Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/232206
35 maltatoday, THIS WEEK SUNDAY, 22 DECEMBER 2013 The dramatic in spirit in spiritual ecstasy ALTHOUGH published research in Maltese has increased significantly, there is still a dearth of academic material where theatre studies are concerned. A recently published book by Horizons, the publishing house that has garnered a reputation for its stable of respected authors, seeks to address the matter of extending the use of Maltese in the context of theatre research through an examination of the instinctive penchant for the dramatic coursing through some of the Church's more mystical saints. Written as a series of standalone essays, Mario Azzopardi's 'Vergni Sagri, Demonji u Boloh ghal-Alla: Kitbiet dwar it-Teatrikalità Religjuza' is ideal for readers to peruse a chapter in a single session, an added advantage given the academic subject matter, which, however, is rendered in an extremely tractable style. St Francis of Assisi, St John Bosco, Teresa of Avila (seen through Gian Lorenzo Bernini's spectacular rendition in marble of her ecstatic union with the divine), Thérèse of Lisieux, as well as "eccentric" mystics from the Russian Orthodox church are among some of the mystics that attract Azzopardi's interest at the level of gesture and performance. 383. PAINTED FROG We have just one native amphibian, and that's the painted frog (M: zring). It's so called because of its two-tone blotchy skin colour, though to most of us it always looks muddy brownish green, indeed almost invisible as it blends so well with its surrounding. This blending is no coincidence of course, since camouflage is its best defence – considering it's hunted by weasels, snakes and several water birds, it needs all the defence it can get. Frogs have declined in recent decades, as valley ponds and streams dry up too soon for them to complete their life cycle properly. This is all too often due to overextraction of groundwater, which depletes the water table and leaves many valleys high and dry. The painted frog has been protected for 20 years, but if its habitat goes, a fat lot of good that protection will do! Have you signed the REFERENDUM PETITION to BAN SPRING HUNTING? Please download a form from www.birdlifemalta.org. Thanks. Text Victor Falzon Photo Desirée Falzon As in his poetry, Azzopardi is drawn to these religious mystics whose status as outsiders made them suspect to elite power structures. In dealing with the theme of religious ecstasy and demonic persecution, the author assiduously desists from belittling the saints' extreme behaviour and seeks to understand it using historical research, theoretical psychology as well as theatre and literary criticism. The author has interviewed a number of representatives of the various religious Orders to support his interpretation and give the text an immediacy that appeals to readers. He has also delved into the episodic haematological manifestations of an Italian novice who lived in Malta for a short while in the 19th century, through a compilation of the bloodstained Download the MaltaToday App now handkerchiefs held at the Jesuit archives in Naxxar. Focusing on the dynamic nature of the theatre, Azzopardi seeks to transform the distancing effect of academic language through an original theatre script (included as an appendix) dealing with the trial of the Jesuit Jean-Baptiste Girard accused of seducing MarieCatherine Cadière. Historical in nature, this text has implications that are still highly relevant today in that it speaks to all women (and men) who are harassed by authority figures. ASSOCJAZZJONI RADJU MARIJA MARATONA - FUND RAISING WHICH WAS HELD: BETWEEN THE 6 - 8 DECEMBER 2013. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THE AMOUNT COLLECTED DURING THIS EVENT : €52,400 THANK YOU ! Aichi Biodiversity Targets – Incentives reformed By 2020, at the latest, incentives, including subsidies, harmful to biodiversity are eliminated, phased out or reformed in order to minimize or avoid negative impacts, and positive incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity are developed and applied, consistent and in harmony with the Convention and other relevant international obligations, taking into account national socio economic conditions. Substantial and widespread changes to subsidies and other incentives that are harmful to biodiversity are required to ensure Sustainability. Ending or reforming harmful incentives is a critical and necessary step that would also generate net socio-economic benefits. The creation or further development of positive incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, provided that such incentives are in harmony with the Convention and other relevant international obligations, could also help in the implementation of the Strategic Plan by providing financial resources or other motives to encourage actors to undertake actions which would benefit biodiversity. An overarching principle in this target is that any actions taken should be in harmony with the Convention and other relevant international obligations, taking into account national socio economic conditions. As such incentives should contribute to the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components and not negatively affect biodiversity and livelihoods of other countries and contribute to sustainable development and the eradication of poverty. Further, bearing in mind the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, this target would not imply a need for developing countries to remove subsidies that are necessary for poverty reduction programmes. As part of its national obligations Malta targets that by 2020, positive incentives for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity are increasingly promoted. Malta also pledged to cooperate in efforts to address environmentally harmful subsidies. Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us www.foemalta.org. You can also support us by sending a blank SMS donation on 50618070 (€4.66) or 50619223 (€11.65). GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 285 Recycle A3 and flipchart paper – – If your office uses a lot of A3 or flipchart paper, but only uses one side, see if there's another way to use it before it gets recycled. Children get through a lot of paper, so maybe ask work colleagues with kids if they'd like it - or try a local nursery or school.