Side By Side Special june2014 by side-by-side

INTERVISTA MAL-PRESIDENT TA’ MALTA, MARIE-LOUISE COLEIRO PRECA Pg 4

IN THIS ISSUE

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Community integration through the work of the Qawra Access Centre

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Teachers’ perspectives on multiculturalism

General Programme Solidarity & Management of Migration Flows 2007-2013 European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (IF) Project part-financed by the European Union Co-financing rate: 75% EU Funds: 25% Beneficiary’s Funds Sustainable Management of Migration Flows

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Stepping outside of your comfort zone

Side by Side

PROMOTING INTEGRATION AND DIVERSITY IN MALTA

JUNE 2014

sos MalTa’s aiMs & aCTiviTies

ediToRial has been distributed to all households across Malta and Gozo. Immigrating intrinsically means change, and above all adaptation. When one leaves his/her home country to seek better opportunities elsewhere, one must be prepared to adapt to a new way of life, including the culture, habits, and language of the country, however trivial or strange they might seem. Ultimately, the country of residence has both perks and nuisances. Living alongside the natives, learning about their customs; culture; and trying, as much as possible, to learn the language, are some of the major tools for communication and are indeed requisites. Learning the language of the country settled in, will no doubt show that one is willing to communicate with the locals. On the other hand, one finds the will of acceptance by the local residents.

Education plays a vital role in all this and during the execution of our ‘Side By Side’ Project, we learnt that this has to be done at all levels of society. Instilling the curiosity about other people’s traditions and cultures in our younger generations is just as important as addressing the older generations. Children play together and enjoy themselves together, regardless of race, beliefs or customs. Children very often equate diversity to being ‘special’. Malta has always been a cultural hub and a melting pot of cultures. It is a past we accept, a present we live in and a future we should embrace. We have to open our horizons to adapt, learn and live together peacefully but at the same time, we have to acknowledge the difficulties. We live in a globalised world and our society must learn to adapt. We must keep in mind that what we accept today will be tomorrow’s norm.

Malta bejn immigranti, soċjetà, u nazzjon

ddominata mill-imperu Ingliż, u dan ġab nies ġodda lejna. Eżempju tajjeb hu dak tal-Indjani, li nafuhom l-iktar mill-ħwienet tal-ħwejjeġ u s-souvenirs li għandhom il-Belt. L-ewwel Indjani ġew hawn bħala negozjanti żgħar madwar 150 sena ilu, meta nfetaħ il-kanal ta’ Suez u Malta u l-Indja sabu ruħhom fuq rotta waħda. Għall-bidu kienu jiġu biss l-irġiel. Meta l-Indja ħadet l-Indipendenza fl1947 kien hemm inkwiet reliġjuż kbir u spiċċaw kellhom jiġu wkoll in-nisa u t-tfal. Dawn kienu r-refuġjati ta’ żmienhom, għalkemm meta waslu hawn sabu jilqawhom il-ħwienet u n-negozji talfamilja. Illum, l-Indjani huma integrati sew fissoċjetà Maltija u ħadd ma jarahom strambi jew joħlom li jsejħilhom barranin. Dan ma jfissirx li assimilaw kompletament jew li nsew min fejn ġew. Ħafna minnhom għadhom Hindu, iżżewġu Indjani, imorru l-Indja spiss, u anke għandhom tempju żgħir f’San Ġwann. Insejħulhiex inkorporazzjoni jew multikulturaliżmu, l-esperjenza tal-Indjani hi waħda li rnexxiet. Intant, fis-seklu għoxrin komplejna naraw iżjed taħlit. Mis-sebgħinijiet ‘l hawn, ġew ħafna Għarab u anke nbniet moskea. Fid-disgħinijiet rajna eluf ta’ nies mill-Balkani u mbagħad mill-pajjiżi taleks Unjoni Sovjetika. Fl-aħħar snin liktar tipi ta’ immigrazzjoni li laqtu l-għajn kienu dak ta’ nies mill-Afrika u dak ta’ ċittadini Ewropej, l-aktar Taljani.

