Bridging the gap between the rich and the poor

There is a widening gap between the rich and poor that can be addressed by encouraging people to care about the planet and develop empathy towards those who share it, Kooperazzjoni Internazzjonali (Kopin) member Vince Caruana said.

Speaking at a seminar, Mr Caruana said this was where development education came in, as a form of citizenship education that turned people into good citizens.

The seminar, called Media And Citizenship Education, was the first in a series held as part of the international campaign Building Unity Through Diversity that will be officially launched in September.

If such a campaign were to be successful, Mr Caruana stressed, it was important to develop a relationship between non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the media in order to transmit development education to the public, challenge stereotypes, and show a true picture of the world where 80 per cent of the population has access to only 20 per cent of its resources.

Project coordinator William Grech explained that Building Unity Through Diversity is a European project being implemented by a consortium of NGOs.

The local project, which carries the slogan Billion Faces - One Family, aims to bring about a "gentle revolution" by presenting and promoting new approaches to development cooperation through the increased involvement of the community.

An exhibition on this theme will run between September and October at the Upper Barrakka, and the Mediterranean Conference Centre, in Valletta, and at the Valletta Waterfront.

Over 60 photographs, from Uwe Ommer's work 1,000 Families will be on display. These photographs are portraits of families from various nations and cultures. Kopin will also take their case to schools and businesses. Over the next few days the organisations is launching a photographic competition through which three or four portraits of Maltese families will be added to the exhibition.

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