Sewwa nagħmlu aħna l-Maltin li rridu kollox u ma rridu xejn. Irridu x-xogħol, sakemm jagħmlu ħaddieħor. Irridu l-komfort fil-ħajja, sakemm jiġi bil-komfort. Jekk hemm bżonn id-dixxiplina, aħna favur tagħha mija fil-mija sakemm tapplika għal ħaddieħor. Irridu l-kura ta’ għajrna u tagħna – sakemm ma jkollniex għalfejn nagħmlu wisq “sagrifiċċji”.
Aħna biss hekk, jew kulħadd bħalna? Irridu dak li jaqbel lil kulħadd sakemm jaqbel biss lilna? Il-mistoqsija tfakkrek f’li kienet tistqarr Mrs Thatcher, il-Prim Ministru Ingliża konservattiva li l-operat politiku tagħha għadu jimmarka ħajjitna sal-lum. Is-soċjetà ma teżistix, stqarret; jeżistu l-individwi li jridu jgawdu d-dritt għall-ħajja t-tajba.
Jekk dan minnu, qegħdin tajjeb sakemm kulħadd ifendi għal rasu. U l-istat irid jiggarantixxi li hekk qed jiġri.
Il-problema tqum jekk imbagħad ikun hemm nies li jridu kollox u jingħaqdu biex jitħabtu flimkien ħalli dan jiġri żgur, għalihom qabel kulħadd.
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VJOLENZA DOMESTIKA
Il-każi li ħarġu fil-beraħ dan l-aħħar ta’ vjolenza domestika kienu tal-waħx fid-dettall tagħhom. Hi ħaġa ċara li dil-pjaga soċjali għandha għeruq fondi f’pajjiżna u mhix se tiġi kontrollata kif ġieb u laħaq.
Progress qed isir. Il-vittmi m’għadhomx iħossu daqs qabel li jekk jirraportaw se jiswielhom agħar. Is-servizzi ta’ ħarsien qed jitjiebu u nittamaw li jibqgħu f’din it-triq.
Qed tiżdied il-vjolenza domestika, jew minħabba l-kuxjenza li qed titqajjem dwarha, aktar u aktar każi qed isiru magħrufa? Jekk tal-ewwel, se jkun importanti li nkunu nafu xinhuma r-raġunijiet għal diż-żieda u forsi wkoll, nistħarrġu jekk humiex marbuta mal-firxa ta’ esplojtazzjoni soċjali li teżisti f’pajjiżna.
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IR-RELIĠJON
Kelli naqbel ma’ osservazzjoni li saritili: il-fatt li t-twemmin reliġjuż u s-sehem fil-prattika tar-reliġjon iddgħajfu sew fostna, qed iwassal biex il-koeżjoni fost il-poplu Malti ddgħajfet ukoll. Din il-koeżjoni ġġib magħha sentiment ta’ solidarjetà u rispett lejn ħaddieħor, waqt li tippromwovi prudenza u dixxiplina fl-imġiba, kif ukoll sens ċiviku aqwa.
Ma qbiltx imma mal-konklużjoni li biex insaħħu l-koeżjoni li qed tintilef, u li hi meħtieġa, għandna bilfors insaħħu l-preżenza tar-reliġjon fil-pajjiż.
Ma qbiltx l-ewwel nett għax ir-reliġjon għandha tibqa’ primarjament rabta u impenn personali ta’ kull individwu.
U ma qbiltx ukoll għax bħala mekkaniżmu ta’ għaqda fil-komunità, l-prattika reliġjuża tinforza u timponi l-modi ta’ kif l-imġiba għandha tinbidel biex tinġab “aċċettabbli”.
Koeżjoni imposta ma fiha l-ebda attrazzjoni. Tirrestrinġi l-libertà tal-individwu u toħloq inġustizzji personali u soċjali. Id-dilemma hi kif se tippromwovi l-koeżjoni fost iċ-ċittadini waqt li jibqgħu jgħixu f’libertà sħiħa.

English Version – Everything

We’ve got everything going for us when as Maltese we proclaim that we want to have everything, without wanting anything. But we want access to a comfortable life, so long as it can be accessed comfortably. If discipline is needed, well of course we’re for it right across, so long as it is applied to others. Yes, we support welfare programmes benefitting our fellows and ourselves – so long as personally, we do not need to carry too many burdens when doing so.

Are we unique? Or is everybody just like us? Do we favour the common good only for as long as it satisfies our direct needs? Such questions recall the claims that former British conservative PM Margaret Thatcher used to make – and her political insights still calibrate our lives today. Society does not exist, she would say; there are only individuals and they strive to achieve their right to enjoy the good life.

If that’s true, then we’re all right, so long as one and all are able to care for themselves. The state just has to ensure that this is happening.

Problems arise though when some people who also want to enjoy all there is, band together to ensure they achieve this enjoyment, for themselves well before the rest.

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Domestic violence

Details that have been made public recently about cases of domestic violence are appalling. It is clear that this is afestering social problem with deep roots in our country, and it cannot be easily brought under control.

Progress has been made. Victims are not feeling as much as they did before that reporting their experiences would make things worse. Protection services are improving and the hope is that they will get better.

But is domestic violence on the rise, or are more and more cases coming out in the open simply because there is a greater awareness about the problem? If it is on the rise, it will be important to know the reasons for this and perhaps too, important to check whether they are linked to the prevalence of social exploitation in the country at large.

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Religion

I had to agree with the remark somebody made: the fact that religious belief and participation in religious practices have been in serious decline, is also contributing to a decline in social cohesion within the Maltese community. Such cohesion encourages feelings of solidarity amd mutual respect among citizens while promoting prudence and discipline in behaviour, as well as a stronger civic consciousness.

However, I could not agree with the conclusion that to arrest its decline and strengthen social cohesion, given that this is desirable, we necessarily need to expand the presence of religion in the country at large.

In first place, religion should primarily remain a sense of belonging and commitment that every individual must decide upon for him/herself.

Secondly, as a mechanism which also serves to generate unity within society, religous practice enforces and imposes ways by which to affect behaviour in order to make it “acceptable”.

A cohesion that has been imposed is less than attractive. It restricts an individual’s liberty and creates personal and social injustices. The challenge is how to promote social cohesion among citizens as they continue to enjoy total liberty.

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