Tuesday, 14th July 2009
The yearning for a better world
She was young; in her late twenties. Tears filled her eyes while she recounted her story. Her young son was to celebrate his First Holy Communion. She wanted to organise a little party; just something simple. She worked extra as a house cleaner and managed to save €140. It would be enough, she said. However, disaster struck. Someone stole the money. What was she to do now? How would she explain to her son that all his friends had a party; but he had none.
The story still haunts me. I remembered it last week. It was marked by three events aimed at building a better world. The G8 summit met in Italy. The rich and the powerful deliberated about what best to do to get Mother Earth out of the mess we so foolishly got her into. In Malta, the Social Affairs Committee of Parliament discussed a report on poverty. We were informed that over 57,000 people live in poverty; thousands of them are children. We were told that 21% of children grew up without the necessary skills to find employment. These would be the poor of tomorrow.
They are people living without hope. Some of the speakers felt thankful because one sixth of the population were living in relative but not in absolute poverty. What is the use of such distinctions? Relative poverty is bad and bad and bad. Relative poverty means that you can't live a decent human life.
I used to say that the food we throw in our rubbish bins on Boxing Day is more abundant than what millions of people have to eat when they organise a feast. It seems that many in our country are living in a similar situation.
The poor? Who cares!
The papers reported the proceeding but nobody cared. People discussed the Isle of MTV concert. Others, probably more, discussed swine flu. Who would want to bother about the poor who live in our midst. We care about the poor who live far away. It is easier to handle them. We dip our hands into our pockets and provide the small change for them. Our conscience is then calmed; so please don't try to bother me about the poor at home. According to statistics read during the committee meeting, many Maltese believe that the poor have only themselves to blame if they are poor. This is an obscene belief if ever there was one.
The third event was Pope Bendict's publication of his third encyclical: Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth). The Pope did not give us a technical plan of how a better world can be built. It is not his job to do that. He did something better though. He told about the spirit that should animate the body politic if we want to give a credible structure to our yearning for a better world.
Many read something about the encyclical. Most would soon forget about it. I heard on TV that Obama promised to read it on his flight to Kenya. Perhaps others would read it too. Will our members of Parliament that spoke so well about the poor among us find enlightenment when they read it? What will the Church in Malta do to disseminate its teachings? Will someone invite to Malta Prof Zamagni whom, it is said had more than a finger in the pontifical pie?
Will the G8 summit, the Social Affairs Committee and the Pope's encyclical make any difference to the young mother who worked extra, albeit in vain, for her son's birthday party? Will so many tearful mothers and worried fathers find any solace from these three events? Will the life of so many people suffering starvation be spared?
Unless these things happen we will not live in a better world. It will only be better when it is better for all; for you, for me and for the entire human race. Until this happens, we will keep on living in a lousy world.
One-liners (or almost) from the Encyclical
Instead of commenting about the Encyclical I am reproducing here a number of very short quotations. Reading them you can get a taste of its sound teachings.
- "A Christianity of charity without truth would be more or less interchangeable with a pool of good sentiments, helpful for social cohesion, but of little relevance."
- "Without the perspective of eternal life human progress in this world is denied breathing-space".
- "As society becomes ever more globalized, it makes us neighbours but does not make us brothers".
- "There is excessive zeal for protecting knowledge on the part of rich countries, through an unduly rigid assertion of the right to intellectual property, especially in the field of health care"
- "The primary capital to be safeguarded and valued is man, the human person in his or her integrity."
- "When a society moves towards the denial or suppression of life, it ends up no longer finding the necessary motivation and energy to strive for man's true good."
- "Without the guidance of charity in truth, this global force (globalisation) could cause unprecedented damage and create new divisions."
- Without God, development becomes negative, "dehumanized"
- We must therefore mobilise ourselves, so that economics evolves "towards fully human outcomes."
- Profit as the exclusive goal "without the common good as its ultimate end, risks destroying wealth and creating poverty".
- "The world's wealth is growing in absolute terms, but inequalities are on the increase", with new forms of poverty emerging.
- "There is excessive zeal for protecting knowledge on the part of rich countries, through an unduly rigid assertion of the right to intellectual property, especially in the field of health care."
- "These processes have led to a downsizing of social security systems", with "grave danger for the rights of workers".
- The respect for life "cannot in any way be detached" from the development of peoples.
