Category: Tberfil

Rethinking Fatal Drink-Driving Cases in Malta

July 29, 2025 | Tberfil

Picture by Usman Malik on Unsplash

Despite Malta’s ongoing investment in drink-driving awareness campaigns, court rulings continue to classify fatalities caused by such behaviour as “involuntary homicide”. But can a death resulting from a knowingly reckless act still be downplayed as involuntary?

When someone chooses to drive under the influence, fully aware of the risks and the constant reminders from society, can the tragic outcome really be called “involuntary”? In Malta, authorities have spent years and significant public funds on educational campaigns warning about the dangers of drink-driving. We’ve all seen the road safety ads, awareness videos, and signage across our islands. The message is simple and clear: drink-driving is a criminal act that endangers lives.

These messages are no longer optional knowledge they are part of our national consciousness. Anyone who drives in Malta knows that drinking and driving is dangerous. So when someone decides to take that risk, they are not making a mistake in the dark. They are making a conscious decision to ignore everything society has taught them, to place themselves and others in harm’s way.

And when this results in a fatality, is it enough to call it “involuntary homicide”? The legal system must of course rely on clear definitions of intent, negligence, and recklessness. But public discourse, and eventually the law itself, must also evolve to reflect present realities. Today’s sentencing in a drink-driving fatality case once again classed as an involuntary act, raises important questions. If someone knows the risks yet proceeds regardless, how can the outcome be labelled truly unintended?

Such cases don’t always fall neatly into the categories of voluntary or involuntary homicide. Instead, courts often recognise an intermediate category: reckless homicide or gross negligence manslaughter. These terms apply when a person does not necessarily intend to kill, but is fully aware (or ought to be) of the high risk their actions pose to others and proceeds anyway. The behaviour may not be driven by malice, but it reflects such a disregard for human life that the law treats it as a serious and punishable offence.

Driving under the influence is a textbook case of this kind of recklessness. The decision to drink and drive in 2025 is no longer made in ignorance. It is made in full view of awareness campaigns, tragic statistics, and readily available alternatives. That decision is deliberate and when it results in death, the law should classify it accordingly.

Even if Malta’s legal system already differentiates between levels of culpability within the umbrella of “involuntary homicide” such as through sentencing variations or sub-classifications, the way these cases are publicly communicated needs urgent revision. By continuing to label such acts as “involuntary”, the system risks downplaying the very real moral and legal culpability involved. Malta should consider introducing clearer legal distinctions such as a charge of reckless homicide that better capture the conscious, dangerous choices behind these fatal outcomes.

This is not simply a matter of semantics. Language shapes culture. If we continue to soften the terminology around road deaths caused by reckless driving, we contribute to a social environment where accountability is diluted. Are we protecting lives, or the feelings of those who disregard them?

Behind every traffic fatality is a life that didn’t get to continue and the grief left behind is not accidental. It’s a consequence of deliberate behaviour. Justice must speak truthfully. And perhaps, in doing so, it can serve a preventative function too. Law is not only a matter of punishment. It is a mirror to our cultural values. Stronger legal definitions and actions can help instill a deeper sense of personal responsibility in Maltese society.

The Awakening of the Soul: Beyond the Right to Die

June 24, 2025 | Tberfil

Note: This article was published as an edited opion piece on Times of Malta

As Malta discusses the possible legalisation of euthanasia, the national conversation often narrows quickly to slogans: dignity, choice, suffering, and the right to die. These are important words. But are they enough? Do they truly capture the weight, the mystery, the transcendence that death represents in a human life?

I have been a Franco Battiato fan for a number of years. His lucid, poetic meditations on death, both in interviews and in his music, have always moved me. They led me to seek out some of the sources that shaped his thinking, including In Search of the Miraculous by P. D. Ouspensky, a book that chronicles the teachings of the mystic George Ivanovich Gurdjieff. Although it was written in the early twentieth century and speaks in a language some might find arcane, the book was a major inspiration for the Sicilian maestro. Gurdjieff was concerned with one thing above all: awakening. Learning to live and die with presence, not passivity. This could offer an unexpectedly timely lens for Malta’s moral crossroads, as we confront the complex ethical terrain surrounding the possible introduction of euthanasia.

Gurdjieff’s central claim was startling: that most human beings live in a state of waking sleep. We are ruled by habits, fears, and fragmented identities. We believe we are free, that we choose, but in truth, we are often driven by unseen forces: mechanical reactions, emotional pain, and cultural scripts we never questioned.

This matters profoundly when discussing euthanasia. In our public conversations, we tend to assume that a person requesting euthanasia is doing so out of rational, autonomous will. But what if that will is fractured? What if the ‘I’ making that request today is not the same ‘I’ that found beauty in life a few weeks ago? What if they are simply exhausted, not just physically but existentially, and no one has helped them interpret their suffering in a deeper way?

I have encountered such exhaustion firsthand during my long hours at St Vincent de Paul, the home for the elderly. One resident once confided in me, without hesitation, that if a doctor were to come and offer euthanasia, they would immediately accept. “I’m tired of this world”, they said, not with drama but with quiet resignation. It was not just about physical decline. It was about feeling removed from community, from agency, from meaning. For this person, life as it had been known seemed to have already ended the moment they were relocated and made to feel like a burden. In such a context, is this truly a free choice? Or is it a silent protest, against invisibility, against emotional exile, against a society that no longer knows how to hold its elderly with dignity, presence, and love?

Gurdjieff’s teachings push us to examine what kind of consciousness we bring to life and death alike. He argued that true freedom only begins when we start remembering ourselves, when we awaken to the reality of our situation, our nature, our impermanence. From this perspective, death is not just a biological endpoint. It is a portal, a moment of truth, perhaps the final invitation to be present, to reconcile with ourselves and with what lies beyond. This mirrors, in some way, Jesus’ teaching that “the Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21), pointing to an inner dimension of spiritual awakening that transcends ritual.

Another passage in this context is Jesus’ radical instruction that his followers must “hate” their father, mother, spouse, children, siblings, and even their own life to be his disciples (Luke 14:26). This is not a call to emotional rejection, but a provocative teaching about detachment. It speaks to the need for liberation from the attachments that bind us to identity, comfort, and ego. Not liberation from love, but from clinging. It is about choosing a deeper identity, rooted in what is eternal or divine, over societal roles, tribal belonging, or inherited scripts. In the context of death, it reminds us that spiritual freedom often begins with the courageous act of letting go.

This is not an argument against euthanasia as such. It is an appeal to resist simplifying the conversation. Suffering is real, and compassion is essential. But so is the sacredness of dying, the way it can sometimes transmute pain into meaning, loneliness into connection, fear into surrender. That kind of death does not always happen on its own. It takes inner work, accompaniment, and cultural maturity.

Malta must ask itself hard questions. Are we offering people the tools: spiritual, emotional, and communal, to meet death consciously? Or are we asking them to choose between unbearable pain and bureaucratic mercy? Are we cultivating a society that sees the final chapter of life as a space for transformation? Or are we writing it off as a medical failure?

We must also ask what it means to die freely. If the one requesting euthanasia is abandoned, under-resourced, ashamed of being a burden, or living in a society that fears ageing and illness, is that freedom? Or is it despair dressed in legal language?

