L-abort: x’inhu jiġri madwarna

Diskors minn Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson, Alternattiva Demokratika
fl-okkażjoni ta’ Jum il-Ħajja, organizzat mill-Malta Unborn Child Movement
Oratorju tal-Kon-Katidral ta’ San Ġwann il-Belt Valletta, Il-Ħadd 4 ta’ Frar 2018

 

Uħud minnkom, wara dak kollu li ilu jingħad, bla dubju qed jistaqsu dwar meta u min ser idaħħal l-abort f’Malta. It-tweġiba għal din il-mistoqsija hi waħda sempliċi ħafna: ħadd. Għax l-abort ilu fostna. Il-fatt li l-liġi Maltija ma tippermettieħx ma hu ta’ l-ebda xkiel għal min jidhirlu li għandu jagħmel għażla ta’ din ix-xorta.

Rapporti annwali mediċi fir-Renju Unit jindikaw li madwar 60 mara Maltija fis-sena jutiliżżaw is-servizzi mediċi tal-Ingilterra u Wales biex jipprokuraw abort. Ma dawn imma, trid iżżid l-aborti minn Maltin li kull sena jsiru fl-Italja (prinċipalment Catania, Ruma u Milan imma ukoll f’lokalitajiet oħra) kif ukoll dawk li jseħħu fil-Ġermanja, l-Olanda, l-Belġju u iktar. Statistika uffiċjali hemm biss għar-Renju Unit, imma tobba Maltin li tkellimt magħhom, bla dubju a bażi prattika tal-professjoni tagħhom fl-ibliet u l-irħula Maltin, jistmaw li ċ-ċifra totali tista’ titla sa bejn 300 u 400 abort fis-sena li nisa Maltin jagħżlu li jagħmlu.

Fl-istatistika jkejlu l-frekwenza tal-abort bħala n-numru ta’ aborti għal kull elf mara li hi of childbearing age, u ċjoe bejn l-eta ta’ 15 u 44 sena. A bażi ta’ dan, ir-rata fl-Unjoni Ewropeja hi ta’ 4.4, filwaqt li fost il-Maltin hi ta’ bejn 3.6 u 4.7, dipendenti fuq jekk fil-kalkolu tagħmilx użu minn numru stmat ta’ 300 abort inkella l-istima massima ta’ 400 abort fis-sena fost il-Maltin.

Jiġifieri fi ftit kliem, l-indikazzjonijiet huma li l-Maltin ifittxu l-abort kważi daqs kull ġens ieħor fl-Ewropa.

Jekk irridu niddiskutu l-abort bis-serjeta għandna l-obbligu li l-ewwel u qabel kollox nippruvaw nidentifikaw u nifhmu l-fatti biex id-dibattitu pubbliku jkun wieħed infurmat u mhux wieħed intenżjonat biss biex ikeskes lil “qaddisin” kontra l-“midinbin”.

F’Alternattiva Demokratika qatt ma appoġġajna l-abort minkejja dak li jgħidu uħud, inkluż uħud fostkom. Imma f’Alternattiva Demokratika ma nagħmlux kruċjati. Nippreferu li l-pajjiż jikkommetti ruħu b’iktar qawwa biex ikunu indirizzati dawk iċ-ċirkustanzi li jwasslu għal abort.

Ir-rispett għall-ħajja, meta jkun ġenwin, jintwera mhux biss waqt it-tqala. Jintwera dejjem, kemm qabel kif ukoll wara t-tqal, kif ukoll f’ċirkustanzi li m’għandhomx x’jaqsmu mat-tqala.

Nirrispettaw il-ħajja ukoll meta nkunu ċari kontra l-vjolenza domestika, meta nkunu kommessi li nħarsu lil dawk li jissograw l-għarqa, maħrubin mill-moħqrija u l-għaks f’pajjiżhom, meta niftħu għajnejna beraħ għal nisa traffikati għas-sess f’pajjiżna, kif ukoll meta nifhmu li d-dinjità ta’ kull bniedem tmur lil hinn mill-kulur, razza jew ġeneru. Imma għal uħud forsi dan hu wisq!

Is-soċjetà tagħna qed tinbidel b’rata mgħaġġla. Hi bidla li tispira ruħha minn pluraliżmu ta’ valuri, valuri li ħafna drabi jikkuntrastaw, xi kultant b’mod sostanzjali.

