The Malta Independent on Sunday
Where the heart is not enough
There is, and most probably never was, any doubt that the Maltese as a nation are generous and full of heart. This is reflected in the way they annually and happily dig into their pockets to support charitable causes on and off the electronic media.
Millions of direct aid are eagerly pumped into institutions and organisations dedicated to working among the disabled, the unfortunate and other citizens who need not only our financial help but also our understanding, our commitment to rights and responsibilities, and our awareness of the growing need for inclusion.
Where the heart is not enough, for we know the everyday needs of these hard-working institutions and organisations are enormously challenging, the State, in its benign, benefactor role, has to come in and transform its rigid political and ideological pledges into actions which make those challenges more surmountable.
The present Labour administration, as those since 2013, has certianly not shed its responsibilities in this sector. The work of these institutions and organisations offers a muchneeded respite from the mounting pressures on our social welfare system which has also seen, one must add, an incredible output of taxpayer money as reflected so positively in the national and European statistics. The Welfare State is strong and able, but the privately-run entities in the sector provide a most reliable platform on which the nation can rely.
The allocation this week of €855,750, €40,750 higher than last year, to Fondazzjoni Inspire was testament to our commitment and belief that nongovernmental institutions and organisations helping the disabled and other segments of the Maltese population, deserve our continued support and appreciation.
The pandemic has not helped, of course. It has complicated the work of these entities, hindering the services they provide and making it more difficult to sustain performance levels and facilities. Our support to Inspire’s Star 25, which provides a therapeutic environment and services to disabled persons, autistic children and victims of cerebral palsy, is just one example of many, an injection that will hopefully go a long way towards making ends meet and instilling further the noble motivation that led to its inception 40 years ago.
Indeed, where the heart is not enough, there is always the official provision of national funds required to help keep the wheels turning. Maltese citizens, whatever their physical, psychological and social conditions, deserve our full attention. This whole mechanism is a reflection of our deep-rooted determination in sustaining our main objectives as a government, with particular reference to inclusion and the wellbeing of our people.
At the risk of sounding boring, this on-going commitment is also echoed in the statistics. It would be unwise to think in political or partisan terms when one analyses official figures, for it is a fact that previous administrations have also been wary of their obligations and they too came in to help when the heart was not enough. But the trend for more support, more financial backing and more awareness cannot be denied. Suffice to say that while in 2012 allocation of funds under programmes and initiatives for disability was €1,028,000 and €8,120,000 for agency support, in 2021 the allocation of funds under programmes and initiatives for disability is €13,830,000 and €20,530,000 for agency support.
One would have thought that during the past year or so the inclination would be towards merely maintaining funding levels, but we chose not to go for stalement as some other governments, in other countries, have done. Our assistance to citizens, businesses and sundry services needed to include the whole spectrum of Maltese society. And that is how we intend to keep it while the world continues to search for ways and means back to normality.
“In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was made flesh. It was so in the beginning and it is so today. The language, the Word, carries within it the history, the culture, the traditions, the flesh, the very life of a people. Language is the people.
We cannot even conceive of a people without a language, or a language without a people. The two are one and the same. To know one is to know the other.” Sabine Ulibarrí, American teacher and writer
The importance of a language as a fundamental means of communication cannot be denied. The unique and varied methods we use to communicate through the written and spoken word helps us create lasting bonds with one another and it separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. As psycholinguist Frank Smith says, “language is not a genetic gift; it is a social gift. Learning a new language is becoming a member of the club - the community of speakers of that language.”
A FORM OF THERAPY
Bilingual or multilingualism is another aspect that in today’s world has become very important. Science shows that the cognitive and neurological benefits of bilingualism extend from early childhood to old age. Learning a second language helps the brain process information more efficiently and wards off old-age related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
It is proven that learning a second language helps not only people who were raised bi-lingual but also persons that learn a second language later on in life. Bi-lingualism helps improve memory, visual-spatial skills and creativity. It also has valuable social benefits. Being bilingual helps in the ability to explore a culture through its native tongue or talk to a person with whom otherwise one would never be able to communicate. Indeed, learning a language validates a person’s status as a citizen of the world. It contributes to international cooperation and understanding.
TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION
We are living in a fast-paced technological era. Communication across continents happens in real time. The postal service of my youth is now dubbed snail mail! Waiting excitedly for reply letters from pen-friends and loved ones abroad are long-lost experiences that today are inconceivable. My email box pops up messages in split seconds from all corners of the globe. My mobile device never stops pinging and ringing. My children cannot fathom waiting for weeks for replies and have no clue how the old telephone dial works!
All of today’s technology revolves round communicating with words and speech. Speaking one language is a basic human need however, technology has now launched us into the digital era. We are now members of a global village. We also travel effortlessly to and from different destinations - the digital technology at our fingertips ensures that travelling is fast, secure, and efficient. People now travel and often settle in foreign countries for various reasons. Many are economic migrants. Others are fleeing persecution and starvation.
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Bottom line, people from different cultural backgrounds are living, working and interacting together. Multilingualism and at minimum bilingualism are now essential tools for the harmonious co-existence of people from diverse backgrounds in one space.
The demand for skills in multiple languages has increased also for its potential economic benefits. Fluency in multiple languages increases commercial and service opportunities in both ethnic and general markets. In the economic world, businesses look for people who are bilingual or multilingual because of the diversity of today’s population. They also want workers with multiple-language skills who can readily navigate international markets.
‘A LANGUAGE POLICY FOR THE JUNIOR YEARS’
It is a known fact that bilingualism is an incredible gift to give to a child. It goes beyond just learning another language. It broadens mental development, thought patterns, creativity and a wide world perspective.
As Minister for Education, I am keen to strengthen and enhance our education system to push forward the teaching of foreign languages in our schools. Last Wednesday, I launched the Policy Document ‘A Language Policy for the Junior Years’. This document is intended to offer direction and support in the use of languages across the curriculum and the teaching and learning of languages in the later primary school years. The policy encourages multilingualism whilst at the same time giving importance to the Maltese and English language.
It is a policy that focuses on the promotion in the use of language mediation particularly in our current situation where children from different countries are now part of our society. It also empowers children, parents, and educators to make informed decisions about the promotion of multilingualism at home and in a school environment. Families, schools, and the media are encouraged to foster positive attitudes towards Maltese, English and other languages and to support language education policies and practices which promote language diversity. In schools, teachers are encouraged to adopt language mediation strategies to meet the educational needs of students from diverse language backgrounds.
The enchanting island of Gozo provides us with many fascinating legends, passed down from one generation to another, and which are said to have happened there in the course of its thousands of years of fascinating history: from the story of Sansuna, the giantess who supposedly built the Neolithic temples of Ġgantija, to the dramatic rescue by St Demetrius of a young man abducted by pirates.
One of the more intriguing legends is that of the golden calf. The legend states that this ancient artefact was discovered by a Gozitan farmer in one of his fields, and not being knowledgeable about such things, he naively went to a local goldsmith for advice about its true worth. The opportunistic goldsmith tricked the farmer into handing over to him his newfound treasure, by claiming that according to the laws of the country, such discoveries had to be turned over to the Grand Master, as the ruler of the land. Promising to take care of the matter himself, he instead kept possession of the precious statuette. When the farmer’s wife realised this, she was furious and started to tell everyone what happened. Not surprisingly, the story reached the Grand Master, who after talking with the farmer to verify the facts, ordered the arrest and interrogation of the goldmsith. However, despite undergoing brutal torture that eventually resulted in his death, the goldsmith refused to divulge the whereabouts of the golden calf, leading to it being lost for ever.
But this, of course, is just a tale, based on pure fiction, right? Or is it not? Actually, it turns out that there is a very strong historical basis for this legend: the story of the alleged unearthing, in the year 1729, of a golden calf by the Gozitan Antonio Pace, that would lead to the arrest, torture and death of fellow Gozitan Giuseppe Cassar, for having refused to divulge the location of the treasure to the Grand Master, Antonio Manoel de Vilhena. So how did the real version go?