The two sides of integration

OS Malta embarked on the ‘Side By Side’ Project, partly financed by the European Fund for Integration in early 2013 with the aim of promoting the integration of Third Country Nationals – persons from outside the EU who reached Malta through legal channels and who now live in Malta. The ‘Side By Side’ Project comprised the publication of three specific issues of a newspaper by the same name, in November 2013 as well as January and April 2014, with the ultimate aim of promoting multiculturalism and showing how diverse Malta really is, and always has been. Following the success achieved by this project, we were given the opportunity to publish one final Special Edition which

Minn Prof. Mark-Anthony Falzon

an l-aħħar, ħabib tiegħi li żgur mhux xi razzist jew ksenofobiku, qalli li għadu ma jistax jidra lil nies suwed li jitkellmu bil-Malti. Mhux għax għandu xi ħaġa kontra, imma l-ideja ta’ Malti iswed isibha ‘stramba’. Biex nippruvaw nifhmu x’ried ifisser, importanti li l-ewwel niċċaraw tliet kelmiet. L-assimilazzjoni tfisser li l-immigranti tant jitilfu kull karatteristika li tiddistingwihom bħala individwi jew gruppi, li lanqas biss jibqgħu jintgħarfu. L-integrazzjoni hija aktar pluralista għalkemm illum x’aktarx tintuża l-kelma ‘inkorporazzjoni’. Dawn ifissru li l-immigranti jsiru parti mis-soċjetà, anke jekk b’mod jew ieħor jibqgħu jintgħarfu. Il-multikulturaliżmu hu mudell ta’ inkorporazzjoni li permezz tiegħu l-immigranti jintegraw ruħhom b’mod sħiħ filwaqt li jżommu l-kultura, ir-reliġjon, u/jew il-lingwa tagħhom. Fuq il-multikulturaliżmu, ta’ min iżid żewġ affarjiet. L-ewwel, li l-multikulturaliżmu mhux bilfors jinvolvi li l-istat

joqgħod jindokra d-diversità. Fl-Amerika per eżempju, l-istat itendi li ma jindaħalx u li jieħu attitudni ta’ ‘live and let live’. Ittieni, li mhux veru li l-multikulturaliżmu falla mill-bidu sa l-aħħar. Hemm esperjenzi li fallew u hemm ħafna oħrajn li rnexxew. F’Malta, il-proċessi ta’ immigrazzjoni, integrazzjoni, u assimilazzjoni m’humiex xi ħaġa ta’ llum. Jekk immorru lura madwar erba’ mitt sena, insibu li fl-inħawi tal-port bdiet tiżviluppa kultura urbana. Dan fisser ukoll taħlita mħawra ta’ lingwi, kuluri, u fhemiet. It-toroq tal-Belt u lKottonera kienu mimlijin baħrin, negozjanti, ilsiera, u l-bqija. Uħud minnhom telqu minn fejn ġew. Ħafna minnhom issetiljaw hawn u anke żżewġu nisa Maltin. Per eżempju fil-parroċċa ta’ Bormla wieħed minn kull tliet żwiġijiet kien bejn Maltin u barranin, l-iktar Franċiżi, Taljani, u Griegi. L-istess fil-parroċċa tal-Portu Salv (San Duminku) fil-Belt. Din il-kultura urbana kompliet tissaħħaħ iktar tard fi żmien bl-Ingliżi, li bħall-Kavallieri, bnew il-preżenza tagħhom madwar il-port. Maż-żmien, Malta sabet ruħa parti minn ġeografija globali

The ConfliCTs of Raising ChildRen in MalTa: an iMMigRanT-PaRenT exPeRienCe By Damian Iriele

will always be a Nigerian because there are certain norms and traditions that I am accustomed to from home. Those things never change, even with the passage of time. You try hard not to lose your roots. A lot of migrants tend to lose their typical way of life just to ﬁt in. They want to behave in a particular manner because they fear what others might think of them. I’m proud of who I am. I’m proud of my country, Nigeria, and that goes with my children and, to a reason-

able extent, my wife. I’m not going to change because individuals and groups might not like the way I walk, talk or dress. As much as possible, while embracing the host culture, it is important to always try to keep and stay with the way your culture expects. It’s something you want people to recognize deﬁnitely and absolutely. Although bicultural identity can be a strength and asset in so many ways, there are numerous obstacles for children of immigrant parent(s) in embracing multiple cultural identities. In addition to retaining their own cultural identity, parent(s) are often faced with the com-

