Local councils were introduced in 1993 with the main aim to promote community development through the efforts of local residents themselves. Thus, from its inception, the concept of local government sought to encourage popular participation in the affairs of their own communities.

Therefore, the success of this system of local government lies entirely on the fact that members of our communities respond to the call to fulfil their civic duties and serve their own communities without expecting anything in return.

Therefore, a local council that is removed from the life of its community is a council which is not living up to its calling and is a council that is basically functioning in direct contrast to its raison d’etre.

We are lucky as a country that people do react to the calling to serve in public office. Whenever there are local council elections, people from all walks of life take an active role in such elections and put forward their names as contestants.

Our communities are a priceless treasure which we should cherish and strengthen through our endeavours

This is a clear sign that people do care about their communities. They are prepared to make sacrifices in order to improve the life of their communities.

There are others who feel that they can still be useful in their communities without running for public office. Our communities are blessed with people who offer their services voluntarily for the good of their communities.

There are those who are involved in the political sphere, others who are involved in the organisational aspect of their village festa, while others are involved in the running of their parish. Others still are involved in running the local scouts group or involved in one or more sports clubs in their communities.

Unfortunately, there are those who do not care about their community. In today’s fast-paced world, we are getting more engrossed in our own bubble, and while we are connected to each other in multiple ways more than ever before, real connection, that is the one done through interpersonal contact, is quite lacking.

This is leading to a situation where people do not have a real and meaningful engagement with their communities as we are becoming more egoist and self-centred.

This is seriously undermining our country’s social fibre which has always been based on the family, the extended family and our personal networks. This is not the kind of society which we should aspire to become.

Our communities are a priceless treasure which we should cherish and strengthen through our endeavours.

The day-to-day running of local councils requires much administrative work that may tend to alienate our councillors from their calling. In truth, this is luckily not the case as most councils do carry out their own initiatives in order to promote areas such as culture, the arts, local heritage, youth, social and family care. Such initiatives are a tangible sign of their commitment towards their community.

However, more than that, our councils’ direct involvement in communitylife places them in a very important position in order to protect and strengthen our communities.

For no local council can truly live up to its nature if it is removed from its community. Our ever-changing society is tearing apart our traditional social setting based on community living and is shifting towards a more individalistic society.

Local councils are called to propose a positive lifestyle for our residents. Through the direct involvement of our councils, communities can benefit from the development of a variety of personal, social and cultural aspects, such as education, health and environmental awareness, good neighbouring and the exchange of ideas in creativity and collective identity.

Councils should focus on all those residents who participate and worry about those who feel separated from society in order to reach out to those residents who are feeling left out from their communities.

Stefan Buontempo is Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government.