Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1091272
13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 MARCH 2019 Cultural soft power GEORGINA Portelli, board member of the Malta Interna- tional Contemporary Art Space, explains the power of art. "Nurturing joy, emotion, human dignity and respect are the tools of soft power which Malta can ef- fectively employ to further its in- fluence and improve its image and relations... Culture and the arts are powerful tools to help econ- omies and societies to pros- per and to allow individuals to connect with each other and across cultures… This is where the win- ning of hearts and minds really hap- pens". Cultural heritage Mal- ta's exceptional tangible and intan- gible cultural heritage arouses curi- osity and knowledge-seeking, and that makes Malta a dynamic cul- tural magnet in the Mediterranean. Cosmopolitanism It is Malta's di- verse communities and bilingual context which attracts people to relocate here. Empathic civil liberties and equality agenda This has seen Malta acquire a pro-active leader- ship role in this area. Innovative and creative spirit The Maltese are hard-working frontier people who have the ability and re- silience to forge their own place in the world. Ideal geography Malta can pro- actively work to build bridges for peace on the international stage as well as host significant events of international importance. This, coupled with economic stability, is what increases Malta's soft power capital in country promotion, iden- tity building and nation branding. Think out of the box PROF. Godfrey Baldacchino, sociologist and University of Malta pro-rector, says Malta's soft power can be harnessed by thinking out of the box… such as asking why Malta has not offered to host the Trump-Kim summit. Lateral think- ing Malta's best known living Mal- tese is Edward De Bono, who is syn- onymous with 'lateral thinking'. We should therefore develop this association better and craft a stronger 'brand' identi- ty for ourselves as honest brokers and intermediaries in regional and global politics. Bush and Gor- bachev met in Malta in 1989: why don't Trump and Kim meet here? A prestigious university With l-Universita ta' Malta, we have the oldest university in the Com- monwealth outside the UK – cel- ebrating 250 years as a public in- stitution in 2019. Malta also offers opportunities for quality higher learning in most subjects in a safe, affordable and decent climate. Specific programmes of study at UM, such as its medical degree, are powerful allures to those who wish to pursue them. Pardo's legacy We have the leg- acy of Arvid Pardo in the craft- ing of the 'law of the sea'; and the campus of the International Mari- time Law Institute at Tal-Qroqq to prove it. Small states studies We have considerable expertise in the area of small state studies and island studies for which we are respected internationally, The island-lab EDUCATOR and strategist Dr Alex Grech says Malta can be an island-lab for the technol- ogy sector. Size is an advantage Our size, topography, demographics, lan- guage, EU membership and ac- cess to decision-makers has enabled the country to identify and target niches before much larger, wealthier nation states could act on opportunities in emerging markets. Within my lifetime technology stimulated sustainable employment in new sectors such as telecoms, on- line gaming and financial ser- vices; stimulated the gradual move away from tour operators in tour- ism; and made the country a model of best practice for e-govern- ment. Fiscal Incentives and regulation Fiscal incentives were used strategically to stimu- late foreign direct investment. Moreover subsequent govern- ments have used policy-making as a means of enacting robust, regulatory regimes within a very short timeframe – the most re- cent examples are three pieces of legislation to stimulate the fin- tech sector. Good marketing Malta has de- veloped as a world-class case study in the blockchain sector and has followed up with inter- national conferences and road- shows. Education as the next frontier The next challenge is to invest in new lifelong learning models to ensure that future generations can become truly global citizens while ensuring that alternative and more sustainable models of growth are identified. The envi- ronment, unfortunately, has also become a victim of Malta's soft power. NEWS Immigration leadership It may pose logistical problems for our army but our role in coordinating rescue mis- sions to save people is a mark of hon- our. Immigration is also one of those issues where Malta has recently af- firmed itself as a coalition builder in Europe by brokering migrant shar- ing agreements between EU member states. Our own diaspora Pete Buttigieg – the son of Maltese academic may have a long shot at the US presidency. Imag- ine the sudden interest in Malta if this were to happen. But how much are we investing in cultivating links with the third and fourth generation of Maltese migrants in the US, Canada and Aus- tralia? And what about the more recent diaspora in Brussels and Luxembourg? The rainbow island From Europe's laggard Malta now tops ILGA's rank- ings in LGBTIQ rights, having not only legalised same sex marriage and adoption but also outlawed conver- sion therapy and introduced one of the most progressive gender identity laws in the world. Gays, lesbians and transex people occupy positions of influence the world over. Apart from being the right thing to do, project- ing Malta as a beacon of rights boosts our positive global image. But the dis- sonance between Malta as a leader in LGBTIQ rights and a laggard in repro- ductive rights is bound to strike the outside observer. Peace in the Middle East With George Vella as President Malta can capitalise on his enthusiasm for a fair resolution of the Middle East conflict between Palestinians and Israel. A long shot but worth trying… A car-less future Our small size makes us ideal for pilot projects in transpor- tation. The conversion to electric cars is a good step. But cars do not just pol- lute but they occupy and reshape pub- lic space. While there may be a diver- sity of public options to be explored, the rule should be that mass transit systems should free up space for pedes- trians and cyclists in our towns. That epic TV se- ries which puts Malta on the map Sure we had our mo- ments of exposure in classics like Midnight Express and more recently with the inclusion of Dwejra in Game of Thrones. Yet we never really made a hard sell as New Zealand did with Lords of the Ring. What about turning the Great Siege into an epic TV series? One note of caution, stray away from the classic good Knights vs. evil Ottoman troops. What about focusing on the enigmatic Dragut who may well emerge as the coun- terpart of the equally fierce La Vallette? The only problem: can one actually film it without some high-rise popping out from behind the bastions? Surely real- ity can always be edited out… THE PANEL OF IDEAS Geography and financial flows RAISA Galea, a researcher in oceanography and editor of Isles Of The Left iden- tifies Malta's key soft powers, cau- tioning that it does not always benefit the whole popula- tion. Maritime power Malta owns large ports which it can close for refuelling to other countries' fleets. It is akey maritime player in the central Mediterranean, especially when it comes to coordinating rescue operations. So is Malta's extensive air traffic space which it can also withhold to bigger powers. Proximity to North Africa In 2011 Malta assisted in evacuat- ing people from Libya. There have been reports of the presence of French intelligence agents in Malta to monitor the situation in Libya. Therefore, Malta is the EU's key base and link when it comes to dip- lomatic missions/exchanges with North Africa. Opaque financial system Malta has recently been in the interna- tional headlines not only due to its high-ranking state officials' Panama companies, but also due to facilitating illegitimate trans- fers of enormous sums of money from/to influential geopolitical players (Russian oligarchs, Turk- ish and Azeri ruling clans, Iranian and Venezuelan governments etc). Although these instances in- volved private financial actors, it still shows that Malta can actively intervene in international financial flows. It also means that Malta can attract attention of international intelligence agencies seeking to monitor these flows. Flexibile regulatory framework Malta takes risks within flexible regulatory frameworks enabled it to attract new industries, such as online gambling and blockchain. Five areas where Malta can punch above its weight The MaltaToday pick lic space. While there may be a diver- sity of public options to be explored, the rule should be that mass transit good Knights vs. evil Ottoman troops. What about focusing on the enigmatic Dragut who may well emerge as the coun- ments of exposure in out…