SOS Malta is a registered Voluntary Organisation, set up in 1991, which works with local and international partners. The organisation assists socially disadvantaged groups in improving their quality of life by providing support services and opportunities to implement development and change. SOS Malta also encourages advocacy on behalf of social causes and promotes models of good care and practice. SOS Malta works on four pillars that encompass the above objectives. These are: Social Solidarity; Volunteering; Overseas Development; and Research and Training. Side by Side falls under the Social Solidarity pillar. Under this pillar, SOS Malta implements projects advocating for increased intercultural understanding and the introduction and implementation of measures which contribute towards the two-way process of integration and social inclusion of migrants living in Malta. SOS Malta, 10 Triq il-Ward, Santa Venera, SVR 1640. Tel: +356 21244123 Email: info@sosmalta.org Website: www.sosmalta.org Voluntary Organisation Registration No. VO/0033

Il-kunjomijiet tagħna, il-karnaġġjon, likel, il-festi, u mitt ħaġ’oħra huma xhieda ta’ dan il-ftuħ. Illum għandna moskea, għaqdiet ta’ Russi li jgħixu Malta, dulċiera Sqallin, kliem Franċiż fil-lingwa, u ħwienet tal-ikel Afrikan, fost l-oħrajn. Dan ma jfissirx li l-esperjenzi ta’ dawn in-nies huma simili. Hemm differenza bejn il-mobilità tan-negozjanti u dik tarrifuġjati, per eżempju. Irridu nqisu wkoll li kull identità nazzjonali hi mibnija fuq mudelli ta’ reliġjon, lingwa, kultura, u anke razza-etniċità. S’issa il-mudell Malti jidher li jsibha diffiċli jinkorpora reliġjonijiet bħall-Islam u kuluri ta’ ġilda li ma jidhrux ‘Ewropej’. Kollox jiddependi fuq il-politika għax fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, l-identità m’hi xejn ħlief politika. Fuq kollox m’hemm xejn li jżomm lill-ħabib tiegħi milli xi darba jibdel il-fehma tiegħu.

plex task of parenting their children within a culture that is different from their culture of origin. Within this context, parenting becomes a complicated interplay between one’s own ethnic culture, in my case Nigerian, and the dominant Maltese culture. As a father, it is challenging to bring up children here in Malta, especially when one of the parents is a local (Maltese). And as the children are born, educated and are growing up in Malta, they want to be more like their Maltese friends. The children speak Maltese, eat Maltese food, and adopt Maltese mannerisms. You can’t blame them - they are Maltese. The lack of exposure to diverse cultures makes it pretty diﬃcult for children of immigrants to embrace fully the cultural values of one or both immigrant parents. There is also the inability to apply the experience of my upbringing in raising my children, since

PROMOTING INTEGRATION AND DIVERsITY IN MALTA Side by Side 3

JUNE 2014

Working with youths to promote culture, education, science and communication By Secretary General Dorianne Formosa and Committee Member David Istanbouli, Malta UNESCO Youth Association

he Malta UNESCO Youth Association (MUYA) works in the field of developing culture, education, science and communication, and spreading the ideas of UNESCO amongst youths and the grownup population in Malta and internationally through organisation of programmes and projects. MUYA has sent several youths over the past years on EU funded projects namely youth exchanges, training courses and seminars. These projects range in topics from cultural diversity and social inclusion to outdoor education, culture and the environment. On a local level, MUYA had the opportunity to host and organise a number of EU-funded projects in Malta. These include the training courses ‘Rightly Yours, Rightly Mine’ and ‘O.U.T a Training Course on Outdoor Education’ and more recently ‘European Partnership on Adult Education and Mobility for Social Inclusion (EPAEMSI)’, a Gruntvig life-long learning project focusing on social inclusion. In 2012, MUYA published the children’s book Eleo and the Bubble Planet, based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in December, 1948. The book tells the story of Eleo, a young boy who lives in the ideal planet of Bubble-onia. However, the planet has some problems and together with his grandfather Bobbla, Eleo shows how the people of Bubble-onia manage to overcome these challenges. With the support of the Commissioner for Children,

