Is-solidarjetà mhiex qegħda fuq kwarantina

Il-kriżi tal-Covid19 tatna affarijiet ġodda biex ninkwetaw dwarhom. Il-problemi l-qodma għadhom magħna, imma issa tilfu l-importanza u l-urġenza tagħhom fid-dawl tal-kriżi kurrenti. Saħħitna, kemm individwalment kif ukoll b’mod kollettiv hi taħt theddida. L-ekonomija wieqfa u xi setturi ambjentali bdew jirpiljaw bil-mod.

Waqt li setturi differenti tal-ħidma tal-pajjiż qed jieqfu jew jiġu mwaqqfa bħala miżura ta’ prewkazzjioni, hu tajjeb li nassiguraw li s-solidarjetà ma tiġix imqegħda fi kwarantina.

Is-solidarjetà bejnietna hi essenzjali mhux biss biex inwieżnu lil xulxin illum, waqt il-kriżi, imma ukoll fi trieqitna biex il-pajjiż jirkupra u jerġa’ jibda jaħdem mill-ġdid. Irridu nifhmu li kulħadd hu importanti: dan jgħodd għal kull persuna mingħajr l-ebda eċċezzjoni. Ħadd ma għandu jkun injorat inkella jitħalla jaqa’ lura. Meta l-kriżi toqrob lejn tmiemha b’dan il-mod inkunu iktar b’saħħitna u fil-mixja tagħna nkunu għarafna napprezzaw aktar u aħjar lil xuxlin.

L-awtorijiajiet tas-saħħa f’Malta aġixxew b’kawtela raġjonevoli meta bdew jippjanaw minn kmieni għall-imxija tal-Covid19. It-tnaqqis gradwali ta’ attività mhux essenzjali, kienet, b’mod ġenerali, ippjanata tajjeb, b’eċċezzjoni waħda. Il-ftuħ tal-istaġun tal-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa ukoll hu waħda mill-attivitajiet mhux essenzjali li ma kienx hemm ħtieġa li jiftaħ. Il-kumitat Ornis kien irresponsabbli li ta parir biex l-istaġun jinfetaħ. Il-Gvern qatt ma messu aċċetta li dan jiftaħ.

Il-komunità tal-kaċċa tilfet opportunità li tippreżenta ruħha f’dawl differenti. Sfortunatament, għal darba oħra ikkonfermat li mhiex kapaċi taġixxi b’mod responsabbli.

Inkunu b’saħħitna jekk ilkoll kemm aħna naġixxu b’mod responsabbli. Għandna nsegwu l-parir li ngħatajna biex preferibilment nibqgħu ġewwa. Mhux il-waqt la għal picnic, la għall-camping u wisq inqas għal mixjiet fil-kampanja inkella għall-kaċċa.

Hu ukoll opportun li nirrealizzaw li r-razziżmu jagħmel ħsara iktar mill-Covid19.

Matul il-ġimgħa ċ-Ċentru Miftuħ ta’ Ħal-Far tqiegħed taħt kwarantina u dan wara li madwar tmien residenti tiegħu kienu identifikati bħala posittivi għall-Covid19. Kienet opportunità oħra li r-razzisti fostna ippruvaw jisfruttaw biex ikesksu. Ftit huma konxji li l-komunità ta’ Ħal-Far hi fost dawk li huma mill-iktar vulnerabbli b’mod partikolari minħabba l-ispazju ffullat li tqegħdu fih. Kif spjegajt fil-blog tiegħi nhar it-Tlieta, tkun deċiżjoni għaqlija kieku din il-komunità ta’ Ħal-Far, waqt li għaddejja l-kriżi kurrenti, tkun tista’ tagħmel użu mill-lukandi li presentement huma vojta u li m’humiex jintużaw. Dan mhux biss ikun fl-interess tagħhom u ta’ saħħithom. Huwa ukoll fl-interess tagħna lkoll li jittieħdu l-passi kollha neċessarji biex tkun ikkontrollata iktar l-imxija tal-Covid19. Il-Gvern għandu l-awtorità kollha biex jieħu deċiżjoni ta’ din ix-xorta għax il-liġi tipprovdi għaliha. Iktar ma issir malajr iktar aħjar għax b’hekk ikun indirizzat wieħed mir-riskji l-kbar li jista’ jwassal għat-tixrid aċċellerat tal-Covid19.

Fuq livell ta’ Unjoni Ewropea id-dibattitu dwar il-ħidma li trid issir wara li tintemm il-kriżi Covid19 għaddej.

