Bejn San Pawl u l-Karnival

EVALWAZZJONI

Proġetti kbar dejjem kienu t-tentazzjoni ma tiqafx għal gvernijiet Maltin, tax-xellug u tal-lemin. Ħaġa li tiftiehem. Bihom, stajt issolvi parti sostanzjali mill-isfida ta’ kif se tassigura tkabbir ekonomiku u soċjali għat-tul fil-qafas dejjaq ta’ dil-gżira.

Proġetti ċkejkna anke jekk numerużi, ma setgħux joffru l-istess prospetti ta’ tkabbir sostenibbli, anke għax fir-riżorsi limitati li jkollhom, ftit setgħu jippenetraw barra.

Imma l-ġirja wara l-proġetti kbar għandha l-iżvantaġġi tagħha. Tista’ tiftaħ lill-pajjiż beraħ għall-maniġġi tal-ispekulaturi, li jaraw kif se jirkbu fuqha billi joffru prospetti mill-isbaħ għall-proġetti tagħhom. Iwassluk biex taqbel magħhom u wara jmorru jfittxu lil min jista’ jagħtihom spalla biex jidhru li qed iwettquhom.

Is-sogru fi proġetti kbar hu wkoll dak li jekk imorru żmerċ, taqla’ daqqa kemm il-kredibilità tal-gvern, kemm il-flessibiltà tal-ekonomija fir-rabta li trid iżżomm ma’ sens ta’ fiduċja fost dawk li jwettqu d-deċiżjonijiet imprenditorjali.

Għal proġetti “kbar” tal-gvern, hemm ħtieġa li sa mill-bidu nett, jitwettaq eżerċizzju effettiv u mgħaġġel ta’ evalwazzjoni li jistaqsi: il-proposti li qed isiru jagħmlu sens?

DISPJAĊIR

Snin twal ilu, kont insib il-ħin insegwi mill-qrib ħafna mill-iżviluppi artistiċi u kulturali Maltin, speċjalment fl-oqsma tal-letteratura u t-teatru. Dnub li ma bqajtx inlaħħaq ma’ dil-ħaġa. Jista’ jkun li għax ma nsibx ħin għal hekk daqskemm kont insib qabel.

Imma jista’ jkun ukoll li r-raġuni ewlenija hi li b’paragun ma’ meta kont iżgħar, l-inizjattivi f’dawn l-oqsma żdiedu bil-kbir, speċjalment fost iż-żgħażagħ. Jekk dan hu l-każ, allura ma jista’ jkun hemm l-ebda dispjaċir.

Hi ħaġa prezzjuża li f’rifless ta’ xinhu jiġri barra u ta’ temi li qed jiżviluppaw f’pajjiżna, il-produzzjoni artistika titkattar b’mod li jħajjar udjenzi u qarrejja ġodda u qodma.

Aktar ma jiżdiedu l-inizjattivi artistiċi f’pajjiż, aktar jiġġeddu malajr u b’mod li ta’ min jixtiequ, il-fehmiet u l-imġiba tal-poplu.

BEJN SAN PAWL U L-KARNIVAL

Meta smajt li l-festa ta’ San Pawl se ssir ġimagħtejn qabel żmienha biex ma taħbatx mal-Karnival, għedt lili nnifsi li tassew inbidlet il-Knisja Kattolika f’Malta, jekk qed iċċedi “postha” lill-Karnival, li suppost iħajjar għat-tbahrid u d-“dnub”. Biss qaluli li din mhux l-ewwel darba li ġrat.

Imbagħad fhimt li l-Knisja bilfors kellha raġuni oħra għaliex għamlet diċ-ċaqliqa. Żgur kellha informazzjoni “privileġġjata” dwar ix-xita qliel li kellha tagħmel. Hi setgħet tiċċelebra l-festa ta’San Pawl b’kull pompa f’temp sabiħ waqt li l-attivisti tal-Karnival kellhom jitqannew bil-ftit bnazzi li għamel.

Wara kollox, għad baqa’ vantaġġi f’li jkollok linja diretta mas-sema.

English Version – Evaluation

Big projects have always been an incessant temptation for Maltese governments, on both right and left. That is understandable. With such projects, one could face up to a substantial part of the challenge by which to guarantee longterm economic and social development in the narrow confines of these islands.

Smaller projects, even if numerous, could not offer the same prospects for sustainable growth, also because given restricted resources, their potential to penetrate foreign markets was limited.

However, the promotion of big projects carries its own disadvantages. It is a push that could open the country to the manoeuvres of speculators, who will ride on it by presenting inflated prospects for projects. As soon as speculators get some agreement, they run around to find who could give them a leg up to show how they are implementing what has been agreed.

Another risk with big projects is that if they go off the rails, the government’s credibility gets a hit, as does the economy’s flexibility, since this depends on a sentiment of confidence which has to be sustained among those who are deciding on entrepreneurial issues.

For major governmental projects, there is a need right from the start to carry out a rigorous and rapid evaluation to see whether the proposals being put forward really make sense.

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Displeasure

Many moons ago, I used to find time to follow closely most of the artistic and cultural initiatives that were held in Malta, mostly in literature and drama. It’s a pity that later, I could not keep up, perhaps because I failed to allow enough time for this like I did before.

But a main reason could be that by contrast with when I was younger, projects in these areas have greatly increased in number, especially among young people. If so, there can then be no feelings of displeasure.

It is a precious achievement that in a reflection of developments abroad and of themes that are evolving locally, artistic products proliferate in ways that stimulate audiences and readers, new and old.

With the increase of artistic projects in the country as a whole, there will occur a quick and desirable renewal of people’s beliefs and behaviour.

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Twixt St Paul and Carnival

When I heard that the St Paul festa would be celebrated two weeks prior to its set date so as not to clash with Carnival, I wondered about how the Catholic Church in Malta has truly changed. She was now making way for Carnival, which supposedly promotes fun and “sin”. Still I was told that it had happened before.

Then I understood how the Church surely had another reason to make this move. Certainly, she had obtained “privileged” information about the rain that would be falling in torrents on St Paul’s day. So, by changing dates, she could celebrate the festa with full pomp and circumstance in beautiful weather, while Carnival enthusiasts would have to make do with the short spells of “dry” weather that came up.

All things considered, maintaining a direct link with heaven can still make for positive paybacks.