There is a danger too in seeing euthanasia as a technical solution to a human problem. The Gurdjieff work insists that life is not mechanical. It requires attention, intention, and inner struggle. Euthanasia risks becoming another clinical response to the messy business of dying, bypassing the existential encounter that can arise at the threshold. When we reduce the dying process to symptoms and metrics, we risk falling into clinical reductionism, the flattening of a profoundly human and spiritual experience into merely medical categories.

There is also a deeper mystery we often overlook: we can never truly know the state of consciousness of another person’s soul, even when the body appears unresponsive or in a vegetative state. To presume that all awareness is absent is to reduce the human being to biology alone. But if there remains some quiet, hidden flame of presence, unseen, unmeasurable, then the choice to end a life carries even greater moral and spiritual weight.

And yet, I believe this conversation could be Malta’s moment. Not to divide into ideological tribes, but to pause and reflect on what we owe to one another in life’s most intimate passage. We owe more than palliative care. We owe meaning. We owe presence. We owe a language that makes space for sorrow, for slowness, for mystery. We owe spiritual resources beyond religion.

Gurdjieff spoke of “intentional suffering”, the kind that awakens rather than diminishes us. That does not mean we should glorify pain or deny mercy. It means we should avoid choosing comfort at the expense of consciousness. Death is not just something to get through. It is something to be met.

Battiato captured this in his final song, Torneremo Ancora, where he sang of the eternal return of the soul. To journalist Vincenzo Mollica he once said:

“We are all spiritual beings. We are on a path towards liberation. Until we are free, we will return again, many times, to this earthly life. Existence is cyclical and it repeats until the soul is completely free from the disturbing emotions of the ego which holds it captive. We are slaves to our emotions, which dominate us. Liberation, on the other hand, can have no ties.”

This is a moment to speak not only for those in pain, but for those who see death as a passage, not an error; as mystery, not only as problem. If that speaks to you, let your voice be part of the conversation. What would it mean for Malta to explore euthanasia not as an end in itself, but as a mirror reflecting how we accompany, how we see the other, how we awaken to our own mortality? That kind of discussion is harder, slower, and more miraculous.

“Le nostre anime / cercano altri corpi / in altri mondi / dove non c’è dolore / ma solamente / pace / e amore / amore.” — Franco Battiato

Whose City is it Anyway?

April 28, 2025 | Tberfil

Note: This article was published as an edited opion piece on Times of Malta

Two Vallettas exist today. One gleams in glossy magazines and sponsored features on The Mirror and Daily Express (who’s footing the bill for those, by the way?). The other lingers in memory, haunted by those who once called these streets home, now captured only in Paul Caruana’s watercolours. Boutique hotels outnumber locals. Cafés spill over with day-trippers. Benches in Pjazza Reġina creak under tourists, while nearby flats that once pulsed with life now echo only the sound of rolling suitcases. Valletta has become a spectacle. And for those who remain, or who left but still care, it has become a soundscape of grief.

Urban renewal is not inherently destructive. Cities grow, adapt, and regenerate. But Valletta’s transformation was never shaped through dialogue. It was a strategy of extraction. Property speculation soared. Tourism spiralled unchecked. Commercial interests replaced meaningful community life. The cost of long-term residence became prohibitive. Even the most rooted families eventually gave in, worn down by a system that rewards cashing out over staying put.

Today, “Beltin” resonates less with a living community and more with Valletta Football Club supporters, scattered across the islands. This was especially evident in the club’s recent celebrations. As anthropologist Jon Mitchell observed in his 2006 paper Six Trophies and a Funeral, “Nostalgia for the city offers the departed and the distantly related the chance to experience authenticity; such that for many, the performance of celebration becomes the real Valletta.” Very few are able to notice this difference.

And that’s the point. Valletta’s so-called renewal was never about celebrating community. It was about erasing it and replacing it with wealthier consumers. This isn’t just a cultural loss. It’s a rupture of trust, of shared values, of belonging. In response to one of my 2024 Facebook posts, the Site Manager for Valletta as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, remarked: “Valletta without Beltin does not exist.” I would go further. Without its people, Valletta becomes a façade. That is precisely what our government has turned it into: a backdrop for selling the nation and parading bloated economic pride.

The voices of those still living within the walls are rarely heard unless they hold political influence. The rest speak with resignation. They talk of vanishing services, missing neighbours, and memories blurred by loud music thumping past 1 a.m. Streets they no longer recognise. Every month brings the loss of more familiar faces through death, displacement, or sale. Outsiders with resources buy families out, convert homes into sterile rentals, and call it progress. Those who remain face a cruel dilemma: sell now, or be pushed out later.

The city’s social memory is being flattened. Festas are streamed, advertised, and aestheticised for outsiders. Few locals still participate. The grocer who once trusted you to “pay later” is now a restaurant. The toy shop is hotel storage. The bookshop is a bar, its doorway vivid with morning vomit. Children no longer play in the streets, not for lack of space, but for lack of children.

In early 2024, I launched a public petition calling for the Evans Building, a publicly owned site, to be developed into a community centre. The proposal addressed real needs: services for the elderly, childcare, youth programmes, creative spaces. A space inspired by successful models I’d seen elsewhere in Europe: vibrant, accessible, rooted in care and guess what? Profitable! A place that could encourage young families to plan a future in Valletta, rather than see it as a city to leave behind. Following a good turnout of signatories, I submitted the petition to Parliament. Months passed without a formal response. Ministries deflected. The Valletta Local Council stays silent. Meanwhile, the tender for a 65-year lease of the Evans Building to become a luxury hotel remains under appeal. There has been no pledge to consult with residents, or to articulate a vision that includes them.

The UNESCO Site Manager claimed that matters related to nuisances affecting residential life fell outside his remit. To his credit, he expressed personal frustration and a willingness to listen. And I take this opportunity to gently notify him that a Valletta activist is still chasing him for a coffee, as I write. He acknowledged that his role lacks enforcement power and rightly emphasised the need for stronger residents’ associations. This kind of recognition matters. But it also reveals something deeper: goodwill is not enough. Roles of such responsibility should not be confined to desks. The Cultural Ministry and cultural institutions must go beyond programming art events or doling out funding schemes. They need active engagement, a deep understanding of the community’s fatigue, and an urgency for action. This is culture! Valletta won’t be saved by courteous frustration. It needs coordination, shared resolve, and rising public pressure. We must demand focused and genuine care.

I believe this silence and staged consultation is not a by-product. It’s a tactic. If the community fails to speak loudly enough, then another precious site will quietly slip into private hands. One more space gone. One fewer place for children to grow, neighbours to meet, elders to age in dignity. One less patch of thriving culture.

And the implications stretch further. In a pre-election interview published on 8 June 2024, the former Valletta Mayor openly supported developing a hotel on the Evans Building site. His primary concern wasn’t the loss of public heritage, but parking. He proposed shrinking the nearby primary school to make space for a three-storey underground paid car park, shared with the hotel, the smaller school, and an elderly care facility. With the Evans Building next door, it would surprise no one if the school were eventually absorbed into private development.