L-obbligu li nirrispettaw lil xulxin jeħtieġ li jimmanifesta ruħu f’dawn iċ-ċirkustanzi ukoll. Għax x’utilità hemm li ngħidu li għandna rispett lejn il-fehma ta’ ħaddieħor jekk imbagħad fil-konfront ta’ min ma jaqbilx magħna, it-tgħajjir u l-insulti kkuluriti xi kultant huma bla limitu?

Fl-Irlanda bħalissa l-Gvern immexxi mill-partit demokristjan tal-Fine Gael ser jagħti bidu għall-kampanja referendarja favur l-abort, għax fir-realta l-qbil ma’ jew l-opposizzjoni għall-abort tmur lil hinn mill-fehmiet politiċi.

F’Malta ukoll dawk favur l-abort qed jieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet tagħhom u qed isibu lil min jagħtihom s-servizz mixtieq. Sakemm jieqfu l-insulti mhux ser ikun possibli li dawn il-Maltin bħalna jingħataw l-għajnuna li jkollhom bżonn u li jħossu l-ħtieġa għaliha fl-iktar mumenti diffiċli f’ħajjithom, meta jridu jieħdu deċiżjoni iebsa u diffiċli, imma jħossuhom waħedhom, insulentati u mkasbrin minn soċjetà li tfittex il-purità artifiċjali.

Xi darba, forsi, nagħmlu progress. U l-progress ikun reġistrat meta kulħadd ikun konvint li hu stmat, irrispettivament mill-fehmiet tiegħu.

Sfortunatament, imma, jidher li għadna ftit il-bogħod.

Grazzi.

Turning the Fuel Service Stations Policy on its head

Last Wednesday, the Parliamentary Environment and Land Use Planning Committee discussed the possible revision of the Fuel Service Stations Policy. The three development permits issued in the past weeks by the Planning Authority for fuel service stations at Burmarrad, Marsaskala and Magħtab without doubt was the spark that motivated the discussion. Among the pending applications, Attard, Mqabba and Iklin are queuing for new service stations, while over 60 more, from a current total of 85 stations are awaiting the Planning Authority go-ahead for upgrading.

A number of valid observations were made. Most of the discussion dealt with the need to relocate service stations currently within urban areas but there was, however, a reluctance to address head-on the real issue: do we need fuel service stations?

Almost five months ago, the Prime Minister – taking a leaf from Alternattiva Demokratika’s 2017 election manifesto – announced that his government will be launching a public consultation to establish a cut-off date for the sale of diesel and petrol cars in Malta and the use of only electricity-driven vehicles instead. We have not heard much more about this proposal, apart for an article by Transport Minister Ian Borg who wrote about following in the footsteps of other European countries in “phasing out new petrol and diesel vehicles in the next few decades”.

The Prime Minister has rightly emphasised that this change in policy is required in view of the fact that vehicle emissions are the largest source of pollution in Malta, but why wait so long to put flesh on the bare bones of the declared policy? Other European countries have already determined their cut-off date. Norway and the Netherlands are considering the year 2025, Germany is considering 2030, while France and the United Kingdom are opting for the year 2040 by which to halt the sale of diesel and petrol vehicles.

Revisiting the Fuel Service Stations Policy should not be discussed in a vacuum. It has to be placed in the context of related transport policies and in particular the fact (hopefully) that Malta should now be going electric.

The main issue clearly is that, as a result of going electric, the number of fuel service stations required will at some point in the future – hopefully the not so very distant future – will be next to nil. So why build more of them? Why encourage investment in something that is not needed? It would be much better to channel investment into resolving problems instead of adding to them.

The relocation of urban area fuel service stations – the main thrust of the Fuel Service Stations Policy approved in 2015 – is being used to justify the uptake of 3,000 square metres of land. But instead of relocating the existing service stations in urban areas, would it not be much better if these were converted into charging stations? These service stations are centrally located and mostly of a relatively small size. Every conversion one into a charging station would potentially save 3000 square metres of land in the middle of nowhere and simultaneously provide the service of electrically charging vehicles right where that service is required: in our urban areas.

It is towards the conversion of these fuel stations that investment should be channelled. They can be transformed from being a problem in our residential communities to being an integral and focal part of the strategy to develop a suitable, reliable and – above all – sustainable infrastructure so necessary for the electrification of private transport.

This would obviously turn the Fuel Service Stations policy upside down. Instead of using urban service stations as an excuse to trigger more land speculation, it is about time to inject some environmental considerations right where they are most needed.

This is what we need right now: the turning of the Fuel Service Stations Policy on its head.

 

published on the Malta Independent on Sunday : 4 February 2018