- In economically developed countries, there is "an anti-birth mentality, frequent attempts (being) made to export this mentality to other States as if it were a form of cultural progress".
- "When a society moves towards the denial or suppression of life, it ends up no longer finding the necessary motivation and energy to strive for man's true good."
- One must hope that the economic choices continue "to prioritize the goal of access to steady employment" for everyone.
- "Without the guidance of charity in truth, this global force could cause unprecedented damage and create new divisions".
- The conviction that economics are free from the "influences of a moral character" "has led man to abuse the economic process in a thoroughly destructive way".
- "Without internal forms of solidarity and mutual trust, the market cannot completely fulfil its proper economic function".
- The market "cannot rely only on itself", it "must draw its moral energies from other subjects" and must not consider the poor as a "burden, but a resource". The market must not become "the place where the strong subdue the weak".
- Commercial logic needs to be "directed towards the pursuit of the common good, for which the political community in particular must also take responsibility".
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We ourselves must, of course, heed the advice we impose on others. If anyone happens to pass by Pierre Lachaise, DO NOT, whatever you do, say prayers at Oscar's 'pot of dust'. Just say Joey is quoting him. Likewise the other pot of dust, la Piaf, l'immortelle. Thank her for giving me lyrics, pre-war, uncensored so to speak, that would be interdites in Malta, eighty years on. Merci la Piafffffffffffffffffffff. my little sparrow, now a thimbleful of heavenly talc . No, drop the heavenly. We miss you that you're gone. Like I will be missed when I am gone. Talc.
Joe Xuereb..as I had told you a while ago, one should never assume that only one knows what one knows. If people never judge books by their cover..'oh what a wonderful world this would be' (borrowed from Sam ..old favourite..he too is long gone... replaced by progressive [?] artists)..ah well the times they are a changing (always! it is called evolution)..heq must adapt but the most sensible way is to keep one foot in the past and the other in the future.
Good luck to you too :)
Ps seek others to pen your 'future bio' Oscar (surely you know the 'chappie'.. he's a fab author from the other enlightenment era)
:)
PS In principle, Malta must have as many mosques as its leaders (the mosques' , not Malta) deem fit. Malta is a western democracy after all. And as a sovereign state, with a responsibility towfamards its people and its identity, I believe it has a right to ask these leaders - I think they are called imams, what do I know - what the long-term plans are for these places of worship so alien to the western world and Catholic Malta in particular. I wonder what the famous, the very renowned Caruana Dingli would have made of all this. His students hang on to his every word when he was teaching them the choice of palette. I assume - if others can, so can I - his students would have acclaimed him on this matter too. Too late to ask him. But his sublime oeuvre lives on.
Please add to archive.
Below is a Copy paste from "Should there be more Mosques in Malta"
"Joe Xuereb (on 16/5/09)
I could of course counter your [refering to Jessica] potted history of Islamic Art by my own Master's level of History of Art."
So one would have thought after that claim, would know who the famous C Dingli who painited Cafe Premier is. Cafe Premier is an impressionistic work, with a snapshot effect and candid flavour, much unlike his usual portraiture..
I would have thought you might have at least looked it up....I rarely assume...since to assume is to ...insomma you know the rest
:)
PS...Btw (by the way) as to your reference to John Singer Sargent, the beholder (you in this case) has every right to his or her preference upon which he casts his eyes and marvel, I will not get into the merits of whom you might prefer, however you should not try to undermine Caruana Dingli's abilities because sadly you will be very much in error if you do so, besides doing a disservicve to all the artists that benifited from his teachings. Perhaps you ought to look up Caruana Dingli and see for yourself.
Sharon, I am not used to compliments. I do not shower compliments like papers confetti (used to be rice, symbolic the the fish). Any such have to be spoon-fed to me. I am a humble soul. I believe that when I die, I do just that. Die. Punt e bast. The 'sarcasm'(?) may be 'witty' - one can read anything into anything - but hopefully, it bears some weight. It comes under a mille-feurilles chunk of glass etched 'sens commun' - a souvenir from some fawning lover from gay Paree, from yesteryear, long-forgotten. Ah, l'agrodolce que c'est la vie!!'. Apologies et pardon attutta labbellatcompagnia- I digress.
With such deficits one can only imagine how large the Vatican income is. And anyway I don't think Jesus Christ established the church through St Peter by asking him to make financial profits.
Do you believe in the Vatican financial figures? I certainly do not.