The current Mayor has yet to side with residents. Today, holding this office seems less about public service and more about personal branding, with events posted to private accounts instead of official platforms, all in an effort to gain more followers. The role has become an audition, a stepping stone to move from one government position to the next, with eyes set on the ultimate prize of ministerial glory.

Some tell me Valletta is already lost. “There’s no going back.” I empathise with that feeling. The change has been swift, brutal, and often irreversible. It’s hard to hope when applause goes not to those defending people’s right to remain, but to others chasing likes by organising tombolas and village outings. And yet, the pain we feel is proof the city still matters. Valletta is not gone. It is wounded. And wounds can heal if we choose to care for them together.

The Evans Building petition hasn’t brought reform – not yet. But it revealed something vital: the will to imagine otherwise. To believe in a Valletta not curated, but lived. A city where community isn’t a relic for tourists but an everyday reality. We can still walk streets where care replaces consumption. Where there’s space to pause, to talk, to watch children play. Where Pampalun’s legacy, and that of so many others, is not just remembered but continued.

We can’t recover everything that’s been lost. But we must insist on being present. People ask what can be done when power feels distant and profit always wins. The truth is, change never comes by hiding. Ordinary people may lack capital or clout, but we have numbers, memory, and voice. We can comment on posts, share content, come together and contribute ideas. We can attend Local Council and activists meetings, demand transparency, and back those who stand with residents. Even small acts of defiance inspire better decisions behind closed doors. Join us few active citizens, in demanding a city plan rooted in life, not leisure. Let’s hold our leaders accountable and insist they see Valletta not as a showpiece, but as a place of belonging. Once people stop believing Valletta belongs to them, it becomes that much easier for others to claim it. The question is not whether Valletta can be saved, but whether we still care enough to show up and say: this is not just a postcard. This is our home. In the end, between spectacle and survival, Valletta will only thrive if all of us Beltin answer: it is ours.

Why Women?

March 8, 2025 | Tberfil

Reflections on the feminine in Pawlu Mizzi’s Art

Through art, we attempt to understand the world and our place within it. In my work, the female figure takes centre stage in this introspective exploration. My subjects often serve as vessels of transformation and resilience as they embody myth and memory, longing and loss, beauty and corruption. Drawing from personal relationships, my work extends beyond autobiography, tapping into broader analytical narratives and suggesting a dynamic force that disrupts traditional structures of perception. They represent the intersection of idealisation and disillusionment, personal experience, and my quest for universal truth and purpose.

On this Woman’s Day, I reflect on why the feminine remains at the core of my artistic exploration. Women not as muses, but as forces of nature, subjects of my history, and architects of my spiritual journey. My work is a space where I reclaim stories, distort and reshape them, and ask new questions about identity, purpose, resilience and resistance. It moves away from the ideological constraints of patriarchal culture, where women have long been reduced to mere symbols of male imagination and control.

In my world, the feminine embodies a spectrum of roles: mother, lover, muse, warrior, call them icons of promise and disillusionment, each carrying its own narratives and symbolism. These archetypes are not confined to women alone but represent universal aspects of humanity that transcend gender. Psychoanalyst Massimo Recalcati, in Le mani della madre, explores motherhood beyond biological determinism, proposing that the maternal function is a symbolic space that can be occupied by anyone, regardless of gender. He argues that it is not a biological trait but a relational and affective role, one even a man can embody. Recalcati’s insights suggest that qualities traditionally associated with the feminine like nurturing, empathy and creativity, are accessible to all. This perspective heightens my awareness of understanding the feminine not as the woman, but as an intrinsic element within the human condition, and therefore also my own, allowing for a wider exploration in my art.

Engaging with the feminine in my work has evolved into an exercise in self-analysis, a dialogue with the deeper facets of my psyche. The women I portray are not merely external figures, but reflections of my inner world, embodying vulnerability, strength, desire, exaltation, and survival. This process has allowed me to develop my art as a means of exploring the tension between the earthly and the transcendent, between what is visible and what remains hidden.

Throughout history, the female form has been shaped by expectations, reverence, and restriction, transforming it into a contested space. In contrast, my works offer new narratives that challenge these limitations. The women in my art are not passive subjects; they resist, transform, and assert themselves in unexpected ways, reflecting both personal and societal contradictions. They embody myth yet shatter it. The women I depict are not objects to be observed; they engage, watching back.

Celebrated theft of digital content

March 4, 2025 | Tberfil

In today’s digital world, content holds both creative and financial value. However, rather than receiving the respect it deserves, creative content is often stolen by platforms that market themselves as news hubs, profiting from it without providing any compensation or credit to the original author. This content frequently originates from ordinary individuals who share an episode or thought on a personal initiative. While content may be shared in a public space, this does not mean it is devoid of copyright considerations.

It is crucial to distinguish between theft and sharing. When content is distributed fairly meaning through a native share that maintains a direct link to the original source, it can offer a return to the creative author by increasing their exposure and attracting new audiences to their platforms. However, when platforms or individuals republish someone else’s work, present it as their own, and remove the link to the original content, this constitutes intellectual and creative property theft. This methodology has become increasingly common among platforms that brand themselves as news agencies, routinely stealing third-party content and publishing it as-is on their sites. The more reactions the content generates, the more these platforms can monetise.

It remains a mystery how so many people allow these platforms to use their work, some even celebrating the fact that their content has been “featured” on a popular site, without receiving any compensation. These platforms generate significant profits through advertisements that rely on the volume of hits and views on their published content, including stolen material. Meanwhile, the original sources are left empty-handed.

This is not only unfair but also fosters a culture in which digital content is seen as freely available to everyone, when in reality, every piece of content requires time, talent, and effort to be created and communicated. It is time for a serious discussion on how to put an end to this exploitation and ensure that all creators of original content receive what they rightfully deserve, both in credit and fair compensation.

Please note that if someone steals your content, you can file a copyright claim with the platform or take legal action.

Iċċelebrat is-serq ta’ kontenut diġitali

Fid-dinja diġitali tal-lum, il-kontenut huwa valur, kreattiv kif ukoll finanzjarju. Madankollu, ħafna drabi, minflok ma jingħata r-rispett li jistħoqqlu, il-kontenut kreattiv jispiċċa jiġi misruq minn pjattaformi li jbiegħu lilhom infushom bħala kamra tal-aħbarijiet li jikkapitalizzaw fuqu mingħajr ma jagħtu kumpens jew kreditu lill-awtur oriġinali. Dan il-kontenut ħafna drabi jkun xogħol ta’ nies komuni li jaqsmu episodju jew xi ħsieb fuq inizjattiva personali. Għalkemm maqsum fi spazju pubbliku ma jfissirx li dan il-kontenut ma hemmx drittijiet tal-awtur fuqu.

