Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1479881
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 SEPTEMBER 2022 OPINION 11 Julia Farrugia Portelli is minister for inclusion, social wellbeing and voluntary organisations Much more than symbolism lated offences - been a single, solitary case of 'collective pun- ishment', targeting the hunting community as a whole… but in most instances, the actual perpe- trator himself would not even be 'individually punished', either! And we all also know exactly why it turns out that way, so very often. Mostly, it's for the simple reason no Maltese government – since the mid-1990s, at any rate – has ever had the political will to confront (still less, 'provoke') the hunting lobby, by actually 'enforcing its own laws'; but it's also partly because (for much the same reason) the Maltese authorities are simply too un- der-staffed, and too ill-equipped, to properly monitor the daily activities of over 10,000 hunters, strewn across the entire islands… Which of course, brings us to the most overwhelming reason why none of the above 'exhibits' (least of all, the most recent one) can possibly be interpreted as examples of 'collective punish- ment'. It concerns the primary motivation behind all of those actions and decisions: which has never been to 'punish hunt- ers'; but always – in each and every single case - to 'PROTECT BIRDS'. And yes, granted: in most cas- es, the need for this protection would arise directly from the criminal activities of individual hunters, who repeatedly – and very often, with impunity – 'break the law', at every given op- portunity. This is certainly true of Qawra Point, which we all know to be a notorious hot-spot for illegal hunting anyway… … but we all also know (or should know, anyway) that this is not the only reason why hunting has now been banned from that particular site. There is, by my count, at least one other, highly valid reason to declare Qawra Point as a Nature Reserve (and guess what? It doesn't even have anything to do with 'birds' at all) It may have escaped the FKNK's notice, over years, but… Maltese law also prohibits hunting from taking place 'within 200 metres of a residential area'. And the small islet we are talking about here, just happens to be right on the threshold of one of the most densely populated 'residential (and tourism) areas' that Malta even has to offer. Qawra, of all places… which – as can be confirmed just by driving past Salina Bay on the Coast Road, any day of the week – looms a LOT closer to that site, than the maximum distance al- lowed by law for hunting. Effectively, then, hunting should never have been permit- ted on Qawra Point in the first place. So far from constituting a 'collective punishment against hunters'… its long-overdue designation as a nature reserve actually rectifies an injustice that the rest of Malta's non-hunting population (and even more so, its migratory bird-life) has been enduring, in silence, for decades. And yet, and yet: not only do the hunters react by (as usu- al) 'playing the victim card'; but they even claim to be victims of a WAR CRIME, no less… I mean, honestly: how much more "absolutely, totally and in all other ways INCONCEIVA- BLE', can you possibly get? THERE may be, among some people, the wrong perception that awards of any kind are merely an act of symbolism. Not when they are motivated by a strong desire to express and consolidate a commitment – precisely the overlying factor of the annual Premju Soċjetà Ġusta through which Gov- ernment seeks to acknowledge the ded- ication and commitment to inclusion of individuals, voluntary organisations and workplaces in the disability sector. We have just launched this year's edition of Premju Soċjetà Ġusta and in Decem- ber, during the week dedicated to Disabil- ity, seven different awards are aimed not at collecting trophies or souvenirs but at instilling a spirit of dedication and stead- fastness to issues that modern society takes too much for granted. Recognition of one's merits goes a long way towards encouraging others within and without the sector to join in this ever-growing manifestation of our will to make of inclu- sion, rights and sup- port to all citizens with a disability the focus of all our ef- forts and ambitions. In the past, pay- ing lip service often led to disappoint- ment and frustration among those work- ing in the disabili- ty sector as well as those persons with a disability and their families. We are proud of the fact we have done a lot more than that and of the achievements as well as the ongoing pro- cess of changing and updating societal views to make of Maltese society a better platform for reform in a sector that has to meet daily challenges in the face of a residue of laissez-faire and an unfair disre- gard to the issue of personal and collective rights. Premju Soċjetà Ġusta spotlights the road we have covered so far as well as the road ahead. While we find time to look back, there is everything to look forward to. Our appreciation of the tremendous work a good number of individuals, vol- untary organisations and workplaces do in the disability sector is displayed through these awards as week after week, we seek to encourage even more commitment to serve as an inspiration for others to come up with new initiatives and innovations. We may live in a throbbing society that is moving forward economically and infra- structurally, but without shedding its so- cial responsibility to help those who can play their part too, if and when given the opportunity based on the noble sentiment of inclusion. The creation of a just society does not happen overnight by the use of a magic wand, but by a sustained level of sheer determination and the coordination of all forces within a vibrant sector. We know and we can see the progress that has been made, serving as a unique catalyst to great- er involvement by all sectors of Maltese society. In return, a just society invigor- ates persons with a disability to play an active part, particu- larly within the var- ious communities of our towns and villages. It really means doing away with stereotypes forever. We have the words of Jacob Cachia, winner of last year's Premju Soċjetà Ġusta, who said that what has been achieved in the past few years has helped him to live in an inclusive society and today he is, despite his disability, contrib- uting to that same society as an equal citizen. There are many others like Jacob who have taken cue from the Government's drive to create a just society by intro- ducing rights, embedding the principle of inclusion everywhere and establish- ing equity as the backbone of our nation. Government is rightly obliged to show its appreciation towards those who strive to ensure an inclusive society where persons with a disability and their significant oth- ers experience accessibility and independ- ent living conditions. Come December, the Premju Soċjetà Ġusta ceremony will offer a timely expo- sition of those very aims we still seek to achieve for a more just and inclusive so- ciety. Julia Farrugia Portelli In the past, paying lip service often led to disappointment and frustration among those working in the disability sector as well as those persons with a disability and their families