Mother, Nature

President George Vella, this week, twice spoke about the protection of the environment.

On Monday he was delivering a keynote speech at the award ceremony of the annual Buonamico Award, which is now in its fourth year. The award is given to individuals who have significantly contributed to knowledge or management of local biodiversity and environmental resources. Later on, his second appeal was made during the annual Ġieħ Għawdex Award ceremony, organised by the Circolo Gozitano and the Ministry for Gozo in Victoria, Gozo.

Like the rare Blue Moon coming at the end of this week, President Vella has emerged onto the night sky and suddenly embraced some very important thoughts on the impact that development, lack of open space and individual responsibility is having on the long-term quality of the place we live in and the life we enjoy. He made an appeal to find a balance between new construction projects and the protection of the environment for future generations.

Both of the two occasions on which he spoke of the need for this balance were related to the topic of the environment. What a pity that he had to wait until we are in such a critical and sad state of imbalance in order to speak up. His intervention lacks conviction coming as it does at such a late stage in the destruction around us and when the many times that an authoritative voice was needed, he was absent.

This is like the time before an election when certain projects that have been left on the shelf are suddenly dusted and brought into the light with renewed promise. The sad reality is that people have been locked inside their house, unable to sleep, unable to go out and endangering their health wherever excavations or road projects such as the Central Link, have been taking place continuously.

How does the handing over of the little open space remaining, to the Hunters’ Federation fit into giving people a better quality of life? This morning, a Sitdown protest is to be organized in Valletta by Spazji Miftuħa, Extinction Rebellion and 7 other NGOs. Will the President keep up the initiative and defend the open spaces by doing more than talking about it when the occasion so requires? Not just, of course, the open spaces but also as he stated, the need to find a balance around construction. Sadly, Malta’s presidency has become a flimsy shadow of what it represents.

That was Nature.

On Tuesday, the man accused of murdering Chantelle Chetcuti was released on bail.

A mother, stabbed in the head during an argument.

Creation means nothing in Malta and Gozo. It is there to be slaughtered, to be killed, to be shot, to be ravaged. Maybe the Church should be speaking up more in this regard. Nature and Women are created by God and give life. But, sadly, both remain at the mercy of an order gone wrong. A dysfunctional relationship between men and women, mother and wife.

The rise in femicide is one side of the story. The liberty of will, to go out and harm and willfully deprive society of its right to life by an inclination and then to be, on the one hand actually given privileges and on the other devaluing justice is just criminal.

No longer can we afford to have this weakening of our rights, our environment, our health and our peace.

These are not matters to be touched up here and there when the occasion arises. These are fundamental issues for our times.

Cars, swimming pools, flyovers are treated like the camel in the desert. Essential to survival. When, in fact, they are the culprits that are destroying nature. Climate change is pushed to the background whilst we face the consequences all around us.

Nurses, in their majority female, are currently working beyond the call of duty in order to try and save lives and care for the COVID patients in hospital. Their needs are brushed aside, but a person who holds a gun gets the green light. Prosperity is for the bullies and the Las Vegas freebie guests.

Mother, Nature are seen as objects of contempt in Malta. Your biological mother may be treated with respect but the symbol of a mother is lost on the entitled society that has only its own importance in mind.

Trees cut down without justification or explanation. Women living in fear. This is what goes for the new normal in our island. It may be that women, who carry life in them and give birth, can sense the loss of the useless deaths that we are facing with the pandemic and feel the need for a better management of the virus. For others, though, it is silly to stop what we are doing to save lives.

It is the job of the government and the Prime Minister to find the balance in all things and put justice above indulgence and populism. Human rights will continue to exist as long as there is a new day. What we have been enduring in our country is a total ignorance of what these rights consist of. They are bent and forgotten whenever it is convenient, so that the few may have their whims fulfilled and they can sit back and laugh.

When truth is spoken, backs go up and rage is quick to strike. We all must play our part, not just when it is affordable, but at any time it is needed, to speak the truth and defend our world, creation, nature and our quality of life and right to life.

How many more months shall pass before we hear the President speak again on the subject of the environment? What will remain in the days to come of our surroundings? What air shall we breathe and what walks can we take? Where are we to enjoy some family time? Is it possible that the only entertainment that young people can come up with is to gather in groups and drink alcohol? Is it normal to wear a mask on a country lane for a solitary walk but stand right next to a shop and smoke?

Before we find a balance, we must find a conscience.