The Convention for Maltese Living Abroad was a welcome opportunity to sustain ties and nourish the Maltese "flame" that glows around the world. It was a particular event where we met representatives of Maltese communities and associations abroad and shared in their pride of their Maltese origin that blends comfortably with their loyalty and commitment to their country of adoption. It was, therefore, a delight to host a session of the convention at the National Labour Centre when we shared Labour's views on how we may together further strengthen existing ties and translate these ties into exciting projects.

It was also a time when ideas and suggestions flowed on how we can best implement the recommendations of the convention as well as the recommendations of the convention held 10 years ago. It is more than evident that there exists a unique opportunity to channel our own energies and those of Maltese and Maltese communities world-wide into a range of win-win initiatives ranging from the promotion of tourism to that of financial and other services. Any efforts to develop the potential of this energy have, to date, been sporadic. Efforts lacked persistency and a creative edge that is necessary to translate synergies into exhilarating ventures.

The nature of Maltese mobility is today changing constantly. On the one hand we have second- and third-generation Maltese having their awareness of their Maltese origins diluted with the passage of time. Here we still have unique opportunities to nurture reciprocal ties. Once again, we seem to have lacked a commitment to value such opportunities and to foster a favourable climate that promotes and facilitates healthy interaction. On the other hand, we have increasing mobility that sees Maltese moving to other locations, both in Europe and beyond, seeking new work and living experiences.

This is an excellent opportunity, for our collective being, to come to better appreciate our own heritage and identity as part of a "global community". The experience garnered may also rid us of suffocating conservative elements that may hinder our development into a more tolerant and all-inclusive society. This mobility makes basic demands on us such as the need to optimise links between Malta and the rest of the world. It is as challenging to sustain a climate that keeps these Maltese as connected to Malta as possible.

Small can indeed be beautiful. One advantage is that we can work smarter in order to succeed in improving our social and economic status. We cannot miss a single opportunity. Keeping excellent ties with our fellow Maltese abroad and forging better relations as a result of this ongoing relation is surely a way to provide Malta and Gozo with strong visibility in a highly competitive global marketplace. This visibility is a basic pre-requisite if we are to attract a wider range of both cultural and business opportunities so that our successes may spread to most, if not all, sectors of our society.