Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1459407
17 Unity SUNDAY 13 MARCH 2022 PHOTO JOANNA DEMARCO Dr Maria Pisani Youth & Community Studies THREE years have passed since Abdalla, Amara and Kader fled the shores of war-torn Libya in the hope of reaching security, a safe destination, and an op- portunity to pursue the kind of dreams any teenager hopes for. THEIR aspirations suggest noth- ing out of the ordinary: to pursue an education, play football, find peace of mind, make their fam- ilies proud. Three years have passed since these three African teenagers, aged 15, 16, and 19 at the time, were asked to mediate and translate between the cap- tain of the El Hiblu vessel, and 100 migrants, scared out of their wits at the prospect of being re- turned to Libya. Three teenagers, two of them boys, the other barely on the cusp of adulthood, were able to understand the panic of the oth- er passengers and the need to convey their shared fears to the Captain. They had no knowledge of the 1951 Geneva Convention, and yet, in spite of their young ages, they had been exposed to enough terror in their lives to understand that a return to Lib- ya and the horrors that awaited them would be cruel, wrong, and also criminal. As the captain steered his ves- sel back towards Malta, the po- litical fallout was already becom- ing clear. The Italian media had already reported that the vessel had been 'hijacked' and Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini brand- ed the incident as "the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants". A special unit of the Maltese military stormed the vessel. Met by a scene of calm, there was no need to take control, but simply to escort the captain as he continued to steer his ship to- wards Malta. The Armed Forces of Malta released footage of the military exercise that was subsequently broadcast by national and in- ternational media, the display of sovereign muscle framed and supported the political narra- tive of border politics within the Mediterranean and broader EU context. Upon arrival in Malta, the three boys were handcuffed, im- prisoned and charged with ter- rorism. They face a lifetime in prison. The ElHiblu3 Freedom Com- mission is a newly formed and independent alliance of human rights advocates demanding freedom of the ElHiblu3. Almost three years since the vessel El Hiblu 1 arrived in Mal- ta, the prosecution hasn't for- mulated an official charge. The charges brought against the three young men cannot be jus- tified, their treatment to date be- yond reprehensible. The Commission is calling on Malta to immediately dismiss the proceedings against the three youth. Drop the charges against the El Hiblu 3 Dr Roberta Attard Counselling OUR Faculty's 10th anniversa- ry, a celebration of its history, affords a brief amble down the pathways of time, to consider perhaps, the lessons afforded by experience. In this respect, I would like to share some thoughts from writer, academic and helping practition- er, Frantz Fanon's Black Skins, White Masks (1952): "Sometimes people hold a core belief that is very strong. When they are presented with evidence that works against that belief, the new evidence cannot be accept- ed… And because it is so impor- tant to protect the core belief, they will rationalize, ignore and even deny anything that doesn't fit in with the core belief." History is strewn with examples of such beliefs, of which some have changed the face of entire populations such as the slavery of black persons, the inhumane treatment and disenfranchise- ment of Native American Indians and Indigenous Australians, the killing of six million European Jews and five million prisoners of war, including Romany, persons with disability and gay and les- bian persons, and as I write this piece the invasion of Ukraine. The list is lengthy and reads like a walk of shame for humanity. We perceive others through our own personal lens, coloured and distorted by our needs, experi- ences and desires, and this per- ception can give rise to misper- ception which, in turn, can be a catalyst for conflict and strife. If we allow our actions to follow our perceptions, with little or no reflexive thought, we react in ways confluent with these phan- tom perceptions. As students, academics, re- searchers, professional helpers and staff within the Faculty for Social Wellbeing, we are com- pelled to make our voice heard where there is injustice and strife, and sow the seeds of understand- ing, equity and compassion. Oscar Wilde once remarked that "The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention". May these acts be the hallmark of our history. The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention Almost three years since the vessel El Hiblu 1 arrived in Malta, the prosecution hasn't formulated an official charge. The charges brought against the three young men cannot be justified, their treatment to date beyond reprehensible