Ħadt gost nisma’ li l-maratona għall-ġbir tal-fondi mid-Dar tal-Providenza fis-Siggiewi rnexxielha tilħaq l-għanijiet tagħha. Meta żortha fl-ewwel nofs tal-ħidma, kien hemm ċertu biża’ li l-miri mhux se jintlaħqu għalkollox minħabba li l-logħbiet tal-kampjonat tal-futbol Ewropew żammew lill-familji mkaħħla mas-settijiet tat-televixin.
Id-Dar baqgħet protagonista fl-isforz nazzjonali biex iċ-ċittadini b’diżabbiltà fostna jkollhom kull aċċess għall-aħjar kondizzjonijiet ta’ għajxien. Skont it-teknoloġija soċjali ta’ meta kienet qed tmexxi l-ħidma tagħha – li tejbet u mmodernizzat matul is-snin – id-Dar li kienet pijuniera f’dal-qasam, baqgħet fidila għall-missjoni tagħha.
Li dejjem ħassejtni ftit skomdu quddiem dak li jirnexxilha twettaq, hu li dan baqa’ marbut mal-“karità”. Xi tlettax fil-mija tal-baġit tagħha, hekk qaluli, ġej mid-dħul tal-maratona. Għaliex bqajna ma organizzajniex il-finanzi pubbliċi b’mod li l-baġit kollu joħroġ mill-fondi tal-kollettività?
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Alleanza possibbli?
Fost il-konsegwenzi mhux mistennija tal-Brexit, jista’ jkun hemm din: progressivament il-binja ta’ “alleanza” bejn ir-Renju Unit u t-Turkija. Dil-ħaġa tista’ tinħass stramba wara l-biża’ minn immigrazzjoni qawwija Torka mqajjem matul ir-referendum li għadu kemm sar.
Imma ż-żewġ pajjizi huma t-tnejn membri tan-NATO. It-tnejn għandhom jew se jkollhom ekonomiji fost l-akbar fl-Ewropa – it-Turkija bil-potenzjal li ssir l-akbar ekonomija tal-kontinent. It-tnejn jinsabu fit-trufijiet tal-Ewropa bl-ekonomiji tagħhom li jistgħu jkunu kumplementari għal xulxin.
Ftehim bejniethom m’għandux għalfejn ikopri l-“erba’” libertajiet li tinsisti fuqhom, almenu sa issa, l-UE. Dwar l-immigrazzjoni wkoll jistgħu jinstabu arranġamenti partikolari.
It-tnejn ikollhom ħafna x’jirbħu jekk jikkollaboraw; dan dejjem skont ix-xamma li l-Ewropej mhumiex jaġixxu b’rieda tajba meta jgħidu li lesti jdaħħlu lit-Turkija membru sħiħ tal-UE.
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Rocard
Smajt l-eloġjili saru dwar Michel Rocard, li miet fl-aħħar tmiem il-ġimgħa. Jixirqulu. Anki jekk ma laħaqx President Franċiż, kellu karriera twila fix-xellug Franċiz u Ewropew li matulha spikkaw l-intelliġenza u s-sens kreattiv li bihom kien jaffaċċja l-isfidi u l-problemi.
Madankollu l-aqwa memorji li għandi tiegħu jmorru lura lejn is-snin sittin tas-seklu l-ieħor meta Rocard kien imexxi partit żgħir, il-PSU, li kien jipproġetta mudell differenti għas-soċjaliżmu demokratiku.
Kien ibbażat fuq il-ħsieb li l-ażjendi jitmexxew mill-ħaddiema u l-impjegati tagħhom, waqt li jibqgħu joperaw f’suq ħieles. Ideat simili kienu jissemmew minn ħafna, inkluż mix-xellug Kattoliku. Imma l-PSU kien l-uniku partit li daħħalhom bħala proġett ċentrali għall-viżjoni tiegħu. Kienu maħsuba bħala sistema biex tevita l-esplojtazzjoni kapitalista u l-madmad komunista sovjetiku, waqt li żżomm il-produzzjoni kompetittiva.
Illum, il-proposti tal-PSU jinħassu utopiċi. Matul is-snin twarrbu. Biss, kienet ħaġa tajba li Rocard u sħabu ressquhom ’il quddiem kif għamlu, b’kuraġġ u impenn.

English Version – Providence

I was glad to learn that the fundraising marathon organized by the Dar tal-Providenza at Siggiewi succeeded in reaching the goals set for the activity. When I visited it during the first half of its duration, there were fears that targets would not be reached since the European Cup championship kept families glued to their TV sets to watch games.

Right from its inception, the Dar has been in the forefront of the national effort to provide citizens among us, having disabilities, with all access to the best available living conditions. In line with the ongoing developments in social technology, as a pioneer in this field, while improving and modernising over the years the delivery of its services, the Dar tal-Providenza remained faithful to its mission.

Still I always felt a bit ucomfortable in assessing its achievements, given that these still rely on “charity”. Some thirteen percent of its budget, so I was told, is supplied by the fundraising marathon. Why have we not organized our public finances in such a way that all of its budget is financed by funds from the collectivity?

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A possible alliance?

Among the unintended consequences of Brexit, this could be one: the progressive introduction of an “alliance” between the UK and Turkey. Such a development could appear as strange, given the fear of a strong wave of Turkish immigration that was raised during the referendum, just held.

But both countries are NATO members. Both have or shall have economies that rank with the larger European ones — and Turkey has the potential to become the largest economy of the continent. The two are at the periphery of Europe with economies that have complementarities between them.

Any agreement between the two would not have to cover the “four” freedoms which the EU is insisting on, at least up to now. Even on immigration, particular arrangements could still be made.

For both countries, collaboration would be a win-win situation; which would follow if the current trend continues by which Europeans are failing to act in good faith when they claim they are prepared to allow Turkey into the EU as a full member.

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Rocard

I listened to the eulogies pronounced about Michel Rocard who died last weekend. They were merited. Even if he failed to make it to the French Presidency, his long career in the French and European left wing movement was distinguished by the intelligence and creativity he brought to the job when facing challenges and problems.

However, my best memories of Rocard go back to the sixties decade of the previous century. At the time, Rocard led a small party, the PSU, which projected a different model for democratic socialism.

It was based on the idea that firms should be “self-managed” by their workers and employees, while continuing to operate in a free market. Similar ideas were being championed by some, including left Catholics. However the PSU was the only political party to make it a main plank for its programme. Self management was conceived as a system that could avoid capitalist exploitation and the oppression of Soviet style communism while maintaining a competitive production system.

Today, the proposals Rocard made then sound utopist. Over the years, they were dropped. Still, it was a good thing that Rocard and his companions pushed them forward, as they did, with courage and commitment.

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