Of course the land and properties are not part of the "valuation" so as to make the figures on a current basis and does not consider the "capital" or fixed assets aspect.
That is a case of abusive action and invaluable cultural heritage that should be returned to those cultures. The museum could always display the Missionary Synthesis the collection of works produced following evangelisation.
The argument for the Vatican to open up its coffers is not one made exclusively (nor primarily I would suspect) by atheists and anti-religious people. It is an argument made by many other denominations of Christianity, as well as prominent muslims as well.
I, for one, would impose no such thing on the church. They have their wealth acquired, as you said, by followers in honour of God (and even though I strongly doubt that was always the case, I will let that go) and dedicated to his Church. I do wish they would do it, just as I wish the various millionaires across the earth would do the same, but I make no such demand on neither. The right to property, whether fair or not, is a right which has proven very dangerous to abolish.
These cultural treasures have been entrusted to its care by generations of devout Christians for the specific purpose of honouring God. This cultural treasure should not be abusively dispersed and destroyed simply to appease people who are notoriously hostile to religion and particularly to the Church of Christ. In any case, the abusive destruction of this invaluable cultural heritage would make a disproportionately insignificantly small contribution to any long lasting alleviation of the problem of worldwide poverty.
Why should you be so negatively struck by young people in communion with God? It is such a liberating experience to be able to unburden yourself from all that is weighing you down in this modern day living. How much safer and beneficial it is to be able to resort to prayers when in difficulties rather than having to resort to drugs or alcohol to numb pain that could so very easily be lain at the foot of the Lord! It is so therapeutic, if for nothing else.
By all means live your life the way you see fit, but let others, who might, or might not, have heard of “Darwin and Dawkins” (certainly Dingli has nothing to do with the other “D”s) live theirs. If you think that the world is a better place without God - enjoy it!!!
Just in case your comment was addressed to me here's MY reply.
1. MY initial comparison of your passage with the Caruana Dingli painting was of a
complementing nature but sadly you were too ready to judge to notice :)
2. I was purposely being brief since painting is not relevant to the title of Fr Joe’s blog.
3. I too find many practices undertaken by others to be surreal.
4. Where did you get the notion that Catholics/believers in God refuse Darwin’s theory of evolution? Also what gives you the impression that Catholics/believers have not read what Dawkins or any other atheist wrote or has to say? Are you one of those who thinks that if one belongs to the yellow political party one does not hear what the orange party (or others) have to say/write??
5. To me, you seem to be replacing the Bible for Dawkins’s book, as I can often tell where the majority of your arguments come from. You are replacing 2000 years of knowledge, information, philosophy and research by one book one view.
It sounds like Dingli was painting, among other things, society portraits. There were so many, very fashionable. Somehow the beauty of their countenance, the beautifying of the countenance, belied the turmoil underneath. Not unlike the placid interior of churches. I often wander through cathedrals and stuff and these days, when I see people, especially the young, kneeling in fervent prayer and contemplation, I am truly struck. To me, I emphasise, to me, this is truly surreal. Praying, meditating, tete-a-teteing with their creator, call it what you will - what exactly are they thinking and what are their expectations. Have they not heard of Darwin, and Dawkins, and Dingli. Or are they so disABELAd that they are prepared to debate only with a Debattista, and play safe?
PS. I am sure my lacunae are numerous. It has taken all my effort to make sure that I stopped believing in tooth-fairies and talking serpents and fishy symbols in the dirt. That is one major lacuna sorted. Phew!!
J
To John Lennon's song, country singer Tom T. Hall would probably retort, “Son, it's faster horses, younger women, older whiskey and more money.” To which St. Paul would admonish, “Money is the root of all evil.” (Lack or excess of it, that is.)
Lack of money is what keeps more than half of the Church's adherents stagnating in abject poverty ... in a world of plenty.
There's got to be at least one progressive priest who would have the audacity to nudge the Church to use its universal presence, its undisputed influence, and its enormous collective wealth, to give the poor a taste of Heaven while still on this planet.
How?
By taking an entrepreneurial approach ... set up a universal Bank to finance worker co-operatives through micro-loans thereby providing work and dignity to those seeking a better life.
(To know more about worker co-operatives, just google “Mondragón”. An amazing organization started by a priest.)
If the Church were to make fighting poverty its top priority, poverty will become history.
No one else is better qualified to do it.