Huwa importanti nagħmlu distinzjoni bejn serq u “sharing”. Meta kontenut jiġi mqassam b’mod ġust – jiġifieri permezz ta’ share li żżomm ħolqa diretta mas-sors oriġinali – dan jista’ joffri ritorn lill-awtur kreattiv billi jżid l-espożizzjoni tiegħu u jattira udjenzi ġodda lejn il-pjattaformi tiegħu. Iżda meta pjattaformi jew individwi jippubblikaw xogħol ta’ ħaddieħor mill-ġdid, jippreżentawh bħala tagħhom u jeliminaw il-ħolqa lejn il-kontenut oriġinali, din hija forma ta’ serq ta’ proprjetà intelletwali u kreattiva. Din il-metodoloġija saret popolari ħafna ma’ pjattaformi li jippreżentaw ruħhom bħala kmamar tal-aħbarijet, li ta kuljum jisirqu kontenut ta’ terzi u jippubblikawh tale kwale fis-siti tagħhom. Aktar ma l-kontenut jiġġeneralhom reazzjonijiet, aktar ikunu jistgħu jimmonetizzaw.

Huwa misteru kif ħafna nies jippermettu lil dawn il-pjattaformi jużaw xogħolhom, anzi, f’xi każijiet, saħansitra jifirħu li x-xogħol tagħhom ġie “rilevat” minn xi sit popolari, mingħajr ma jirċievu kumpens lura. Dawn il-pjattaformi jagħmlu profitti kbar permezz ta’ riklami li jaslu għandhom sforz l-ammont ta’ hits u views fuq kontenut inkluż dak misruq li jippubblikaw. Sadattnt imma, is-sorsi oriġinali jitħallew b’idejhom vojta.

Dan mhux biss inġust, imma joħloq kultura fejn ix-xogħol fuq mezzi diġitali jitqies bħala xi ħaġa disponibbli b’xejn għal kulħadd, meta fil-fatt, kull biċċa kontenut teħtieġ ħin, talent u sforz biex tinħoloq u tiġi kkomunikata. Nixtieq li nibdew diskussjoni serja sabiex dan l-abbuż jieqaf u kull min jiġġenera kontenut oriġinali jiġi mogħti dak li ħaqqu – kemm f’kreditu kif ukoll f’kumpensi xierqa.

Jekk xi ħadd jisraq il-kontenut tiegħek, tista’ tressaq talba ta’ copyright mal-pjattaforma jew tieħu azzjoni legali.

Media ethics

September 23, 2024 | Tberfil

Photo by why kei on Unsplash

Yesterday and this morning, I caught the brief news segments on 89.7 Bay while driving. I found it somewhat irritating to hear news, including yesterday’s tragic reports of lives lost in the Middle East, delivered in such a fleeting manner, and set against an incongruous backdrop of upbeat music. It felt as if these tragic events were a minor part of the schedule, diminishing their gravity altogether.

When human tragedies are presented to listeners like any other commercial product, we risk fostering a culture where everything is seen as consumable, frivolous, and lacking real importance. In this context, war and other significant events become mere content to fill airtime—hastily prepared and often researched reluctantly by editors just to meet scheduling obligations. It would be prudent to remind editors of their social responsibility, not only in choosing which news stories to broadcast, but also in considering the tone and style in which they do so.

These seemingly small details have a significant impact on society, often without us even realising it. Gradually, we are cultivating a culture where everything passes unnoticed, everything is consumed, and nothing is treated with the seriousness it deserves. This is why media outlets must remain sensitive to the direct or indirect narratives they are transmitting to their audience.

Journalistic ethics need to be revisited, taught, and properly enforced. I sincerely hope that the Malta Broadcasting Authority will take appropriate action across all media outlets.

L-etika tal-midja

Ilbieraħ u dalgħodu inzertajt l-aħbarijiet fil-qosor tal-89.7 Bay waqt li kont qed insuq. Bqajt kemmxejn irritat nisma’ aħbarijiet, inkluż dawk traġiċi bħal tal-bieraħ fejn ammont ta’ nies inqatlu fil-Lvant Nofsani, jitwasslu bi stil maħrub u fuq sfond ta’ ritmu mużikali kemmxejn ferrieħi… qisu mument mhux daqstant importanti fl-iskeda u fuq kollox, qisu xejn mhu xejn…

Naħseb li meta t-traġedji umani inwassluhom lis-semmiegħa bħal kwalunkwe prodott kummerċjali, inkunu qed ninstigaw kultura fejn kollox huwa konsumibbli, frivolu u mhux wisq rilevanti. F’dan il-kuntest, il-gwerra u stejjer ta’ rilevanza oħrajn, isiru biss materjal sabiex jimtela’ il-ħin, xogħol sfurzat u żgur mhux riċerkat indipendentament, li l-edituri jippreparaw kontra qalbhom biex jaqqdu l-obbligi tal-iskeda. Ikun xieraq li l-edituri jiġu mfakkra dwar ir-responsabbiltà soċjali li għandhom meta jagħżlu x’aħbarijiet jaqsmu mas-semmiegħ, u b’liema stil jagħmlu dan.

Dawn id-dettalji iħallu impatt kbir fuq is-soċjetà mingħajr lanqas biss nindunaw; bil-mod il-mod inkunu qed inrawwmu kultura fejn kollox jgħaddi, kollox jikkonsma ruħu u xejn ma huwa serju. Huwa għalhekk li entitajiet medjatiċi għandhom ikunu sensittivi għal kull forma ta’ narrativa diretta jew indiretta li jitrasmettu lis-semmiegħa.

L-etika ġurnalistika għandha tiġi riveduta, imgħallma u implimentata mill-ġdid.

Il-vot liberu u demokratiku

June 8, 2024 | Tberfil

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Sebaħ il-jum li fih, mingħajr lanqas ħjiel ta’ fidi, isiru mirakli kbar. Illum il-mifluġ jimxi, l-għami jikteb u l-maqful joħroġ. Illum Lazzru, Bartilmew, Malku u l-għami ta’ Ġeriko, jinġiebu mid-dixxipli, b’kull mod u mezz quddiem il-karta tal-vot sabiex fuqha, bħal f’kuntratt dejjiemi, jagħmlu dik l-imbierka linja dritta bil-faħma tal-lapes.

Huwa fatt magħruf li fil-jum tal-votazzjoni f’pajjiżna, isiru l-kutrumbajsi. Fil-passat smajt b’anzjani fis-siġġu tar-roti, li wara xhur sħaħ maqfulin f’darhom, tniżżlu sulari sħaħ fuq l-idejn sabiex dawn jivvutaw. Mument topiku ieħor li dejjem affaxxinani jkun dak meta reliġjużi tal-klawsura jerħulha lejn xi sala tal-votazzjoni biex jaqdu dan id-dmir uniku. Tikber u titgħallem… Illum ikkonfermajt kif nhar is-Sibt li għadda, meta l-isptar San Vinċenz ma kienx aċċessibbli għall-viżitaturi u familjari minħabba l-proċess bikri tal-votazzjoni, kandidati tal-Kunsilli Lokali ta’ Ħal Luqa żaru l-kmamar tal-anzjani sabiex jassiguraw li dawn jivvutawlhom. Ikkonfermajt ukoll kif, bħalma ktibt fil-passat, nies bid-dementia, ġew akkumpanjati fis-sala tal-votazzjoni u dawn, b’xi mod mirakoluż, għamlu l-għażliet tagħhom! Dan kollu ikompli jixhed l-abbuż psikoloġiku li dwaru ktibt fuq Facebook nhar it-22 ta’ Mejju. Iżda bħala jiġri spiss, ħadd ma ta’ każ. Iktar jinteressana fuq kemm il-“like” tenniet Raquel ta’ Love Island!