According to Antonio Pace, the man who first discovered the treasure, a dream he had led him to an area near an old church in the vicinity of Dwejra, where he somehow came across this precious statuette in the form of a calf. Allegedly made of solid gold, its eyes were in the shape of two precious gems, while another was stuck to its forehead. A considerable amount of gold coins worth several thousand scudi completed the haul.
While such a story might seem quite sensational, the occasional finding of treasures was not so uncommon in the Maltese Islands, with their long history of colonisation by various ancient civilisations. In addition, the constant risk of pirate raids and invasions would have encouraged anyone, who owned a lot of money or precious items, to hide them away to prevent them from being stolen, especially before the existence of banks or other secure places where they could be deposited. So such a discovery as that of Pace would not have been so inconceivable.
But although many might have thought of him as being extremely lucky at such a find, he did not enjoy his newfound wealth for long, as somehow, he claimed, he was duped into passing his precious discovery over to Giuseppe
Cassar, a prosperous
and well-known businessman from Gozo, who also happened to be a friend of the Portuguese Grand Master Vilhena. News about the discovery soon reached the ears of the Grand Master himself, who summoned Cassar and requested him to give up the treasure, since by law, it rightfully belonged to him as the island’s sovereign. Cassar, however, denied the story completely, claiming it was a total fabrication. It was at this point that Vilhena decided to resort to torture to make him talk. Alas, it was to no avail! Despite being made to suffer excruciating pain, using methods such as the tormento della corda and the cavalletto, the elderly Cassar stuck to his guns and pleaded his innocence. Although the courts had already sentenced him to row on the Order’s galleys for life, he never got to serve his sentence, as he died a few days later from the serious injuries that had been inflicted upon him, while all his property was confiscated and handed over to the Grand Master in lieu of the treasure.
As all of this is well-documented, there is no doubt that the popular legend is based on a real life event. But that still leaves one other question: did Antonio Pace really discover a golden calf or any treasure at all? Many at the time surely believed him, including prominent figures, such as the esteemed Gozitan historian Agius de Soldanis, who came to the conclusion that the relic was surely a Phoenician artefact. But there were also others who were more sceptical of the whole affair, left unconvinced by several aspects of the story, such as the supposed dream that had led Pace to the discovery and the apparent ease with which he had supposedly been convinced to hand his precious find over to Cassar for no apparent reward.
A closer look at the documented evidence also throws further doubt onto the story and suggests other possible motives behind the whole thing. Approximately two months after Giuseppe Cassar’s death, an official contract was drawn up, stating that Grand Master Vilhena was generously donating the confiscated property to the hospital of St John in Gozo. Apart from the fact that he might have chosen to donate to a Gozitan charitable institution in order to appease the locals, who might have been upset at the unjust treatment meted out to one of their own, the details from the contract also raise some interesting questions. The document describes in detail the wealth that
had been owned by Cassar, including a number of properties in various parts of Gozo. But actually, most of his income came from lending considerable sums of cash to various people. Although the first thought might be that Pace could have been one of Cassar’s clients, who decided to get rid of him because he could not afford to pay him back, no mention of his name was found in Cassar’s records. Another possibility could be that Pace had requested a loan and became angry when Cassar had refused, perhaps because he doubted Pace’s ability to pay it back.
So did Pace invent the story of the treasure in order to get Cassar in trouble with the authorities? While this cannot be proven, there are certainly strong suspicions that suggest that’s exactly what happened. The only description of the statue that we have is the one provided by Pace himself, who was the only person who claimed to have seen it with his own eyes. Cassar, on the other hand, continued to deny any knowledge of the treasure throughout the long hours of horrific torture, in fact right up to his death as a result of it. All this suggests the likelihood that the golden calf was nothing but a figment of Pace’s imagination, likely borne out of an intense fury and desire for vengeance and which resulted in such terrible consequences.
References: Zammit, W. (2016). Find or Fiction? The Gozo Vitello d’Oro Treasure of 1729. Malta: Symposia Melitensia Number 12