Hu fatt li b’mod ġenerali l-Unjoni Ewropeja ma kienitx imħejjija għall-wasla taI-Covid19 u l-emerġenza li rriżultat. Bħala riżultat ta’ dan, fl-ewwel ġimgħat la l-Italja u l-anqas Spanja ma sabu l-appoġġ li tant kienu jeħtieġu. Dan wassal biex is-servizzi tas-saħħa f’dawn il-pajjiżi ma setgħux ilaħħqu biex jindirizzaw l-impatti tal-mixja tal-virus u kienu f’xifer il-kollass.

It-telf ta’ kull ħajja hi dejjem okkazjoni ta’ dieqa kbira. Imma meta din tkun frott ta’ nuqqas ta’ preparazzjoni adegwata tkun ukoll riżultat ta’ inkompetenza.

Id-dibattitu illum huwa ukoll dwar liema hi l-aħjar triq il-quddiem. Pajjiżi min-nofsinnhar tal-Ewropa, ewlenin fosthom l-Italja u Spanja, b’appoġġ tal-Ħodor u s-soċjal demokratiċi fil-grupp S & D, qed jargumentaw favur il-ħruġ ta’ coronabonds mill-Unjoni Ewropeja. Bonds li hu propost li jimmaturaw fit-tul u dan kemm biex jitnaqqsu l-ispejjes biex dawn ikunu amministrati kif ukoll biex ikun assigurat li l-piż jintrefa minn kulħadd.

Qed nikteb l-Erbgħa fil-ghaxija meta jidher li għad ma hemm l-ebda konklużjoni dwar dan kollu. Hi triq, iżda, li għandha twassal għal solidarjetà u mhux għal karità.

Is-solidarjetà mhiex taħt kwarantina. Hi t-triq il-quddiem kemm f’Malta kif ukoll fl-Ewropa. Wara kollox hi parti integrali mid-DNA tagħna.

 

Ippubblikat fuq Illum : Il-Ħadd 12 t’April 2020

Solidarity is not on quarantine

The COVID-19 outbreak has changed what we are worrying about. Old problems are still around but their relative importance has been overshadowed by the current crisis. Our health, both individual and collective, is endangered. The economy is at a standstill and specific sectors of the environment are slowly recovering.

As more sections of society grind to a halt on a voluntary or compulsory lockdown, as a precautionary measure, it is important to ensure that solidarity is not placed on quarantine.

Solidarity is essential to support each other, primarily the most vulnerable amongst us. It is also essential both for our survival and for the eventual recovery of the country. In the process we must emphasise that everyone is important and no one is to be left behind or on his/her own. We must ensure that when this crisis is over, we come out of it stronger and wiser.

The health authorities in Malta acted with reasonable caution when they acted early to plan for the COVID-19 outbreak. The gradual reduction of non-essential activity was also generally planned responsibly, with one exception. The opening of the spring hunting season planned for this weekend is uncalled for. The Ornis Committee was irresponsible when it recommended its opening and government should not have accepted its advice.

The hunting community missed an opportunity which could have depicted them in a different light. They confirmed once more that in the hunting leadership’s dictionary the term “responsibility” has no significance.

We will be stronger if all of us act responsibly. We are being advised to preferably remain indoors. It is not the time for picnics, camping, walks in the countryside or hunting.

It is also time to realise that racism is more damaging than COVID-19.

During the week the open centre at Ħal-Far was placed on quarantine after some eight of its residents tested positive for COVID-19. It was a ranting opportunity for the racists among us. Little do they realise that the Ħal-Far community is among the most vulnerable due to the over-crowded space they have been provided with. As I explained on my blog last Tuesday, it would be reasonable at this point to shift the Ħal-Far community to vacant hotels for the duration of the crisis. It is not only in the interest of the Ħal-Far community but also in our own interest so as to ensure that the spread of COVID-19 is further contained. Government has the full authority to proceed in this direction through existing legislation. The sooner this is done the better as this would be a very effective measure to contain a high risk area which could get out of hand and accelerate the spread of COVID-19.

On a European Union level the debate on the post-COVID-19 era is in full swing.
The COVID-19 outbreak found the EU inadequately prepared for the resulting emergency. As a result, in the initial weeks, Italy and Spain were not sufficiently supported and consequently their health services were overwhelmed and could not cope with the spread of the virus.

Loss of life is always regrettable. However, when this results from a lack of adequate preparation it is more a case of incompetence.

The current debate is on the best way forward. Southern European countries, primarily Italy and Spain, buttressed by the European Greens and the S & D, are arguing in favour of so-called coronabonds. The issuance would take the form of bonds with a long maturity, thereby alleviating debt servicing costs and burden-sharing among EU Member States. I am writing on Wednesday, when conclusions seem to be still far away. This should however follow a path of solidarity not one of charity.