Hawn wisq persunaġġi fostna li jħarsu lejn kariga f’Kunsill Lokali jew fl-Unjoni Ewropea bħala poter u mhux servizz. Għal dawn l-uħud illuppjati, il-vot huwa wisq importanti, u allura jagħmlu minn kollox għal unu ieħor. U taħsbux li benefiċċji sekondarji ma jkunx hemm għal xi uħud! Dan tikkonfermah ir-realtà ta’ kandidati li innominaw ruħhom għall-Kunsill bil-wegħda ta’ impjieg tajjeb mal-Gvern jew aċċess aħjar sabiex familjari u ħbieb jiġu mogħtija xi favur.

L-akbar element li jħassibni huwa dak li tul is-snin, kien hemm xi forom ta’ evidenzi dwar kif is-sistema tal-votazzjoni setgħet kienet manipulata. Fl-2013 kif ukoll għaxar snin wara, insibu dinamika politika fejn l-ebda ġurnalisti, partiti jew kandidati fl-oppożizzjoni ma jinvestigaw dawn il-istejjer li jxejjnu l-proċess demokratiku tal-votazzjoni.

Ilbieraħ smajt l-aħħar kontribut b’vidjo ta’ Ricky Caruana, dwar kif il-vot ta’ llum jista’ jkun l-aħħar wieħed f’kuntest ta’ Ewropa demokratika. Is-Sur Caruana enfasizza l-bżonn li l-poplu Malti jivvota lill-kandidat indipendenti, sieħbi Conrad Borg Manche, sabiex ikollna rappreżentant li lest imur kontra gwerra li l-Unjoni Ewropea qegħda allegatament timmira lejha. Kemm f’dan il-vidjo u anki f’ieħor li kien tella’ ix-xahar li għadda, huwa saħaq kemm il-vot tal-MEPs Maltin huwa tista’ tgħid mingħajr influwenza fil-kuntest ta’ pajjiżi ġganti li qatt mhux ser jagħtu każ tal-bżonnijiet ta’ pajjiż ċkejken bħal tagħna. U hawn fejn nolqtu l-likk. Fl-aħħar ġimgħat smajt lis-Sur Caruana kif ukoll kandidati MEPs oħrajn jitħaddtu dwar il-bżonn li r-rappreżentanti Maltin jimbuttaw lill-Unjoni Ewropea sabiex tadatta liġijiet għal pajjiż ċkejken bħalna.

Jiena dejjem emmint li sħubija sħiħa fl-UE qatt ma kienet l-aħjar triq għal Malta. Dejjem ħlomt f’mexxejja kariżmatiċi li kapaċi jitħaddtu mal-Ġgant u joħolqu ftehim ad-hoc skont sitwazzjonijiet prattiċi mingħajr ma jintrabtu miegħu! Dan kien iwassal biex filwaqt li ngawdu minn dak kollu li l-Maltin tant jiċċelebraw, bħaċ-ċans li tivjaġġa, li taħdem u li tesperjenza skambji fl-Unjoni, illum is-Sur Caruana ma kienx ikollu għalfejn iħabbel rasu dwar kif fi ftit xhur oħra jaf inkunu msejħa ningħaqdu f’armata jew li avversarju tal-UE jiġi jaħsilna b’xita ta’ bombi! Meta lura fis-snin kont intenni dan ir-raġunament uħud kienu jgħiduli li ma tistax tieħu li jaqbillek u tirrifjuta dak li ma jaqbillekx.

Għaldaqstant illum, ladarba Malta, din iż-żibġa fil-Mediterran għażlet li tkun bħall-ġganti, naħseb m’għandniex għax ninħasdu jekk niġu trattati ugwali anki fil-mumenti koroh! Dik l-għażla sħiħa li għamilna għalina, għal uliedna u għal ulied uliedna lura fl-2004. Min qed jistenbaħ issa, stenbaħ għoxrin sena tard!

U llum ser nerġgħu nivvutaw. Il-ġuħ għall-poter, l-ambizzjoni li nkunu “kbar” bħal ħaddieħor u rilevanti daqs jew aktar minn ħaddieħor, qeridna fuq livell lokali u anki Ewropew. Sintomu li inxebbħu mal-istorja tat-Torri ta’ Babel fejn kull min “ra kbir”, spiċċa umiljat. Xi darba dan il-poplu għad jitgħallem u jisfa umiljat!

Hemmhekk nitwieldu mill-ġdid.

Nistennew għada sabiex minn dan l-eżerċizzju mċajpar tal-elezzjoni, nippruvaw nifhmu kemm għadu msejken dan il-poplu.

A free and democratic vote

It is the day when, without a trace of faith, great miracles are performed. Today the lame walk, the blind see, and the mute speak. Today, Lazarus, Bartholomew, Malchus, and the blind man from Jericho are brought by the disciples, using every means possible, before the voting booth to make that blessed straight mark with the pencil, as if signing a lasting contract.

It is well-known that on polling day in our country, extraordinary efforts are made. I’ve heard stories of elderly people in wheelchairs, confined to their homes for months, being brought out just to vote. Another fascinating moment is when cloistered religious individuals are taken to polling stations to fulfill this unique duty. I confirmed such efforts last Saturday when St. Vincent de Paul Hospital was not accessible to visitors and family members due to early voting. Whilst our family members laid in utmost solitude, I learned that candidates of Luqa Local Council visited the nursing rooms to ensure that patients voted their way, asking why if they didn’t. I also confirmed how, as I have written in the past, people with dementia were accompanied to the polling room and somehow made to pick their choices. All this further testifies to the psychological manipulation I mentioned on Facebook on May 22. But as often happens, no one takes notice. More interest is given to how many “like” Love Island’s Raquel speaks out in one episode!

There are too many people among us who see a position in a Local Council or in the European Union as a source of power rather than a service. For these individuals, voting is so important that they will do anything for another vote in their favor. Secondary benefits are confirmed by the reality of candidates nominating themselves for the Council with the promise of a good job with the government or better access to grant favors to family and friends.

The biggest element that worries me is that over the years, there have been some form of evidence on how the voting system was somehow manipulated. In 2013 as well as  a decade later, we live a political dynamic where no journalists nor any opposition party or candidates investigate these stories that skew the democratic voting process.

Yesterday, I watched Ricky Caruana’s latest video about how today’s vote could be the last in a democratic European context. Mr. Caruana emphasized the need for the Maltese people to vote for the independent candidate, my friend Conrad Borg Manche, to have a representative willing to oppose a war that the European Union is allegedly pushing for. In both this video and another one he uploaded last month, he highlighted how the vote of Maltese MEPs is insignificant compared to the influence of larger countries that will never consider the needs of a tiny country like ours. This is the crux of the issue. In recent weeks, I’ve heard Mr. Caruana and other MEPs talk about the need for Maltese representatives to push the European Union to adapt laws to fit a tiny country like ours.

