The role of intellectuals in politics is a very important one. Famous authors like Antonio Gramsci and Michel Foucault have written about this topic. In Malta, today, the political parties have their own think tanks which are very important to promote progressive policies and innovative ideas in politics.

Indeed, it is refreshing to note that the Labour Party’s think tank, Fondazzjoni Ideat, as well as that of the Nationalist Party, the AŻAD Foundation, together with Alternattiva Demokratika’s Ceratonia Foundation are all active today. One must also mention The Today Public Policy Institute, an independent and impartial think tank focusing specifically on public policies for the purpose of improving them.

Seminars, conferences, workshops, courses all help to generate debate and draw up policy papers which are then presented to the political parties to be integrated within their policies. Since such policy papers are usually the result of serious and unfettered discussion with the aid of experts, they are very often both progressive and innovative.

The bane of politics is the number of lackeys striving to ingratiate themselves with people in power

Indeed, the input of intellectuals who are politically committed but, at the same time, not subservient to the political parties is quite welcome on the Maltese political scene. The bane of politics, in Malta as well as abroad, is the number of lackeys whose prime motivation is that of ingratiating themselves with the people in power.

Expect nothing new from such individuals whose yes-sir attitude leads them to agree with everything and never to suggest anything on their own initiative.

The work carried out by a political think tank usually starts with identifying a particular topic of national interest. The members then carry out research about what the situation is like locally as well as overseas. Comparative studies are subsequently made.

These are later presented to the public and discussed with experts at seminars where all participants can provide their input. The results are then collected, rigorously analysed and presented as a policy paper to the relevant political party.

Think tanks sometimes also organise courses with the aim of providing a pool of potential election candidates of a certain quality. Having been, for quite some time, involved in the work of Fondazzjoni Ideat I can mention a particular course, known as ‘You Progress’, which trains youths to prepare for a political career.

This course is held annually over several months during which the participants are trained in such things as public speaking, writing for the media, political ethics, leadership, political campaigning, the Constitution, political theory, the European Union, and so on.

The promotion of national culture is another aspect of the work of political think tanks. An interesting initiative is the AŻAD exhibition entitled Identitá being held, at the time of writing, at Palazzo Pereira, Valletta.

This is a unique exhibition featuring works from the past seven decades of art in Malta. In this manner, aspects of our national culture are made more accessible to the public.

Safeguarding and improving our environment as well as tackling environmental problems have featured prominently in the work of the Ceratonia Foundation, which has also contributed to a 2011 publication by the Green European Foundation on green jobs from a small State perspective.

Although a small political think tank with limited funds, Ceratonia Foundation has still managed to be one of the leaders in this field.

Furthermore, Maltese political think tanks can also benefit greatly from membership of international organisations. Fondazzjoni Ideat, for instance, is a member of the European Network of Political Foundations.

This enables it to send its youths to participate in international meetings and fora where they can acquire valuable hands-on experience in political work on a European level. Added to this is the bonus of being able to participate in international projects with our European partners.

Political think tanks, if effectively organised and managed, can have a lot of political clout. I can mention the great attention given by the media to The Today Public Policy Institute’s recent report on a review of the Constitution of Malta.

This is an excellent example of a political think tank’s influencing and moulding public opinion in a positive manner.

I have attempted here to illustrate the important role of political think tanks in Maltese politics.

In the modern world, where things are continually changing and where innovation and fresh ideas are ever on demand, it is these think tanks that can point the way towards progressive policies.

Furthermore, they are also an invaluable source of training for many young intellectuals who will be the political leaders of tomorrow.

We have to use our brains to devise today the means by which we shall be able to solve the problems of tomorrow.

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