Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/525174
6 JURGEN BALZAN FRONT Harsien ODZ has written to all Members of Parliament and the two major party leaders, asking them to state their opinion on Zon- qor's ODZ development proposal. In its letter to all 69 MPs, Front Ħarsien ODZ (FHO) explained that it is a non-partisan citizens' move- ment founded and run by persons from all walks of life. The front will be holding a na- tional protest on 20 June against the proposed ODZ development at Zonqor. The protest will be held outside the new Parliament build- ing at 10am. In due course, FHO will also be holding other activities regarding other ODZ proposals, such as the shooting range at Mosta. "In this regard, we are hereby ask- ing each Member of Parliament and Party Leader to send us your position on the ODZ development proposal at Zonqor. We will even- tually also be asking you for your position on other ODZ develop- ment proposals," the letter reads. MPs were asked to make their position clear on the Zonqor ODZ proposal by 14 June. Front Harsien ODZ will be announcing the posi- tions of each MP. "We strongly believe that citizens have every right to know where their representatives stand with regard to such development," the Front said in a statement. On 5 May, the government and Jordanian construction company Sadeen Group signed a heads of agreement for the setting up of the American University of Malta. Land outside the development zone near Marsaskala, in the area known as Zonqor Point, has been earmarked for the €115 million campus for 4,000 students. The growing list of organisa- tions and individuals opposing the project include Archbishop Charles Scicluna, Alternattiva Demokra- tika, government whip Godfrey Farrugia and outspoken Labour backbencher Marlene Farrugia, over 150 academics and various organisations representing a wide variety of sectors. So far, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has indicated that the pro- posed university – which has yet to be granted accreditation by the Na- tional Commission for Further and Higher Education – will go ahead as planned and at most he is ready to accept a smaller scale develop- ment at Zonqor. On the other hand, opposition leader Simon Busuttil has fiercely opposed the project and despite the PN's poor environmental record, he has claimed that the party will "em- brace" environmental protection. Front Harsien ODZ was set up last month following the announce- ment of the proposed construc- tion of the 'American University of Malta' at Zonqor Point, that will take over 90,000 square metres of pristine land. Only a few hours after the 20 June protest was announced, seven environmental NGOs – Din l-Art Helwa, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ah- jar, Friends of the Earth, Ramblers' Association, BirdLife, Greenhouse, and Nature Trust – declared that they will be participating in it. "Development that increases the urbanisation of ODZ areas is un- acceptable, and compromising on this point has caused untold dam- age to the nation's countryside over the past years," the NGOs said in a statement. "Any new investment should take place within the development boundaries. We condemn any at- tempt to once again alter the devel- opment boundaries, as well as the attitude being taken that invest- ment is only viable if located on 'cheap' ODZ land. "The remaining ODZ land serves as an invaluable public benefit and should not be sacrificed to the ad- vantage of private investors just because its location outside the de- velopment zone makes its market price artificially cheap." maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 10 JUNE 2015 News MPs asked to take stand on Zonqor ODZ development Front Harsien ODZ will be announcing the positions of each MP 'Big data' observatory sets out to map complex migratory patterns MATTHEW VELLA MIDDLESEX University has estab- lished a new observatory for mi- gratory flows in Malta that will be gathering a host of data on move- ments and patterns in sea cross- ings, to aid policymakers. Together with the private search and rescue organisation MOAS (Malta Offshore Aid Station), the Mediterranean Observatory on Migration, Protection and Asylum will be collecting real-time data on crossings and from rescued mi- grants. "Our aim is to inform and hope- fully shed light on this most com- plex and tragic set of circumstanc- es," Prof. Brad Blitz said. The extraordinary flows of 'boat people' crossing the Mediterra- nean in 2015 has thrown into relief the challenges of providing hu- manitarian protection to vulner- able refugees and migrants, while ensuring effective border manage- ment. With the help of its students aboard the MOAS vessel Phoenix, which is currently operating in the Libyan search and rescue region beneath the area monitored by the EU's Triton mission, MOMPA will gather data and act as a clearing- house to advance the coordination of research, advocacy and policy development on the Mediterrane- an, regarding the management of migration and asylum throughout the European region. 10 students from Middlesex Uni- versity will be aboard the Phoenix mapping rescue operations, and using footage and collecting hu- man stories as a way of grouping together all the data there is avail- able. Brigadier Martin Xuereb, from MOAS, said he hoped the data col- lected will be a factor in influenc- ing the discourse on migration. "MOAS will feed into this data as well as feed off this data… our organisation feels it has to be out there mitigating the crossing for those who feel compelled to make it. We see ourselves as a nimble organisation when it comes to sav- ing lives at sea." Other speakers at Tuesday's launch included a senior lecturer in international humani- tarian law, Dr Anthony Cullen, who spoke of the well established principles of non-refoulement and saving lives at sea. "The UN's Law of the Sea lays down mandatory obligations for an effective search and rescue sys- tem from member states… but al- though the primary role of SAR lies with states there is also an obliga- tion from other actors to carry out this duty," Cullen said. Dr Ian Greatbatch, senior lecturer in search and rescue, said the data collection would be used to formu- late maps, patterns of routes, and hopefully be used to influence EU decision-making on migration. "Information provided to policy- makers can influence the way de- cisions are taken," Prof. Blitz said, having dubbed the EU's decision- making as "reactionary". "His- torically the EU has been slow in response to complex situations, which is why early warning sys- tems can help in this situation."