I have always believed that full membership of the EU has never been the best path for Malta.I always dreamed of charismatic leaders who could negotiate with the giants and create ad-hoc agreements based on practical situations without being bound by them! This would have allowed us to enjoy everything the Maltese cherish, such as the chance to travel, work, and experience exchanges within the Union. Today, Mr. Caruana wouldn’t have to worry about being called to join an army in a few months or the threat of an EU adversary attacking us! When I reiterated this reasoning in the past, some would tell me that you can’t take what suits you and reject what doesn’t.

So today, since Malta, this chip in the Mediterranean, has chosen to be like giants, we should not be surprised if we are treated equally even in the tough times! That the choice we made for us, our children, and our children’s children back in 2004. Whoever is complaining now waited twenty years too late!

And today we will vote once more. The hunger for power, the ambition to be “big” like others, and the desire to be as relevant or more so than anyone else, have destroyed us at both local and European levels. This is reminiscent of the story of the Tower of Babel, where all who sought greatness ended up humiliated. One day, this nation will learn and be humbled!

Then we will be reborn.

Let us wait for tomorrow’s results of this blurred exercise to truly understand the depth of despair our people are choosing.

Il-Kunsilliera u r-responsabbiltajiet tagħhom

May 22, 2024 | Tberfil

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F’April li għadda preżentajt vidjo b’xi ħsibijiet dwar kif naħseb li s-sistema tal-Kunsilli Lokali hija ddiżinjata sabiex tfalli u tibqa’ tipproduċi “festival” ieħor fejn il-kostitwenti jivvutaw lil dak jew dik il-kandidata li l-aktar tkun laqtithom waqt il-kampanja elettorali, bħalma jiġri fil-Eurovision jew X-Factor. F’dan l-artiklu xtaqt nixħet dawl fuq wieħed mill-elementi kruċjali li tassew qed ifalli fejn tidħol it-trasparenza u kontabbiltà tal-ħidma fil-Kunsilli Lokali.

B’riferenza lejn iċ-Ċirkulari Numru 12 tal-2019, intitolata “Responsabbiltajiet assenjati lill-Kunsillieri” li kienet maħruġa mid-Diviżjoni għall-Gvern Lokali fi ħdan is-Segretarjat Parlamentari għall-Gvern Lokali u Komunitajiet, ninsab tassew imħasseb dwar kemm il-Kunsilliera iwettqu ħidmiethom skont ir-responsabbiltajiet mogħtija lilhom. Lil hin mit-tibdil ta’ bozza maqtugħa u kull għajnuna prattika, jinteressani nkun naf kif il-Kunsilliera jistgħu jaqdu dmirijiethom b’mod responsabbli.

Skont iċ-Ċirkolari 12/2019, fl-ewwel laqgħa tal-Kunsill Lokali, il-kunsilliera lokali jiġu assenjati responsabbiltajiet speċifiċi mis-Sindku. Dawn ir-responsabbiltajiet, deskritti fl-Erbatax-il Skeda tal-Att dwar il-Gvern Lokali, ivarjaw minn indafa u ambjent għall-integrazzjoni soċjali u l-benesseri tal-annimali. L-intenzjoni hija li l-kunsilliera jiffukaw fuq dawn l-oqsma, jiffurmaw sottokumitati jekk meħtieġ, u jippreżentaw rapporti annwali dwar l-attivitajiet tagħhom.

Il-mandat huwa ċar, biss inħoss li hemm nuqqas notevoli ta’ dawn ir-rapporti minn ħafna kunsilliera inkluż dawk li rrappreżentawni fl-aħħar snin. Nistenna li l-pubbliku li vvota lil dawn l-istess qaddejja, ikollu aċċess għal dawn ir-rapporti, kemm-il darba dawn ikunu preżentati. Nuqqas ta’ trasparenza tista’ faċilment tostakola l-qafas ta’ responsabbiltà li din iċ-Ċirkolari tfittex li tistabbilixxi. Mingħajr dawn ir-rapporti, huwa diffiċli għall-kostitwenti li jivvalutaw il-prestazzjoni tar-rappreżentanti eletti tagħhom u l-progress li sar f’oqsma ewlenin tal-governanza lokali.

Diversi fatturi jistgħu jikkontribwixxu għan-nuqqas tal-kunsilliera li jippreżentaw ir-rapporti tagħhom. Dawn jinkludu nuqqas ta’ mekkaniżmi ta’ infurzar, sorveljanza insuffiċjenti, u forsi kultura ta’ kompjaċenza fi ħdan il-kunsilli lokali. In-nuqqas ta’ penali jew inċentivi marbuta mas-sottomissjoni ta’ dawn ir-rapporti jfisser li ftit hemm impetu biex il-kunsilliera jikkonformaw ma’ dan ir-rekwiżit. Quddiem ir-realtà plawsibbli fejn uħud mill-Kunsilliera ma jkollhomx kapaċità fakultattiva jew intelletwali li jaqdu l-impenji mgħoddija lilhom, nistaqsi kif il-Gvern jippretendi li din il-ħidma titwettaq kif mistenni u mhux f’livell dilettantesk.

Biex jiġu indirizzati dawn il-kwistjonijiet, jistgħu jittieħdu diversi passi. L-ewwel u qabel kollox, ikun pass għaqli jekk is-sistema elettorali titlob standard ordinarju ta’ edukazzjoni kif ukoll dak ECDL lill-kandidati kollha. B’hekk ikun jista’ jiġi mfassal mekkaniżmu robust biex jiġi żgurat li l-kunsilliera jaderixxu mal-obbligi ta’ rappurtar tagħhom. Dan jista’ jinvolvi verifiki perjodiċi u l-istabbiliment ta’ korp ta’ monitoraġġ biex isegwi l-konformità. Tajjeb ukoll li ssir introduzzjoni ta’ inċentivi għal rappurtar f’waqtu u bir-reqqa, flimkien ma’ penali għan-nuqqas ta’ konformità. Dawn jistgħu jimmotivaw lill-kunsilliera biex jaqdu dmirijiethom b’mod aktar diliġenti. Ladarba dan isir, tajjeb li r-rapporti jkunu faċilment aċċessibbli għall-pubbliku sabiex jitrawwem sens ta’ responsabbiltà. Din it-trasparenza tippermetti wkoll lill-kostitwenti jifhmu u jevalwaw aħjar il-prestazzjoni tar-rappreżentanti tagħhom.

Hekk kif Malta qed tħejji għall-elezzjonijiet tal-Kunsilli Lokali li ġejjin, huwa imperattiv li tiġi eżaminata b’mod kritiku l-aderenza tar-rappreżentanti tagħna mal-impenji mitluba lilhom. In-nuqqas ta’ ħafna kunsilliera li jippreżentaw rapporti annwali dwar ir-responsabbiltajiet assenjati lilhom jenfasizza diskrepanza sinifikanti fil-qafas ta’ governanza attwali. L-indirizzar ta’ din il-kwistjoni jgħin sabiex titrawwem fiduċja pubblika akbar fil-governanza lokali. Ladarba niffukaw fuq dan it-titjib, Malta tista’ tiżgura li l-elezzjonijiet tal-Kunsilli Lokali tagħha mhux biss jirriflettu r-rieda tal-poplu iżda wkoll jippromwovu governanza effettiva u responsabbli fil-livell lokali.