TO THE BISHOPS
PRIESTS AND DEACONS
MEN AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS
THE LAY FAITHFUL
AND ALL PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL
...Certainly not: "To the middle class."
You may access it on: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.html
I guess your 'prayers' have been duly answered, by fellow 'fishy symbol in the dirt' enthusiast.
Thanks Jessica :)
Back to the subject: I believe that Benedict's proposals are not new - they were presented in Pacem in Terris, 1963, by John 23rd but were considered utopian at the time. They are not utopian now but a necessity, especially after the Madoff case. No wonder the encyclical emphasizes truth, honesty, charity and moral responsibility. How I wish the words of John 23rd were heeded 46 years ago – the world wouldn’t be in such a state.
to mind the painterly paintings and their subject matter of my friend KZT? Placid, domestic interiors if my memory serves me right? And what is wrong with that? A domesticated putty-tat, that's moi.
I cannot handle all these accolades. First the witty sarcasm. And then I seem to bring to mind the subject matter of one KZT's sublime painterly efforts. I am honoured!! I am but a humble mortal* who will die when he dies. The mother of all humiliations? humilities? Some clever commentator here will put me right. Even the grungy guy at Cafe Premier would chip in his tuppenny worth. End of, as he would say, twiddling his controls. Bless his filthy white
cotton socks.
My Kenneth (never met him but would trust him unconditionally) is a fascinating artist and he writes a rare and mean column (the Times is worth buying just for that). I suspect he has other talents. But these he chooses to keep under a bushel. Two major talents are enough to carry him through. Unlike some who repeatedly clamour for attention and only manage to fall flat on their faces every time.
* Paradoxically, supposedly a truly Christian virtue. But is it? So many deities died and, like the notorious diehards, they resuscitated themselves. There's humility for you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNf-P_5u_Hw&feature=related
Imagine that...........
but which, unfortunately, led to his assassination a few months later, and after which his replacement, President Lyndon Johnson, ordered all of the US Notes Kennedy had authorized to be taken out of circulation.
Also being forgotten by the American people are the words of warning given to them by their seventh American President, Andrew Jackson, who was, unlike Kennedy, successful in his battle against the International money changers in throwing them out of the United States and who said:
“Gentlemen, I have had men watching you for a long time and I am convinced that you have used the funds of the bank to speculate in the breadstuffs of the country. When you won, you divided the profits amongst you, and when you lost, you charged it to the bank. You tell me that if I take the deposits from the bank and annul its charter, I shall ruin ten thousand families. That may be true, gentlemen, but that is your sin! Should I let you go on, you will ruin fifty thousand families, and that would be my sin! You are a den of vipers and thieves.”
Why therefore politicians/clergy allowing this madness? Are they morally equipped?!!!
Beware of what Matthew said to us:
23:8 But be not ye called priest (etc.): for One is your Teacher, [even] Christ; and all ye are brethren.
23:9 And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
In other Bibles, instead of priest we have it as rabbis. Same concept. Do you understand now why we should aviod priests and calling them father? Christ came to abolish the priesthood, period.
Now to explain to you further of the ills of society, and taken from this site:
http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index1253.htm
It is important to note that in his battle against the Federal Reserve Bank, President Obama becomes only the second American leader in the last half century to attempt to break their stranglehold over the American economy after President John F. Kennedy’s ill fated attempt to do so on June 4, 1963, when he signed Executive Order 11110 authorizing the US Government to print its own money for this first time since 1913,
continued...
The shy tend to shy away from continuing the ascent to thinking heaven. They retreat using the guilt of an unpaid bill as excuse. That could have waited. Female charm on an irate waiter would appease. He is paid to wait. He is vulnerable (I'm presuming) to slinky curvy. The ascent to thinker's lair could have resumed. Ricky. But it could pay dividends.
Thanks for the compliments. Much appreciated.
The magnificence that is Chartres Cathedral. Chartres town was not the city we know today. Just a cluster of abodes. And yet a huge enormity plus human cost. If ever
there was a carrot on a stick...............
Yes Sharon, it does.
It also brings to mind Kenneth Zammit Tabona's kind of painting - the subject matter of course.
XXX
Hard to beat your witty sarcasm (I dare anyone)!!!
But love it :-))
Joe Xuereb's passage reminds me of the C Dingli painting.
Do you not agree Jessica ?
:)
Yes, Sharon, do that.