Helen D’Amato, the book was also published in Maltese as Eleo u l-Pjaneta Babil. The book can be found in most primary school libraries all over Malta. Currently, we are looking for people who can assist us in translating the book in other languages, expanding the accessibility of the book to more children. Throughout the years, MUYA has also been a strong believer in cultural diversity. In this light, we decided to organise a series of cultural nights which aim is to merge the local and the foreign communities residing in Malta. To date, MUYA has successfully organised Egyptian, Estonian, Lebanese, Peruvian and Colombian nights. In these festive nights, country representatives deliver some information about their homeland, prepare traditional food, play some music and also teach some traditional dances. Following the success of these small-scale events, MUYA is now enthusiastically looking forward to organising a one-day Cultural Festival later on this year. MUYA is looking for young people to assist in the organisation of the festival, young artists and aspiring photographers and/or videographers. We are also willing to get to know and meet people coming from various countries who live in Malta and who would like to showcase handcrafted items, teach traditional dances and cook delicious food. We invite you now to join our Facebook page fb.com/muyamalta, visit our website muya.info or contact us on info@muya.info for further information.

my own upbringing and values don’t apply; or let’s say, are not consistent with the style of raising children in Malta. In Nigeria, children interact with neighbours, with parents, aunts, uncles, and even strangers who come to the house. So they know very naturally how to interact with different types of people according to their relationships with them. Whereas everything in Malta and many other western countries, these have to be taught in an organised/institutional structure. In my country of origin, we know all the families of our friends. I know the mothers, the fathers, and the grandparents. I visit their homes and they come to ours. Here, it’s different. I am the only member of my family, there is very little interaction between my children and other Nigerians, save for the very few mixed Nigerian/Maltese families like mine, as well as when the family attends end of the year social gatherings of Nigeria

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What is MUYA? Malta UNESCO Youth Association (MUYA) is a youth association and local NGO founded in February 2007. It is represented in Malta in cooperation with the National Co-ordination Body (National Commission of UNESCO in Malta). MUYA consists of several members and seven committee members: Desiree D’Amato - President, Dorianne Formosa – Secretary General, Thelma Bonello – International Officer, Daniel Mifsud Bason – Treasurer, and David Istanbouli, Luke Pace and Mariano Galea – Committee Members.

associations in Malta. Regular visits to Nigeria can be very expensive, especially when travelling with the whole family. In some western countries such as the USA and the UK, with plenty of resources and very diverse and cosmopolitan communities, for most immigrant parents and children, the school is their ﬁrst institution. Within schools, children become exposed to native cultures for the ﬁrst time; they interact with other immigrant and native children of their same ethnicity, as well as children of other ethnic communities. They form beliefs about what society and persons outside of their family expect from them. Those beliefs and expectations become a part of the children’s passage to embracing other cultures. Unfortunately, such is not the case in Malta as there is very little to no history of black Afro-culture either in schools or at social gatherings involving children.

1. MUYA members in an Active Ingredients Youth Exchange in Mazury Lakes Poland. 2/3. OUT – A training course on outdoor education which was organised and hosted in Malta by MUYA. 4. The launch of Eleo u l-Pjaneta Babil – MUYA committee members together with the Commissioner for Children Helen D’Amato. 5. MUYA members, together with Dr Joseph Buhagiar, the Honorary Consul of Colombia at the Colombian Night. 6. MUYA members assisting Genista Research Foundation and Rotaract Malta to clean Rinella Valley.

Nigeria practices the patriarchal structure, where the father is almost God-like. A child’s upbringing in terms of rules and customs of the land is often passed from the father to the children. To me, instilling and passing on this process in Malta, and as in several other countries of the west, is more diﬃcult because the laws are different. Generally speaking, from a typical African man’s point of view, the legal system; especially on family matters, is a complete contrast. It is important to understand that parenting styles are greatly inﬂuenced by values, beliefs and customs of either or both parents. Therefore, for a better integration of the immigrant population into the Maltese way of life, or any other society, it’s imperative to understand, recognise and address these issues however sensitive they might be.

