Wieħed mill-akbar fallimenti tal-Ewropa hu fil-qasam tal-faqar… jekk “qasam” hi kelma tajba biex infissru fejn tinsab il-problema. Fil-miri li l-Unjoni Ewropea ssettjat għas-sena 2020, hemm wieħed li bl-aktar mod lampanti mhux se tilħqu. Tgħid dan l-istess Kummissjoni Ewropea.

Mhux talli mhux se tintlaħaq il-mira għat-tnaqqis tal-faqar sas-sena 2020, talli l-faqar se jkun żdied fuq il-livell li minnu kienu telqu biex ipoġġu l-miri.

Tista’ targumenta kif lill-fqar, malajr tista’ tinsihom jekk tpoġġihom f’kexxun soċjali u tassigura li ma jmutux bil-ġuħ. Biss, il-mira għandha tkun li lill-fqar tagħtihom il-mezzi biex jeħilsu mill-faqar.

Hi ħaġa ċara li mingħajr l-intervent massiċċ tal-istat, il-faqar ma jistax jitrażżan, wisq anqas jinqered. L-istat ma jistax jibqa’ lura kemm biex jipprovdi għall-ħarsien kontra l-faqar, u kemm biex jikkontrolla lill-impriżi l-kbar u lill-għonja milli jaraw kif ma jħallsux it-taxxi dovuti minnhom. Fl-Ewropa bħalissa il-foqra żdiedu bil-miljuni, u l-iskansar minn taxxi li suppost jitħallsu laħaq il-għexieren ta’ biljuni.

***

Uġigħ

F’kungress miġbur f’lukanda ta’ Brussell, iltaqgħu għaqdiet professjonali u volontarji biex jiddiskutu l-problema tal-uġigħ u tal-kura tiegħu. Skont huma, jista’ jiġi mument f’ħajja ta’ bniedem meta l-uġigħ li jkun għadda u għaddej minnu minħabba xi marda qalila, jispiċċa jsir kroniku.

F’dal-mument, minnu nnifsu, isir marda. Irid jiġi ttrattat bħala tali.

L-għaqdiet qed jagħmlu ħilithom biex iwasslu dan l-għarfien fost tobba, infermiera, kumpaniji li jipproduċu d-duwa u fost mexxejja biex idaħħlu l-kunċett fit-tmexxija tas-saħħa publika.

Stednuni nagħlaq il-kungress tagħhom peress li bil-qbil tal-gvern Malti, se jkunu qed jorganizzaw dak tas-sena d-dieħla f’Malta.

Milli smajt u qrajt dwar il-ħidma li qed issir f’dal-qasam, nemmen li jixirqilhom l-akbar appoġġ.

Dan l-aħħar innotajt kif peress li fl-ewwel nofs tas-sena d-dieħla, Malta se tkun fil-Presidenza tal-Unjoni Ewropea, professjonisti u attivisti fil-qasam tas-saħħa Ewropea, ikkontattjaw lil deputati Ewropej minn Malta biex ifittxu appoġġ għal ħidmiethom.

Hu privileġġ għalina li nagħtuhom dan l-appoġġ la huma jqisuh bħala daqstant siewi.

***

Tribali

Jekk se ngħidu l-affarijiet kif inhuma, ftit hemm lok biex ma taċċettax il-konklużjoni li għadna mmexxu l-politika fostna fuq linji tribali.

Din mhux bilfors ħaġa ħażina, għalkemm issa wasslet biex il-kontroversja politika ma ddurx aktar madwar għażliet ideoloġiċi, daqskemm dwar għażliet bejn persuni.

Bħal fil-futbol.

Tista’ żżomm man-Napoli jew mad-Dortmund u l-aqwa kontroversja tippernja fuq kemm huma tajba l-plejers, u kemm lagħbu tajjeb jew ħażin.

Tan-naħa tiegħek tgħollihom m’ogħla s-smewwiet; tal-oħrajn tarahom dubbien.

It-tribujiet tal-politka fil-fatt saru jixbhu ħafna lil dawk tal-isport kummerċjali.

English Version – Poverty

One of the biggest failures in Europe as of now, is in the poverty sector… if “sector” is the appropriate term to define where the problem lies. Here’s one target set by the European Union in its 2020 strategy that it definitely will not reach. The European Cmmission itself acknowledges this.

Not only will the target for the reduction of poverty by 2020 not be achieved; more than that, poverty will have increased by comparison with the level that existed when targets were being set.

One might argue that the poor can be forgotten quite easily, once one makes sure that they are given their welfare niche and the guarantee they will not die of hunger. However, the real target should be to ensure that the poor are given the means by which to overcome their condition.

It is clear that without massive public input, it will not be possible to roll back poverty, even less eradicate it. The state can no longer keep back from providing better coverage against poverty, as well as better control over those big companies and wealthy individuals that fail to pay their due taxes. In Europe at present, the poor have increased in number by the millions, while tax evasion and avoidance have increased by scores of billions.

***

Pain

Professional and voluntary associations held their congress in a Brussels hotel to discuss the problem of pain and its cure. They believe that in the life of a person, a stage could be reached when the experience of past and present pain caused by some deep disease, becomes chronic.

At that stage, in and of itself, pain should be recognized as another separate disease and has to be treated as such.

The associations are doing their best to get doctors, nurses and drug companies to acknowledge this state of affairs, and are lobbying political leaders to introduce the concept of chronic pain as a disease in the administration of public health programmes.

They invited me to make the closing address at their congress, since with the agreement of the Malta government, they plan to organize their next annual congress in Malta.

From what I heard and learnt about the endeavours being made in this field, one can only conclude they deserve full support.

Recently I noted how, given that during the first half of 2017, Malta will be in the presidency of the EU, European health professionals and activists have been seeking the support of Maltese MEPs for their activities.

It is our privilege to extend to them our support, since they consider it to be valuable.

***

It’s tribal

If one must speak plainly, it is hardly possible not to conclude that we still here in Malta, play the political game according to tribal rules.

This might not necessarily be such a bad idea, although it has now reached the point where political controversy hardly focuses on ideological choices, as much as on the contrast between individuals.

Like in football.

Once you support Napoli or Dortmund, then for you, the strongest controversy is about how good their respective players are, and whether they’ve played a good game or a bad one.

You’ll praise the players on your side to the skies, those on the other side are just weaklings.

In fact, political tribes have now come to resemble quite closely those that flourish in commercial sports.

Facebook Comments

Post a comment