Għalfejn l-Aħdar?

Naħseb li hi l-intenzjoni ta’ kważi kull min jinvolvi ruħu fil-politika li jara soċjetá li taħdem aħjar. Iżda x’inhu l-aħjar? Għax fil-waqt li lkoll naqblu li nimxu lejn l-aħjar mhux dejjem naqblu la ma x’inhu l-aħjar u l-anqas mat-triq li tista’ twassalna hemm.

Il-ħidma politika ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika hi assoċjata’ mal-għarfien tal-politika ambjentali bħala ċ-ċentru tal-ħidma tagħha. Filwaqt li dan hu minnu, mhux l-istampa kollha, għaliex il-ħidma favur id-drittijiet ċivili kif ukoll dik favur politika soċjali iktar umana dejjem kienu aspetti importanti tal-politika Ħadra.

Id-Dikjarazzjoni  l- Ħadra ta’ Canberra approvat fl-2001 f’laqgħa tal-Pariti Ħodor fuq livell globali tfisser fi ftit kliem it-triq il-Ħadra madwar id-dinja. Dikjarazzjoni li imbagħad hi applikata minn kull partit fit-tifsila  l-iktar addattata għal pajjiżu.

Sitta huma l-punti bażi tal-ħidma ħadra madwar id-dinja: l-għarfien ekoloġiku, l-ġustizzja soċjali, d-demokrazija partieċipattiva, in-non vjolenza, s-sostenibilita’ u r-rispett tad-diversita’. Huma marbutin flimkien, ħaġa waħda: programm wieħed u sħiħ. Madwar dawn titfassal u tinbena ħidma adatta għar-realtajiet ta’ kull pajjiż. Fuq dawn il-punti hemm konvergenza ma partiti politiċi oħra. Fuq uħud mill-punti naqblu iktar ma xi partiti filwaqt li fuq oħrajn naqblu iktar ma oħrajn.

Il-kuntrast tal-aħdar politiku mal-partiti l-oħra jimmanifesta ruħu l-iktar fil-politka ambjentali imma diversi drabi jidher ukoll f’oqsma oħra bħall-ġustizzja soċjali jew id-drittijiet ċivili. Jimmanifesta ruħu kemm fid-diskrepanza bejn dak li jingħad u dak li jsir inkella fir-ritmu li bih jitwettaq dak li dwaru jkun hemm konvergenza ta’ ħsieb.

Il-politika ħadra tmexxi l-quddiem politika progressiva li tesiġi mill-bniedem li jerfa’ r-responsabbilta’ ta’ egħmilu. Responsabbilta’ fil-konfront ta’ bnedmin oħra kif ukoll responsabbilta’ fil-konfront tal-ekoloġija. Ġustizzja soċjali u ġustizzja ambjentali li jirfdu lil xulxin. Dipendenti minn xulxin għax waħda mhiex sħiħa mingħajr l-oħra.

Din hi l-politka. Li dak li nippropnu kif ukoll dak li nfittxu li nwettqu nagħmluh dejjem bl-aħjar mod possibli. Il-politika mhix bilanċ ta’ interessi iżda sforz kontinwu biex nimxu sewwa dejjem.

It-triq li twassalna għal ħidma sewwa hi diffiċli mhux ftit għax kontinwament trid titħabat ma’ interessi egostiċi li jfittxu li jipperpetwaw l-istatus quo. Dawk jiġifieri li huma kontra kull bidla għax bidla għalihom tfisser li huma ma jibqgħux jiddominaw.

Ma rridx ninftiehem li kull bidla hi neċessarjament tajba. Kif ikolli l-opportunita’ infisser matul il-ġimgħat li ġejjin hemm ħafna li jeħtieġ li jinbidel. Imma daqskemm huwa importanti li jinbidlu bosta ħwejjeġ, daqstant ieħor hu importanti l-mod kif issir il-bidla. Mhux biex ma jintrifsux kallijiet iżda biex waqt li jkunu eliminati inġustzzji jew żbalji li saru tul is-snin ikun assigurat li dawn ma jkunux sostitwiti b’inġustizzji jew żbalji ġodda.

Hemm bżonn li l-inġustizzji u l-iżbalji innaqqsuhom, mhux  nibdlulhom isimhom.

Fix-xena politika Maltija għal ħafna snin indrat id-diska li jew ikħal inkella aħmar. L-aħdar fl-arena politika demokratika jfisser li hemm alternattiva demokratika għall-alternanza bejn l-ilwien  tradizzjonali.  Alternattiva poliitka li teżisti fil-parlamenti kollha Ewropeji inkluż dawk tal-iċken żewġ pajjiżi, San Marino u Andorra.

Nittama li dawn il-ħsibijiet tiegħi jservu għal diskussjoni ċivili li permezz tagħha lkoll nagħrfu aħjar l-alternattivi li għandu quddiemu pajjiżna.

kif ippubblikat fuq iNews, il-Erbgħa 21 t’Awwissu 2013.

X’toffri AD

Silta mill-intervista li Andrew Azzopardi ghamel lil Carmel Cacopardo.

Jekk trid tara l-intervista kollha :

aghfas hawn ghall-ewwel parti

aghfas hawn ghat-tieni parti

Mistoqsija : X’ tista’ toffri l-AD ghal-landscape politiku lokali?

