Looking at 2016, welcoming 2017
Dr Refalo is Minister for Gozo
Events that left many of us with an increasing sense of vulnerability as it gave rise to a feeling that wherever we travel to we might not be as safe as we thought. As months passed by, that feeling of concern lessened and people thought less about such a possibility. A year later, we witnessed another attack, this time in Berlin, a major city which even after the attacks on London and Madrid seemed immune. Berlin seemed to be the city that best symbolised the European integration project with the falling of the wall more than 25 years ago, serving as a key moment in our collective memory. However, Monday’s events may have finally punctured that sense.
This year has also been marked by several international events: Brexit and the US presidential election being the two important ones. They occurred on the opposite sides of the Atlantic and had differing stories. However, in the opinion of many, the real driver of these events was the same underlining cause, that of increasing insecurity among a large section of the population. Several observers concluded that many felt threatened by globalisation and responded by claiming privileged access to jobs and resources while trying to exclude others based on race or nationality. Many targeted the free movement of people while discounting completely the benefits that these brought and ignored the positive impact of free trade and competition on the overall welfare of their economies.
However, probably the most persistent feature for 2016 were the events in Syria. The year 2016 did not bring any respite to strife-torn Syria and the country has remained in the grip of a violent civil war since 2011. To continue talking about symbolism, the city of Aleppo become a sort of one, capturing better than any other city the raging battle between the Syrian government and the various factions that opposed the government and oppose each other. If war means the annihilation of truth and clarity, the events in Aleppo took it to another level as no one knows whom the enemy is and who is not. However, the consequences remain clear. The battles have led to the death of thousands of innocent people. The atrocious bombing and destruction has resulted in dwindling population. Refugees are all over the place, including Europe.
On a national level and more so on a local level, a lot has taken place. Many positive things have been done and others that might have been done better. But today is not the right time to dwell on this. It will be for another time.
Events on both global and national levels do have an impact on our minds. However, events on a more personal level probably are the major source of our happiness or lack of it. The end of the year also means the celebration of a Christian feast – the Nativity. For us, it is probably the most important date on our our calendar, and for many it represents good time with family and friends, something that in our daily routine is becoming increasingly scarce. However, for some it also means a deeper sense of solitude. Solitude without choice, and with too much of it, can easily turn into loneliness, which is no pleasure at all. It might be opportune to stop and think that there are thousands of people around us, most of them elderly but not only, whose lives are blighted by loneliness. Christmas makes this time even harder for them. As most of us feel we are much too busy to help these people whose existence we might not even be aware of, it would also be the perfect gesture to call people we think might be in such a situation. It does not sound much, but for them a call that punctuates an endless time of solitude, would mean a lot.
The season of Christmas and the new year may represent different things to different people. But it is also a time to stop and think about the things we cherish most, about our priorities in life, our values and our views. Above all, it is an opportunity to show respect for each other and doing this constantly will help us have better years ahead.