cure of chronic illnesses which strike suddenly and which can reduce people to destitution.
The Political ambience
This year, the political scene has witnessed many undermining tactics. Whatever achievements politicians managed to attain, through long hours of committee meetings, whatever laws they strove to enact for the benefit of all and sundry, were soon shot down through a smear campaign of accusations and counter-accusations, calling of names, insinuations, digging into personal lives and mudslinging.
As a result of this, people are now overlooking the fact that politics are there to enhance the quality of personal and collective lives and to ensure a better future for all of us.
Unrestrained partisanship and populism lower the esteem that should be shown towards politics.
Unrestrained partisanship and populism cause rifts among people, instead of being an instrument of unity and respect towards diversity.
I must say that I am sincerely concerned about the behaviour of politicians in our country.
Children and youths are voicing their disappointment at the way our politicians are behaving towards each other, setting bad examples when they should be role models.
This situation is also of deep concern to me because it is conducive to people who would otherwise be interested in politics to shy away from public service.
Therefore, I am taking this opportunity to appeal to and encourage children and young people in Malta and Gozo, to come forward and proclaim that they expect politicians to behave in a way to inspire positivity in politics.
I appeal to young people to be activist for the truth and to participate in politics, so as to ensure that, in future, our country will have leaders who portray, truthfully and honestly, the voices of the people they represent.
The way in which the politician acts has a strong educational impact. Therefore, political debate should always be informative, humane and should show dignity, integrity, composure and, above all, respect.
Traditional and Social Media
It is morally and ethically unacceptable, that sections of the traditional media, as well as bloggers and individuals, make use of social media, to attack the private lives of persons, and their family, even those in public life, to appease some people and generate hate amongst us. This is done to favour a few, while sowing hate amongst us. However, this is psychological violence aimed at the individual, not at the argument or belief.
Freedom of expression does not give the right to threaten anyone’s human rights, including respect for family life, and to privacy.
As a nation, we cannot accept such obscenity. It is disgraceful for any person doing it.
I reiterate my appeal to all political parties, public entities and all people of goodwill, to disassociate themselves publicly from these individuals.
I also wish that everyone would think about and reflect before believing every word that is reported on the media.
We need to invest much more in media education, not only for children and young people, but also for adults.
The Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union
In the coming months Malta will have the opportunity to affirm its principles and values with its European counterparts. I expect that for the duration of the six months of the Maltese Presidency, the theme of solidarity will prevail and that concrete actions in the same disposition will be initiated.
Europe needs to recover its credibility with the common people, the typical man in the street. I am convinced that Malta, during the coming six months, will enable this continent, which is going through such turmoil, to see a silver lining.
Conclusion
Dear people of Malta and Gozo, thank you for your efforts for the benefit of the Republic of Malta.
Thank you for the time you dedicated for your children and for others.
I ask you to continue with your valuable work and I urge you to defend the truth always, without fear and with consistence.
Long live the Republic of Malta.