Side by Side

PROMOTING INTEGRATION AND DIVERSITY IN MALTA

JUNE 2014

SBS: Qegħdin nitkellmu fuq id-dmirijiet tal-Maltin, imma x’inhuma ddmirijiet tal-barranin? P: Ma nistgħux nippretendu biss li s-

soċjetà Maltija tabbraċċja t-TCNs u jingħataw id-drittijiet mingħajr ma l-persuni jħossu wkoll l-obbligi li għandhom il-Maltin stess lejn il-pajjiż u s-soċjetà tagħhom. Dawn pari-passo – kull fejn hemm dritt, hemm obbligu – u allura jiena nifhem li dawn it-TCN iridu jarawhom l-obbligi tagħhom. Jien ngħid li daqs kemm aħna napprezzaw il-kulturi tagħhom, imbagħad huma jridu japprezzaw il-kultura tagħna u jirrispettawha. Ladattazzjoni trid issir mill-partijiet kollha, inkella tkun sitwazzjoni fejn ikun hemm żbilanċ u ħadd ma jħossu komdu jgħix ma’ xulxin. Dan huwa approċċ integrali biex naslu f’sitwazzjoni fejn inkunu nistgħu ngħixu f’koeżistenza paċifika. SBS: Kemm huwa importanti li żżomm ruħek infurmat dwar kulturi oħra u x’tip ta’ inizjattivi jistgħu jgħinu biex dan il-messaġġ pożittiv jasal ﬁd-djar tan-nies? P: Huwa importanti għalina lkoll, li ma

“EjjEw nEstEndu jdEjna lil min m’huwiEx bħalna” Din il-gazzetta kellha l-unur li tiġi ospitata mill-Eċċellenza Tagħha, il-President ta’ Malta, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca ﬁl-Palazz ta’ San Anton. L-intervista malEċċellenza Tagħha kienet dwar id-diversità kulturali li hawn f’Malta u l-importanza li naċċettaw lill-barranin li jgħixu fostna – kif wara kollox, għamlu missirijietna tul is-sekli.

Side By Side (SBS): Tħoss illi f’Malta qed ngħixu f’soċjetà interkulturali? Għaliex? President (P): Il-multikulturaliżmu

qiegħed magħna. Ma nemminx illi huwa aċċettat minn kulħadd jew, forsi għadna ma fhimnihiex bħala soċjetà. Għad fadlilna ħafna x’nagħmlu biex nifhmu li aħna m’għadniex ngħixu f’soċjetà ta’ kultura waħda, jew ta’ tradizzjoni waħda jew ta’ reliġjon waħda. Irridu ninfetħu u huwa importanti li nagħrfu, napprezzaw u nirrispettaw ilkulturi differenti ta’ ħaddieħor għaliex din hija mewġa ta’ realtà ġdida, mhux għalina biss imma għad-dinja kollha. Il-globalizzazzjoni ekonomika ġabet magħha globalizzazzjoni soċjali. Irridu nħarsu lejn dan f’termini ta’ sfidi u opportunitajiet – imma niffukaw l-aktar fuq

Intervista mal-President ta’ Malta, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. l-opportunitajiet. Ir-realtà ġeografika tagħna hija dik ta’ gżira f’nofs il-Mediterran u din ittina l-opportunità li nagħrfu li f’pajjiżna stess hemm dinjiet oħra u forsi ma nibqgħux b’mentalità insulari. Din hija opportunità li toffrielna tieqa fuq id-dinja mingħajr diffikultà. Però biex inħarsu lejha bħala opportunità, irridu nifhmu, napprezzaw u nirrispettaw illi ħaddieħor li huwa differenti minna, għandu tradizzjonijiet differenti minn tagħna. Biex nagħti eżempju, il-Milied Ortodoss – u dan mhux qed insemmi xi ħaġa minn reliġjon daqstant imbiegħda millKristjaneżmu li nafu aħna. Aħna niċċelebraw il-Milied bħala Nsara fil-Knisja Kattolika fil-25 ta’ Diċembru waqt li lOrtodossi jiċċelebrawh fis-6 ta’ Jannar. Eżempju ieħor huwa li għalina, il-Ħadd huwa jum ta’ mistrieħ, f’kuntest reliġjuż u anke kulturali; huwa l-jum li aħna, ħafna minnha, inqattgħuh mal-familja tagħna b’mod rilassanti, waqt li għall-Musulmani l-Ħadd hija ġurnata normali u l-ġimgħa hija “l-Ħadd” tagħhom fil-kuntest tagħna. Jekk ma nibdewx nifhmu u nagħrfu dawn l-affarijiet ħa jkollna diffikultajiet akbar milli forsi diġà ffaċċjajna u diffikultajiet f’kull settur, mhux biss fis-settur ekonomiku. Jekk għalina l-Ħadd hija ġurnata