Solidarity is not on quarantine. Solidarity is the way forward both on a national level as well as on an EU level. It is, after all, an essential element of our DNA.

 

published on The Malta Independent on Sunday : 12 April 2020

Ir-razziżmu jagħmel ħsara iktar mill-coronavirus

Illum tħabbar li kellna 52 każ ġdid ta’ coronavirus. L-ebda wieħed minnhom ma oriġina miċ-ċentru miftuħ ta’ Ħal-Far.

Hemm min ilu jrewwaħ mill-bieraħ b’ħanqa razzista. Ilhom jikkummentaw li ser ikollna splużjoni ta’ każijiet minħabba ċ-ċentru miftuħ ta’ Ħal-Far, preżentement taħt kwarantina.

Bla dubju, lil dawk kollha fiċ-ċentru miftuħ irridu nqiesuhom bħala persuni vulnerabbli għal diversi raġunijiet. Ewlenija fosthom li qegħdin iffullati, ħafna persuni f’żona ristretta. Hemm bżonn jittieħdu passi urġenti dwar dan. Sakemm iddum il-kriżi tal-coronavirus il-Gvern jista’ faċilment juża’ uħud mil-lukandi li bħalissa huma vojta għal dan l-iskop! Ikun qed jieħu miżura effettiva biex inaqqas it-tixrid tal-virus. Il-liġi digà tagħti l-poteri kollha Gvern biex dan jista’ jagħmlu immedjatament. Dik tkun solidarjetà ta’ veru. Solidarjetà ta’ insara ta’ veru.

Dawk kollha li bħalissa qed jippostjaw is-santi tar-Redentur u tad-Duluri fuq facebook ikun tajjeb għalihom u għal kulħadd li jirrealizzaw li t-tixrid tal-mibgħeda razzjali tagħmel ħsara iktar mill-coronavirus.

Is-solidarjetá mhiex qegħda kwarantina.

Maurice Mizzi għandu jirriżenja

Fid-dawl tal-qtil immotivat minn razziżmu li seħħ nhar is-6 t’April li għadda, l-kummenti ta’ Maurice Mizzi, Gwardjan għall-Ġenerazzjonijiet Futuri, fit-Times tal-Ħadd, kienu, bħala minimu insensittivi. Kienu fil-fatt ħafna iktar minn hekk.

Huma kummenti li jużaw id-differenzi biex jitkattar id-disprezz u jkompli jkattar il-mibgħeda.

Maurice Mizzi jgħidilna li m’għandniex inħallu lil dawn in-nies jidħlu bla passaporti. Bħal dak li qallu li min hu maħrub minn pajjiżu, biex jevita r-ripressjoni u t-tortura ser iġorr miegħu l-passaport!

Ġie rappurtat li Maurice Mizzi kien imsejjaħ għal laqgħa l-Ministeru, kif ukoll li l-Ministru Herrera iddikjara pubblikament li l-Gvern jiddisassoċja ruħu mill-kummenti ta’ Maurice Mizzi.

Dan mhux biżżejjed.

Ir-razziżmu jeħtieġ li jinżamm il-bogħod mill-istituzzjonijiet.

Naqbel mal-NGOs. Maurice Mizzi għandu jirriżenja immedjatament.

Luigi Di Maio’s threat

US President Donald Trump, over breakfast with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, unleashed a blistering criticism of Angela Merkel’s government for being too supportive of Russia’s natural gas pipeline, which provides natural gas to various European states. Germany is too dependent on Russian natural gas, said Donald Trump. Is it appropriate for Angela Merkel’s Germany to do away with energy sovereignty and security in this manner? Being too dependent on Putin’s Russia is not on, he suggested.

Malta also may have its energy sovereignty and security hanging by a string.

Only last month we were reminded by Italian Deputy Prime Minister, Luigi di Maio that Malta’s electricity interconnector supply is plugged in at Ragusa on the Sicilian mainland. The comment was made in the context of the savage debate that developed over the rescue operations involving drowning immigrants picked up from the Mediterranean Sea by NGO operated sea vessels.

The Cinque Stelle politician considered it appropriate to use the Ragusa plug-in for political leverage in the same manner that Vladimir Putin makes use of his Russian gas supply, in relation not just to Angela Merkel’s Germany, but to most of the European mainland.

The fact that Malta is at times too dependent on the Ragusa electricity supply makes matters worse. We have undoubtedly lost count over the last months regarding the number of times we have been subjected to an electricity black-out in Malta: the standard explanation being that there was some technical hitch on either side of the Sicilian Channel which was being taken care of.