Would love to meet you too:-)
:)
Yes would love meet and chat, especially now that there's more time since school is out ....perhaps an art exhibition would be a good opportunity to meet.
Shall I contact you via your site?
:)
Hi Sharon,
Bravely done! I knew you would rouse up a certain individual who in an earlier blog, where the two of us had discussed a similar topic, would not let us away without his ubiquitous phrase ‘fish in the dust’. I dare not join you in support (not that you need it) for I am not in the mood to give him the satisfaction of suggesting that we carry on our conversation at Café; Premier. Incidentally, we never came round to doing it! :-)) We should, you know.
And why does the pope tell the middle class to take care of the poor? why doesn't he address the rich? Look how Michael Jackson wasted his money and lived beyond his means, no middle class worker would do that because we work hard to survive - life is tough for us too.
The gothic cathedrals. Of course this is all textbook stuff. The sheer size of the edifice rising as it did above the humble abodes of the villagers at its feet, was but a reminder of the good life ahead, an aspiration to heaven, a replica of heaven on earth. The context needs to be appreciated. These were times of populations in social ferment, uprisings, civil war, plagues, witch-hunts, the Inquisition, and of course wanting to show the Reformists how it should be done - a rdirect response to the iconoclasm of the other, dissident side. It is interesting at least that these magnificent building are today little more than showpieces for visiting tourists, a curiosity belonging to a bygone age. Anybody aspiring to heaven these days will choose to look elsewhere for inpiration. Don't ask me for details. I wouldn't have a clue. You will have to ask the Maltese Imam.
My point was not the authenticity of the location of St Peter's tomb. Could be you're right. Relics of saints were the equivalent of pop stars and other iconic figures of the 21st century, and their artifacts..many are prepared to pay hefty sums of money for their memento, to proudly display and cherish. There was a time when St John the Baptist had I don't know how many right hands, which everyone claimed to have especially the knights.
Anyway..regarding changing to the better or worse..I will not go into the merits of that, everyone has a right to see the change according to his/her spectrum. When people are fed up they speak! And bring about change.
As with the universal equality regarding wealth..dream on ...it will never happen (careful I am not saying I agree or disagree), in theory it works in practice not. In every system there has to be leaders and followers, workers and employers, etc.
Regarding couples and loans...I too would like to have a ferrari, or a lamborghini perched on the porch of a villa but I know my limits and stick to them and my humble abode.
Peace be upon you too :)
I thank you for your comments. I refer to what the Bible suggest then, not us. It suggests that all the wealth is redistributed to the poor. It is that simple. Yes the queen of England is also guilty of this, and should do likewise too. The same of Queen Beatrice of The Netherlands and all wealthy people, and also the people of the Hidden Hand. The Vatican can also set the example. Does it?
Pope John Paul I did exactly that, and was on the job for only a month.
You mention, that humanity moves with the times. True. Is it for the better or for the worse? When reading the History of the Anglo-Saxons, even the poor had a house, before 500AD.
Nowadays couples have to endure slavery to the system (see http://jahtruth.net/syst.htm) with loans and interests. Most cannot afford a normal house, and struggle even with a small flat. Are we better off?
Regarding St Peter. He never set foot in Rome let alone be buried there! There is zero proof of his tomb there and more evidence that it is in or near Jerusalem.
See http://100777.com/spiritual/sinking_sand
and also
(http://jahtruth.net/darth.htm)
Peace be upon you.
“We were informed that over 57,000 people live in poverty; thousands of them are children. We were told that 21% of children grew up without the necessary skills to find employment. These would be the poor of tomorrow.”
What a bleak future for them! I am not sure that this is a pertinent question but I feel I need to ask it. How valid is the student -worker scheme? In principle it makes sense but in practice it does not always work. Some students might be lucky, or mature enough to demand that they practice hands-on what the syllabus requires, but for others it is a wasted six months of doing nothing but monotonous routine which, very often, has nothing to do with what they are supposed to be taught. Sadly some employers, who should feel morally bound to train these students, only see them as cheap labour and consequently exploit the situation.
cont....