Local Councillors’ responsibilities

Last April I presented a video with some thoughts on how I think the Local Councils system is designed to fail and keep producing another “festival” where constituents vote the one or that candidate who hit them the hardest during the election campaign, as happens in Eurovision or X-Factor. In this article I wanted to shed light on one of the crucial elements that is really failing when it comes to transparency and accountability of the work in Local Councils.

With reference to Circular Number 12 of 2019, entitled “Responsibilities assigned to Councillors” which was issued by the Division for Local Government within the Parliamentary Secretariat for Local Government and Communities, I am deeply concerned about the extent to which Councillors carry out their work according to the responsibilities given to them. Apart from changing a severed lamp and any practical assistance, I am interested in knowing how Councillors can carry out their duties responsibly.

According to Circular 12/2019, at the first meeting of the Local Council, local councillors are assigned specific responsibilities by the Mayor. These responsibilities, described in the Fourteenth Schedule of the Local Government Act, range from cleanliness and environment to social integration and animal welfare. The intention is for councillors to focus on these areas, form subcommittees if necessary, and submit annual reports on their activities.

The mandate is clear, only I feel that there is a noticeable lack of these reports from many councillors including those who represented me in the past years. I expect that the public who voted for these same servants will have access to these reports, as long as they are presented. A lack of transparency could easily hamper the accountability framework that this Circular seeks to establish. Without these reports, it is difficult for constituents to assess the performance of their elected representatives and the progress made in key areas of local governance.

Several factors can contribute to the failure of councillors to submit their reports. These include a lack of enforcement mechanisms, insufficient oversight, and perhaps a culture of complacency within local councils. The absence of penalties or incentives linked to the submission of these reports means that there is little impetus for councillors to comply with this requirement. Faced with the plausible reality where some Councillors do not have an optional or intellectual capacity to fulfil the commitments passed on to them, I wonder how the Government expects this work to be carried out as expected and not at a dilettantesk level.

To address these issues, several steps can be taken. First and foremost, it would be a wise step if the electoral system required an ordinary standard of education as well as an ECDL standard to all candidates. This will allow a robust mechanism to be devised to ensure that councillors adhere to their reporting obligations. This may involve periodic audits and the establishment of a monitoring body to monitor compliance. It is also worth introducing incentives for timely and thorough reporting, together with penalties for non-compliance. They can motivate councillors to carry out their duties more diligently. Once this is done, it is good that the reports are easily accessible to the public in order to foster a sense of responsibility. This transparency also allows constituents to better understand and evaluate the performance of their representatives.

As Malta prepares for the upcoming Local Council elections, it is imperative to critically examine our representatives’ adherence to the commitments requested to them. The failure of many councillors to submit annual reports on the responsibilities assigned to them highlights a significant discrepancy in the current governance framework. Addressing this issue would help to foster greater public trust in local governance. Once we focus on these improvements, Malta can ensure that its Local Council elections not only reflect the will of the people but also promote effective and accountable governance at local level.

Kafè f’Raħal Ġdid

April 17, 2024 | Tberfil

L-istess bħal sittin sena wara Kristu, hekk kif ilbieraħ il-Maltin raw il-vidjo kemmxejn suġġettiv ta’ Times of Malta dwar il-proġett propost għall-Knisja ta’ Raħal Ġdid, biddlu l-ħsieb u f’tebqa t’għajn Dun Marc Andre Camilleri ma baqax miġnun iżda “bdew jgħidu li kien xi alla.”

L-idea li spazji mhux użati fi strutturi sagri, jiġu żviluppati f’inizjattivi li jippromwovu l-istorja, il-kultura u l-arti, hija sublimi, speċjalment meta dan jista’ iqarreb lin-nies, jiġġenera dħul li permezz tiegħu l-istess struttura tiġi miżmuma fi stat tajjeb u joffri esperjenza ħajja tal-ispazju mibni. Madanakollu tajjeb ukoll li dan l-iżvilupp isir dejjem fi ħsieb għaqli tal-kuntest soċjo-kulturali li qed ngħixu fih.

Huwa fatt magħruf kif pajjiżna llum rawwem kultura qawwija fejn kollox huwa permess. L-ippjanar, il-ħsieb u l-bilanċ tilfu kull preċedenza. Illum kulħadd għandu d-dritt sagrosant jagħmel li jrid f’ġieħ il-libertà li tinvesti, twettaq l-ideat u tiġġenera l-flus. L-alla ta’ żminijietna sar il-mudell ekonomiku maħsub fuq idea fqira tal-libertà li fl-aħħar mill-aħħar qed iħallilna sens qawwi ta’ kakofanija u telf ta’ sbuħija. Dan ir-riżultat tal-biki huwa rifless fl-arkitettura kontemporanja, fil-qirda tal-ambjent, fin-nuqqas ta’ordni ċiviku kif ukoll fl-interpretazzjoni fażulla tal-valuri.

Huwa evidenti wkoll kif fis-soċjetà intilfu is-sens ta’ introspezzjoni u s-sens ta’ viżjoni. Kollox qed ikun maħsub għall-gwadann immedjat, mingħajr wisq ħsieb lejn riperkussjonijiet għall-futur. Bħal donnu issa li kollox huwa mitmum, inutli taħseb għal ta’ warajk. “U iva! Umbagħad isolvu l-problemi huma!

Għaldaqstant huwa sempliċi r-raġunament li jwassalni nibqa’ inħoss li l-bżonn ta’ kafetterija f’dan il-proġett f’Raħal Ġdid ma nsiblux valur. Hemm bżonn nitgħallmu minn żbalji tal-passat. Rajniha pereżempju fil-proġett MUŻA fil-kapitali, fejn mas-snin il-priorità tal-mużew inqalbet rasha l-isfel u saret dik li jinbiegħ il-prodott kulinarju biex forsi l-klijenti jitħajjru “jduqu” l-prodott artistiku. Slogans bħal “More than just a Museum” juruk fejn hija l-prijorità. Bl-istess mentalità iċ-ċans huwa li fi ftit snin il-Mużew tal-Knisja ta’ Raħal Ġdid, li għadna ma nafux ismu, jibda jiġi rreklamat bħala kafetterija/ristorant, lil hinn mill-prodott intrinsiku. Nittama li l-istess Arċipriet u t-tim tiegħu, jaraw valur f’mużew li jirrakkonta lil Ġużè Damato, d-disinn tal-Knisja u forsi lill-komunità Pawlista stess wara kollox! Jekk le, diġà ninsabu fuq sieq ħażina!

Nemmen li l-proġett tal-Knisja jista’ jilħaq miri usa kemm-il darba dan jinvolvi l-każini tal-komunità Pawlista li jinsabu ftit metri bogħod. L-involviment tal-komunità jorbot u jibni fuq is-sens ta’ appartenenza tal-poplu u jkompli jagħti identità u ħeġġa ħajja lill-Mużew.

Soluzzjoni alternattiva tista’ tkun dik li l-kafetterija tiġi żviluppata f’binja qrib iżda lil hinn mill-binja sagra. B’hekk tassigura li anki fil-ġejjieni, kull żvilupp tal-kunċett jibqa’ distint mill-ispazju sagru iżda jibqa’ iservi ta’ influss tajjeb ta’ viżitaturi tal-Mużew.