Malta will shortly have another Sicilian plug-in, this time a gas pipeline most probably at Gela.

Like the electricity interconnector plugged in at Ragusa the gas-pipeline plugged in at Gela will be another commercial undertaking. Malta will be paying for its gas, just as much as it is paying for its electricity.

Luigi Di Maio’s thinly veiled threat was obviously that the existing electricity plug-in at Ragusa was there at the Italian government’s pleasure which could reverse any commitment entered into so far if the Maltese government persists in irritating it.

It is not known whether there was any follow-up to Di Maio’s declaration, accept that the Maltese government closed all ports to NGO-operated vessels and that criminal proceedings were initiated against the MV Lifeline captain on flimsy sea-vessel registration charges.

This is unfortunately in-line with the Di Maio/Salvini philosophy that good Samaritans have to be treated suspiciously.

At the time of writing, another sea vessel with 450 migrants on board is sailing through Malta’s search and rescue area towards Sicily with Matteo Salvini, Minister for the Interior, insisting that Italy’s ports are closed for such vessels.

What next?

Potentially, as a result of the closure of Maltese and Italian ports, this is another developing tragedy. Di Maio’s veiled threat, maybe, has been taken seriously by the Maltese government.

Such incidents send one clear message: the foundations of solidarity as a value have heavily eroded. It has been transformed into a slogan. Solidarity is one of the basic values of the European Union – it is not limited to the EU’s border states. Successive Maltese governments have tried to nudge other EU member states to shoulder this collective responsibility which is currently shouldered disproportionately by the border states. The response from nine members states when the MV Lifeline debacle came to the fore was encouraging, but it is certainly not enough.

Faced with racist and xenophobic overreactions, opting for solidarity is not an easy choice. It would be certainly helpful if more EU states put solidarity into practice. The problem is that not all of them are convinced that this is the only ethical way forward.

published in the Malta Independent on Sunday – 15 July 2018

Il-perżut ma jaqtax l-għatx

Dawk li jsejħu lilhom infushom “patrijotti” ipprotestaw billi għażlu l-għodda tal-insult. Lill-Musulmani li kienu qed jitolbu fl-Imsida fil-pjazza quddiem il-Knisja ippruvaw jipprovokawhom billi qassmu l-ħobż bil-perżut.

Missirijietna dejjem ittrattaw lil min ġie fi gżiritna b’ospitalità. Dak hu valur ewlieni li għaddewlna, imma l-hekk imsejħa “patrijotti” dan ma tantx jogħġobhom. Ma jogħġbuhomx dawk b’kulur jew twemmin differenti. Id-differenza tbeżżagħhom.  Biża’ li hi mnissla mill-injoranza.

M’għandhomx idea li l-parti l-kbira tagħna l-Maltin aħna imnisslin mill-ġnus kollha, mhux biss dawk max-xtut tal-Mediterran. Bħala poplu aħna taħlita. Mhux biss. Kif skopra fir-riċerka tiegħu l-istoriku l-Professur Godfrey Wettinger, missierijietna mhux dejjem kienu insara. Kien hemm żmien meta l-Maltin kienu jħaddnu r-reliġjon Islamika. Ir-reliġjon nisranija, fil-fatt, m’għandhiex għeruq daqstant fil-fond f’pajjiżna minkejja dak kollu li għallmuna!

Jagħmlu tajjeb il-“patrijotti” kieku jifhmu li fost il-valuri tal-Maltin, insara u m’humiex, hemm is-solidarjetà u t-tolleranza. Valuri li sfortunatament dawn il-“patrijotti” m’għandhomx idea tagħhom.

Fil-maġġoranza tagħna aħna poplu demokratiku li nirrispettaw il-fehmiet tal-oħrajn.

Għaliex għandek ixxerred il-mibgħeda fil-konfront ta’ min qiegħed ifittex post fejn jitlob? Tafu li dawn qed jitolbu fil-beraħ għax ma ħallewhomx jibqgħu jitolbu fil-garaxxijiet fejn kienu qed jitolbu? Minn meta ‘l hawn it-talb fil-beraħ sar oġġezzjonabbli?

Din l-intolleranza li qed terfa’ rasha tmur kontra l-valuri kollha tal-poplu Malti. M’għandha x’taqsam xejn mal-patrijottismu iżda mar-razzismu. Il-poplu Malti mhux poplu razzist.

Ir-razziżmu jxerred il-mibgħeda. Il-mibegħda hi mibnija fuq l-injoranza.  Dan l-għatx għall-mibgħeda hu misqi mill-injoranza : hu għatx li l-ebda perzut mhu ser jaqtgħu.