Humanity changes throught the ages, man's approach towards his surroundings change and evolve. It is part of history. It is very true that Christ founded his church as one without riches and glitter, but gradually Christians sought to recreate the Heavenly Jerusalem of the Bible on earth, this was achieved by the spectacular Gothic cathedrals. People react in the manner they know how, and that is by gloryfying men in power and kings with the best, ahseb u ara God. Others like St Francis who left his riches behind followed Christ in poverty, whereas leaders such as Julius II built a magnificent church on the tomb of St Peter. The Vatican's works of art increased after the turbulent times of the reformation. But you have to put it all into its context. They were made primarily to show that Catholicism emerged triumphant over the reformation, in addittion it so happened that at the time humanism and individualism was showing its peak through artisic endeavour. Probably if there is a similr surge today it would be something to do with technological feats or whatever is considered more important today, which I'm sure will be more raw/nature inclined.
Regarding your comment:
"Is there truth in christianity to begin with? Why are the churches stacked with gold, precious stones and the like? Look at the Vatican laden with pictures of top world artists, gold, land and the like, whilst the people suffer? Is this what Christ wanted from us?"
What are you suggesting?? Detach the works of art and sell them? Or melt the gold? The works of art were meant for their their specific place which happens to be one of worship. Their value increased accordingly and not because the church spent money which should have been allocated to the poor of today. Does the accumulated wealth of the Queen of England make her the wicked witch of the West?
cont...
How true this statement is! We have avoided the teachings of the Bible, and that of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. Christians should also abide by them too. They are God's perfect Royal Laws of freedom, and in essence it is this:
i) Every 50 years there would be a jubilee year, whereby wealth is reconstituted towards the families in an equal way;
ii) debts every 7 years are forgiven!
Do you understand just how powerful the above laws are? There would no longer be the need to steal from others, and the land, which is God's, not humans' is redistributed.
4) Commercial logic needs to be "directed towards the pursuit of the common good, for which the political community in particular must also take responsibility".
Businessmen should also take care of the enviornment and hence they should be responsible for our earth. The American Indians are a perfect example of enviornmental friendly measures and they should teach us these things, besides humility.
1) "A Christianity of charity without truth would be more or less interchangeable with a pool of good sentiments, helpful for social cohesion, but of little relevance."
Is there truth in christianity to begin with? Why are the churches stacked with gold, precious stones and the like? Look at the Vatican laden with pictures of top world artists, gold, land and the like, whilst the people suffer? Is this what Christ wanted from us?
to know more visit: http://jahtruth.net/democra.htm
2) The conviction that economics are free from the "influences of a moral character" "has led man to abuse the economic process in a thoroughly destructive way".
Do you not see that usury, as practised by the banks, is prohibited in the Bible? The APS bank is one of them, and of the church. Banks create inflation, through the artificial increase of the monetary supply, and hence your money the next year results in having a lessor purchasing power.
As world food supply is now dwindling, with pestilences and drought etc, even countries like Argentina has stopped wheat exports to aviod higher prices at home, should wheat stocks decrease. Continued....
Charity in truth? Charity in humility would work so much better. The humility, the ultimate, the acceptance, via common sense, that one's death is the final curtain., the ultimate truth.
what about the "imagine no religion line: ? ;)
If I an not mistraken it was AZAD that had invited him
Part 3.
Another troubling situation is the exploitation of these individuals. It is a shame how we are so vehemently against them settling in Malta but do not think twice of recruiting them for the toughest jobs with the least possible remuneration.
A verse and the chorus from John Lennon’s song ‘Imagine’ would not be amiss here-
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
An article ‘Migrants 'living in absolute poverty' – NGO’ featured in yesterday’s news could not but come to mind after reading the above blog.
About 30 Migrants, mostly women and children, were asked to leave open centres and have congregated in Qawra where they are living in dire straits. Other migrants who in turn will be asked to leave open centres, would probably be drawn to this area as well.
The authorities need to be farsighted enough to foresee the possibility of a ghetto (with all the negative effects it brings with it) sprouting up in this area. They need to take steps to remedy the situation and find adequate ways to integrate these migrants into our society without them feeling the need to huddle together for support.
Continued…..
@ Fr. Joe: “Who would want to bother about the poor who live in our midst.”
Part 1.
To think that the Maltese people had once been seen as hospitable, altruistic, and ready to offer a helping hand! Where have they all gone? To be fair, the Maltese are quite ready to help, as testify the thousands and thousands of euro that are collected for a good cause usually around Christmas time, granted that very often the donors are gambling on their number coming up as a winning ticket for the many prizes that are used as bait – the juiciest being the motor car.
Continued....