Forsi mhux se tkun kriżi twila bħal taż-żona tal-ewro imma dik tal-immigrazzjoni (jew tar-refuġjati) fl-Ewropa tidher li se titwal. Qed tiftaħ konfronti u differenzi bejn il-pajjiż membri tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Qed iddaħħal biża’ dwar il-futur fost setturi tal-popolazzjonijiet Ewropej li sa issa kienu għadhom iħossuhom trankwilli.

L-agħar dannu sar u qed isir fil-Ġermanja. Ir-reputazzjoni politika u personali tal-kanċellier Merkel sostniet daqqa li sa disa’ xhur ilu ma stajtx timmaġinaha possibbli. Membri tal-istess partit tagħha, uħud minnhom qrib ħafna tagħha sa ftit ilu, jikkritikawha fil-magħluq u fil-beraħ.

Id-dwejjaq fost ir-reġjunijiet u distretti tal-pajjiż bil-piżijiet li qed iġibu magħhom l-immigranti, ma jaqtgħux. Biex tagħqad, mal-pajjiż kollu bdew jinfirxu rapporti ta’ mġiba min-naħa tal-immigranti li mhijiex aċċettabbli — hi kkawżata minn differenzi kulturali qawwija bejn is-soċjetà Ġermaniża u dik li ġew minnha l-immigranti. Sadattant, ir-refuġjati ġodda għadhom deħlin b’rata ftit anqas minn ta’ Diċembru.

Soluzzjoni permanenti għal dan kollu għadha mbiegħda.

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Artijiet Maltin

Kellu raġun ħabib tiegħi li bagħat jgħidli kif l-inkuranza li wera l-istat matul is-snin dwar l-artijiet tiegħu, applikat ukoll għall-artijiet kollha tat-territorju Malti. Kien qed jirreaġixxi għal dak li ktibt nhar it-Tnejn dwar kif hi ħaġa stramba li gvernijiet suċċessivi ma ħadux ħsieb iżommu rekord tajjeb ta’ x’hemm bħala artijiet u proprjetajiet tal-gvern.

F’pajjiż żgħir bħal tagħna wieħed jistenna li hi ħaġa ħafifa li jinżamm reġistru sħiħ tal-artijiet kollha fil-pajjiż u ta’ min huma. Ħaġa li mhux biss ħafifa suppost, imma wkoll importanti. Kważi l-pajjiżi kollha jżommu reġistru bħal dan, imsejjaħ il-kadast.

Jekk qatt kien jeżisti f’Malta, ilu li ntilef. Fl-1957, il-gvern Laburista ta’ dak iż-żmien tellaq bidu għal inventarju tal-artijiet. Sal-lum, it-tħejjija ta’ dal-kadast għadha pendenti.

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Stigma

L-isforzi li jsiru biex jitnaqqsu u jitneħħew l-effetti ta’ stigma li jġorru magħhom ċerti tipi ta’ mard jistħoqqilhom kull inkoraġġiment. Forsi jrid isir aktar mis-settur publiku biex din l-istigma tingħeleb għax tkompli żżid mad-diffikultajiet tal-ħajja li l-morda jkunu diġà qed ibatu minnhom.

L-effett ta’ stigma li l-aktar jissemma għadu marbut mal-mard mentali. Imma mhux biss; hemm mard ieħor li wkoll iqanqal sens ta’ mistħija, jew min iġarrbu jippreferi li l-kondizzjoni tiegħu ma tkunx magħrufa. Hawn, l-isforz li jrid isir għandu jkun indirizzat biex iħares il-privatezza tal-persuna.

F’epoka li fiha ħafna mill-inibizzjonijiet tal-imgħoddi donnhom tneħħew, il-verità hi li baqa’ numru ta’ sitwazzjonijiet li jpoġġu lil dan jew lil dik f’qagħda soċjali jew personali antipatika. Għandhom dritt għall-ħarsien.

English Version – Protracted crisis

It might turn out to be a crisis not as protracted as that of the eurozone, but the immigration (or refugee) crisis in Europe looks like it’s going to be long drawn out. It is leading to confrontation and divergences between EU member countries. It is instilling fear about the future among swathes of European populations which up to now had experienced tranquillity.

The worst damage was done and is happening in Germany. The political and personal reputation of Chancellor Merkel has deteriorated to an extent that it was impossible to even imagine up to some nine months ago. Members of her own party, some of whom had been quite close to her up till recently, criticise her privately and openly.

Resentment prevails in regions and districts which are having to deal with the complications caused by immigration. Furthermore, all over Germany, reports have proliferated about the unacceptable behaviour of some immigrants. Its root cause is the sharp cultural contrast between the German way of life and that in the country of origin of immigrants. Meanwhile, new refugees are still arriving at a rate that is hardly less than that of December.

A permanent solution to all this is not close.

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Maltese lands

A friend of mine was right to send me a message saying that the carelessness shown by the Maltese state over the years in managing its own lands and properties, applied equally to all lands that make up Maltese territory. He was reacting to what I wrote last Monday regarding the strange way by which successive governments had neglected to keep a correct register of what the government possesses by way of lands and buildings.

In a tiny country like ours, one would expect that it is quite easy to have a full register for all land in the island, inclusive of who owns what. It is an exercise that supposedly should be easy to implement, and an important one. Almost all countries keep such a register, known as a cadastre.

Well, if it ever existed in Malta, it must have been lost a long time ago. In 1957, the Labour government of those days launched a project to draw up an inventory of lands. Up to now, the implementation of that cadastre remains pending.

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Stigma

Full encouragement is due to efforts that are made to reduce and remove the effects of the stigma carried by certain kinds of diseases. Perhaps the public sector needs to become more proactive in combating such stigma for it adds even more problems to those that sick persons already face.

The effects of stigma that are most discussed refer to mental health conditions. But they have a wider reach. Other diseases arouse social discomfort, or those who suffer from them might prefer to keep their condition secret. Here, no effort should be spared to safeguard the privacy of the individual.

At a time when many of the inhibitions of the past seem to have been overcome, the truth is that a number of situations still exist which place people in a difficult social or personal position. These people have every right to expect that they be given protection from stigma.

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