Dan il-ftit ħsieb b’risq l-ordni mhux biss jissalvagwardja l-post sagru minn żviluppi mhux mistennija fil-futur, iżda jnaqqas iċ-ċans ta’ preċedent ikrah fejn bħalma jiġri spiss fil-pajjiż, naraw li kunċett umli jiġi ripetut b’modi mill-iktar goffi jew medjokri fi ftit snin, fi spazji oħra.

Mhux li kien tigdima lifgħa!

Intervista għall-gazzetta ILLUM

March 27, 2024 | Tberfil

F’intervista li saritli f’Marzu 2024 għall-gazzetta ILLUM, il-ġurnalista Elaine Camilleri saqsietni numru ta’ mistoqsijiet li għalihom irrispondejt permezz ta’ dokument diġitali. Sfortunatament l-artiklu ppublikat ma kienx mera ta’ dak kollu li xtaqt inwassal, għaldaqstant qed nirriproduċi l-intervista kompluta hawnhekk.

  • Kif taħseb li nbidlet il-Belt?

Jekk inqabbilha ma’ tfuliti, il-Belt Valletta sbieħet estetikament b’diversi interventi miż-żewġ gvernijiet iżda tilfet wisq fejn tidħol ir-ruħ; in-nies li jgħixu fiha u li dejjem tawha karattru spettakolari. Sfortunatament fl-aħħar snin il-mod kif ġie interpretat il-qawmien ġdid għall-Belt Valletta kien l-isfruttar tal-ispazji vakanti sabiex jiġi żviluppat suq fl-industrija tad-divertiment, ikel u xorb. Xejn aktar. Fejn dari kont issib il-karattru tal-Beltin f’kull kantuniera, illum trid titħabat biex issib elementi li jesponu l-karattru tal-komunità residenzjali Beltija għax dawn ġew ġentrifikati – sfurzati jitilqu bil-pulit u bil-premessa tal-flus fil-but – realtà li kielet wisq mill-identità intrinsika tal-Beltin. Spazji bħal Sant’Iermu, is-Suq tal-Belt, il-Pixkerija u l-Pitch ġew meħuda lill-komunità u mgħoddija lill-privat bla wisq skrupli, anki meta l-esperti taw pariri differenti.

  • Iktar kemm imur maż-żmien, in-nies iktar qed jaraw il-Belt Valletta bħala belt ta’ divertiment. Kif jaffetwak dan bħala resident?

Filwaqt li n-nies; Maltin u turisti, qed jaraw din ir-realtà ġdida, il-maġġoranza m’humiex infurmati dwar x’inhi l-vera essenza tal-Belt Kapitali: belt b’identità unika, benniena ta’ kultura wiesa. L-istat jirreklama lill-Belt Valletta bħala belt mużew bl-ebda referenza lejn il-kulturi ta’ ġo fiha. Il-maġġoranza tal-viżitaturi illum iqisu l-Belt Valletta bħal kull lokalità oħra – li mhux il-każ. Għaldaqstant wisq nibża li frott din l-attitudni fejn il-Belt hija biss post fejn jaqbillek tikri kamra sabiex tgawdi l-istorja tagħha, fi ftit snin oħra ser ikollna biss residenzi transitorji, mużewijiet u monumenti iżda l-ebda element tal-ħajja kontemporanja Maltija bil-valuri kulturali tal-identità tagħha.

  • Taħseb li l-Kunsill Lokali tal-Belt kien reattiv fuq sitwazzjonijiet, bħas-siġġijiet u l-imwejjed fit-toroq, il-ħmieġ, l-istorbju?

Naħseb li l-Kunsill Lokali tal-Belt Valletta, bħal ħafna oħrajn huwa maħkum mill-virus tal-politika partiġġjana. Sintomi ta’ dan il-virus, il-kunsilliera spiss jispiċċaw jagħtu priorità lill-aġenda tal-Partit iktar milli dik tal-komunità residenzjali. Meta l-Kunsill ikollu maġġoranza li tirrappreżenta lill-Partit fil-Gvern, dan is-sintomu isir iktar evidenti għax isir diffiċli għal kunsillier jew Sindku li jaqdi lil niesu li ma jmurx idennes il-lealtà tiegħu/tagħha għall-Partit. Filkaż tagħna, filwaqt li Beltna ġiet sfruttata minn infinità ta’ entitajiet għal spettakli, avvenimenti u produzzjonijiet, il-Kunsill Lokali tul is-snin kien spiss medhi f’intriċċi partiġġjani li ftit jinteressaw lill-komunità residenzjali. Tul is-snin, kienu rari d-drabi fejn rajna Sindki jew Kunsilliera li qabżu għar-resident u t-talbiet tagħhom b’mod voċiferu. Minjaf meta l-Partiti ser jirrealiżżaw li huwa san li jkollok rappreżentanti kritiċi tiegħek stess!

  • Mal-ILLUM Beltin qalu li s-sigurtà fil-Belt m’għadhiex li kienet. Taqbel? Kif taħseb li nbiddlet is-sigurtà fil-Belt?

Ladarba l-Belt Valletta qed tiġi promossa bħala Belt għad-divertiment, huwa ovvju li rridu nbatu l-konsegwenzi. Huwa fatt li tista’ tarah b’għajnejk li fil-Kapitali żdied il-konsum tal-ikel xorb u anki drogi. Għaldaqstant hija konsegwenza ovvja li ser jiżdied il-periklu. Fejn qabel il-biżà kienet minn spazji kemmxejn diżabitati, illum il-biżà hi li frott preżenza ta’ nies bla skrupli u l-ambjent li jrawwmu, ħafna jistgħu jispiċċaw vittmi.

  • Evans Building qed jisemma li se jsir lukanda. Bħala resident, kuntent b’din id-deċiżjoni, jew xtaqt li tara l-Evans Building jieħu sura oħra?

Deċiżjoni għad ma hemmx minħabba li kien hemm xi ntoppi. Irrid inkun bla qalb lejn il-Belt Valletta u l-Beltin sabiex nifraħ b’din il-proposta speċjalment meta tqis li f’din il-Belt Kapitali li suppost iġġib l-għira tal-Ewropa, ma hawnx Dar tal-Anzjani fost servizzi oħra. Meta niftakru kif fl-aħħar għoxrin sena sparixxew iċ-ċentri għaż-żgħażagħ, ikun xieraq li dan l-ispazju jiġi żviluppat f’ċentru fantastiku fejn żgħażagħ u anzjani jistgħu jsibu l-milja tagħhom, fil-kuntesti partikolari ta’ ħajjithom. Dan anki b’rispett lejn il-binjiet komunitarji tal-viċinanzi bħall-Iskola Primarja u l-Camarata. Ma nifhimx kif min hu responsabbli tal-iskola u min jgħix fil-Camarata ma jirrealiżżax il-preċedent li lukanda fl-Evans ser toħloq! Ngħalaq billi nirrifletti l-ħasra kbira li mijiet ta’ anzjani Beltin kellhom jgħixu l-aħħar xhur u snin ta’ ħajjithom lil hinn mill-Belt għażiża li għaliha tant ikkontribwew.