Tweġiba : F’ Malta qabel ma twaqqfet Alternattiva Demokratika kien ilna snin twal ma jkollna it-tielet partit politiku attiv fuq skala nazzjonali. Imma iktar minn hekk meta kien hemm multiplikazzjoni tal-partiti politiċi fis-snin 50 u 60, bl-eċċezzjoni tal-Partit Kostituzzjonali Progressiv (il-partit ta’ Mabel Strickland) dawn  kienu splinter groups:  il-Partit Demokratiku Nazzjonalista (il-partit ta’ Herbert Ganado) kien splinter group tal-PN u l-Partit tal-Ħaddiema Nsara (il-partit ta’ Toni Pellegrini) kien splinter group tal-Partit Laburista.  Il-ħolqien ta’ AD fl-1989 bdiet bħala refuġju għal Wenzu Mintoff u Toni Abela meta dawn tkeċċew mill-Partit Laburista. Imma minn dak in-nhar żviluppat f’Partit bi ħsieb politiku distint mill-PN u l-PL. L-assoċjazzjoni ta’ AD mal-Ħodor Ewropej (EGP – European Green Party) għin biex AD issaħħaħ din l-identita’ distinta tagħha.

Il-filosofija politika ħadra hi kristallizzata b’mod ġenerali fid-dikjarazzjoni ta’ Canberra tal-Global Greens liema dikjarazzjoni kienet approvata fl-2001 u tiġbor il-ħsieb politiku aħdar f’sitt oqsma u ċjoe:  ir-rispett lejn l-eko-sistema li niffurmaw parti minnha, l-integrazzjoni tal-ġustizzja soċjali u l-ġustizzja ambjentali, demokrazija parteċipattiva, in-non-vjolenza u kultura ta’ paċi bejn il-ġnus, is-sostenibilita w ir-rispett għad-diversita’ .

Il-politika ta’ AD li hi l-implimentazzjoni ta’ dan f’kuntest lokali tikkuntrasta ma dik offruta mill-PN u l-PL. Hi politika li tagħti sens ta’ valur lill-komunita’ u lill-kwalita tal-ħajja bħala oġġettiv primarju tal-politika ambjentali. Politika li żżewweġ flimkien il-politika ambjentali u dik soċjali fi sforz biex hi u tnaqqas il-konsum żejjed tassigura li r-riżorsi limitati jistgħu  jintużaw ukoll mill-fqir li għandu dritt għal għixien diċenti.

The Nature of Green Politics

published on September 13, 2008

by Carmel Cacopardo

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On being elected leader of the Greens in England and Wales last week, MEP Caroline Lucas stated: “There is a huge number of people out there who want to hear our message and we want to get better at getting it across. I want to get our message out about social justice. Everyone knows we are the party of the environment. What fewer people know is that if you are looking for the real progressive force in British politics today, it is the Green party”.

During the March 2008 general election, the PN took on board most of AD’s environmental policies. The MLP is now taking on board AD’s campaign on civil rights: divorce, gay rights, local council voting at age 16. AD’s campaign on rent reform has borne fruit. A consensus seems to be developing around AD’s electoral proposal on the energy surcharge: having a low or no charge for basic use and a high charge for excessive users.

An impressive contribution by a political party which has not yet made it to Parliament!

It is to early to state whether the PN and/or the MLP are trying to be greener than the greens. The emerging interest of the PN and the MLP in Green politics is positive as, in fact, this is coalition building by the back door!

It is to be borne in mind that Green parties are not restricted to environmental issues although, as stated by Ms Lucas, the environment is that area of politics with which Greens are mostly associated.

The Charter of The Global Greens, approved in Canberra in 2001, in fact identifies six principles forming the basis of Green politics: ecological wisdom, social justice, participatory democracy, non-violence, sustainability and respect for diversity. Viewed together, they form the basis of Green politics. All six are enshrined in the policy positions taken locally by AD.

Humankind is part of the natural world. We must respect all the other species forming part of this world. All forms of life are to be valued as all belong to the same natural world. This signifies that we must learn to live within the ecological and resource limits of planet earth and that we must ensure fulfilling the basic duty to respect biodiversity and life-support systems. Where we have little or no knowledge we must be cautious and tread carefully, thereby ensuring that we do not prejudice present and future generations. Basic to the achievement of social justice is the equitable distribution of resources. Social and environmental justice are thus intertwined.

Green parties the world over are firm believers in subsidiarity. AD will by the time of publication of this article have made public its proposals for a reform of local government. AD will argue for a strengthening of local government in Malta through devolution of additional responsibilities, clearer funding rules, Green tendering procedures at a local level and the need to introduce a referendum to decide on development projects having a significant impact on the locality.

The Greens respect diversity. Diversity of opinion. Ethical pluralism. Diversity in gender orientation. This has to be reflected in everyday politics. Hence, the Greens stand up against homophobia and support the right of gays and lesbians to be treated as equal persons of our community to which they too contribute through their daily toil.

The Greens favour divorce in contrast to those who believe in the theocratic powers of the state of imposing the beliefs of a section of the community on the rest. Those who believe in the indissolubility of marriage have a right to freely practise their beliefs. However, they have no right to impose their beliefs on the rest of the country. The state in Malta is still theocratic in this respect. It is about time that the winds of change open up the doors of ethical pluralism. Divorce has been recognised in Malta since 1975 but only for those who have the financial means to proceed to a foreign jurisdiction.

The effects of the March 2008 electoral campaign will take some time to sink into the psyche of the Maltese voter. It is not just about electoral promises which will not be fulfilled. Nor about scandals such as the Mistra one or the reversal of dubious pre-electoral decisions such as that on the development at Transfiguration Avenue in Lija. Voters are realising that the major parties avoided issues in March but subsequently had to face them. The shipyards debacle is a case in point wherein government intransigence had to give way to a civil society insistence on dialogue. Common sense eventually prevailed.

In the months ahead, the Greens in Malta will continue to face the issues and present to the public the progressive options which lie ahead.