The 'having it easy' pervasive mentality

Over the past days a number of events got me thinking. These included the paedophilia court hearing, the launching of the public service white paper, some articles on the Sunday newspapers earlier this month and an empathic feeling to what a number of citizens are experiencing, helplessness.

¤ A public service white paper that will look at accountability and merit:

A definite and long awaited white paper that will possibly and hopefully re-invent the wheel on public service was announced and published the other day. A good number of Maltese and Gozitans breathed a sigh of relief, especially as they heard that accountability and merit would be the order of the day. Albeit, one must say that this is a complicated issue because it assumes a number of variables that need to be considered individually.

The first is the mindset that a lot of Maltese, in their 30s and 40s (assumingly some of the most productive years), have grown up with. This occurred during their childhood, which they spent, within a socialist culture, under a semi-dictatorship. It was a culture that got people so repressed and inhibited that they learnt to survive using all sorts of modalities, including some remarkable ones, like hiding money and chocolates in all prohibited places when travelling. Those children, then, were inundated by situations whereby parents and mentors were getting out their anger in passive aggressive ways. Some of these include, cheating at work, taking excessive sick leave, not living up to the required responsibilities and a number of other oddities.

I was 21 when the Nationalist government came to power in 1987. Unfortunately, for most of my childhood and all my teenage years I only knew rigid socialism, which I grew to hate as a theory, with all my heart. Can you imagine living the best years of your life in repression and learning passive aggressive tactics of how to get back at your oppressor! Expecting a 360 degree turn in being able to give all within one's power and aptitude back to the country by doing everything in reverse of what he/she was brought up with, is a daunting task.

On my part, and I suspect on the part of a number of others, having lived and worked abroad in a profession served to do a lot of damage control but the great majority of workers have not been lucky enough to have such an experience.

The second variable assumes that the government of Malta has a sizeable enough budget to be able to entice workers within the public sector to give their utmost at their workplace through a number of merit award schemes. This again is quite implausible at this present time when the country is passing through very hard economic times.

The third assumes that some of Malta's leading workers' unions are open minded enough and apolitical to be able to take an unbiased objective attitude towards the workers they represent and to help fight the pervasive imbasta ninqdew, "having it easy" mentality, as is regrettably happening in some sectors, at the moment. This will be quite hard since one or more of these unions are still lurking behind in the socialist years and not very much ready to budge from their stance.

Fourthly, the decentralisation exercise assumes that all directors and technocrats have had a legitimate appointment and are fully qualified both characterologically and academically. According to the white paper, directors are going to be main actors in this process and their appointments have to be essentially transparent. Let's not forget that some directors are still with a lifelong non-accountable appointment!

These are only a few thoughts that come immediately to mind. However, they are surely enough to augur caution and consideration of various hidden cultural agendas that could go unnoticed to theorists.

¤ Paedophilia, as an example of what happens when a country is not prepared to deal with major issues.

Paedophilia and alleged paedophiles have been the recent topic of the day. It was interesting to see how journalists, who although meaning very well, forgot that there are experts in the field, like psychologists and psychiatrists, whose input was overlooked when the whole subject was treated. This brings me to Joe Gerada's comments on The Malta Independent on Sunday (November 2), which comments threw some bad light on the present government. Let me just say first of all that I have full confidence in Mr Gerada and how he manages Agenzija Appogg. Notwithstanding, does he have all the necessary tools to handle the entire gigantic problem that agencies like Apogg are asked to face? Most of these agencies are being flooded with huge problematic situations that need expertise and clear protocols of action, not just funds.

Malta is enriched with a number of experts in different fields with vast experience. However, at times, I wonder whether our country and some of its technocrats are utilising such expertise in delicate matters of national importance like the much awaited Children's Act. I just hope that "child issue" experts from the fields of psychology, psychopathology, sociology, morality and jurisprudence have all been asked to give an input in the drafting of such a law.

Child safety in schools and surrounding areas, like adjoining streets, is also an important subject that has to be dealt urgently before more fatal accidents happen. Some schools, including childcare centres, have major safety flaws both within the premises and the surrounding areas and school safety inspectors are indispensable.

Once again, I encourage ministers and parliamentary secretaries as well as shadow ministers to look within their party and seek help from people who could be experts in specific areas. This can optimise policies and planning as well empower people within party ranks who feel they have something to offer.

I hope the above points serve the purpose to urge the people responsible to implement legislation as well as journalists to look at the big picture. Mentalities take a very long time to change and people need to feel empowered to be able to give back what is expected.