An informal think tank is calling for research into each locality's demographics with special attention to family and household structures, ethnic diversity, physical, intellectual, sensorial and psychosocial disability, and physical and mental health.

The group is made up of academics, postgraduate students and practitioners working in policy, media, community action and development, local councils, disability and youth.

Reacting to the White Paper on Local Government Reform, the think tank said it supported the attention that the consultation document gave to the increasing multicultural dynamics of contemporary Maltese communities.

However, they flagged the White Paper’s "limited or negligible attention" to youth, people with disabilities and other emerging interest groups, such as reconstituted families, immigrants and people living alone.

"These are vulnerable to hardships, social exclusion, limited community engagement and political participation, and possibly suffering from loneliness in an increasingly fragmented society featuring increased emphasis on short-term
consumerist gratification."

In their response paper, the academics also proposed periodic compulsory training for all mayors, councillors, executive secretaries and other local government officials regardless of their age or years in office.

This would ensure that all are trained in skills required to run a local council and fulfil their positions.

The group commended the attention that the White Paper gave to local and regional councils and welcomed the proposals for additional technocratic expertise within these structures.

They recommended, however, that "small-scale community contexts should act as incubators of holistic social economic and environmental wellbeing based on community development".

The contributors included academics Andrew Azzopardi (Faculty for Social Wellbeing), Marie Briguglio (Department of Economics) and Colin Borg, (Department of Public Policy), local councillor Stephania Fenech (Żejtun council), practitioners Oliver Scicluna (Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disability) and Melvic Zammit (Public Broadcasting Services), activist Eman Borg (Kunsill Nazzjonali taż-Żgħażagħ) and student  Denise Farrugia. Maria Brown (sociologist) coordinated the initiative.