komda u nqattgħuha mal-familja, u nagħmlu xogħol mill-inqas, għal ħaddieħor hija ġurnata normali, li tfisser li anke tmur tixtri, imma ssib il-ħwienet kollha magħluqin u dan huwa eżempju wieħed. Huma dawn l-elementi jew fatturi mill-aspett soċjali u dak ekonomiku wkoll. Hemm diversi aspetti li aħna rridu nibdew nirrikonoxxu. Id-dinja immedjata tagħna qed tinbidel u forsi aħna m’aħniex qed ninbidlu biżżejjed biex takkomoda r-realtajiet tal-lum. Allura din l-inizjattiva li ħadtu tgħin ħafna biex tippromwovi u toħloq kuxjenza. Aħna m’għadniex dak il-poplu ta’ żmien il-ġenituri tiegħi. Daqskemm issoċjetà li qed tgħix fiha llum it-tifla tiegħi mhix l-istess soċjetà li trabbejt fiha jien tal-età tat-tifla tiegħi. L-influss ta’ nies ġejjin minn kulturi, reliġjonijiet u tradizzjonijiet oħra ħa jibqa’ ġej għax dan huwa ċ-ċiklu li ħolqot il-globalizzazzjoni li għandha l-vantaġġi u l-iżvantaġġi tagħha, imma rridu nħarsu lejhom bħala opportunitajiet u nippruvaw naraw kif dawn lopportunitajiet jistgħu jiġu esplorati aħjar biex niksbu l-benefiċċji minnhom u mhux inħarsu lejhom b’negattività u noħolqu diffikultà għalina nfusna.

nistgħux ngħixu f’iżolament, anke kieku m’għandniex dan l-influss ta’ nies ġejjin minn pajjiżi oħra. Kull pajjiż, anke l-landlocked countries, anke l-kontinent Ewropew, fejn minn pajjiż għall-ieħor tista’ tmur bil-karozza, għandhom bżonn ikunu aġġornati, aħseb u ara aħna, li aħna gżira. Illum il-media soċjali wkoll iġġibek f’kuntatt qawwi kontinwu, fis-silenzju ta’ darek, ma’ kulturi differenti. L-għarfien li hemm dinjiet oħra madwarna huwa importanti ħafna. Fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, mhux biss għal koeżistenza paċifika f’pajjiżna u minħabba r-realtajiet li qed ngħixu fihom globalment, imma anke għall-kisba tal-għerf tal-persuna meta takkwista knowledge fuq ħaddieħor - kif jgħix, it-tradizzjonijiet tiegħu, huwa dejjem ta’ benefiċċju għax fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, din l-informazzjoni, dan l-għerf, ikabbar lillpersuna. Dan il-fattur waħdu huwa diġà biżżejjed għall-benefiċċju tal-persuna. SBS: Ħafna inizjattivi jiﬀukaw fuq it-tfal, imma l-ġenituri qed jiġu indirizzati? P: Hemm inizjattivi, per eżempju fl-iktar

post fil-pajjiż li naħseb li huwa multikulturali, qed ngħid għal San Pawl ilBaħar/Qawra, fejn għandna skola li hija żgur multicultured u hemm diversità enormi fiha. Hemmhekk hemm iċ-Ċentru Aċċess ġol-Qawra, fejn naf il-manager taċ-ċentru u li anke kelli opportunità li nattendi attivitajiet tagħhom, jieħdu inizjattivi kbar għal familji ta’ TCNs flimkien ma’ Maltin. Jiġifieri għandhom inizjattivi regolari biex iġibu flimkien familji li ġejjin minn firxa sħiħa ta’ kulturi differenti, u dawn in-nies allura fuq attivitajiet li fihom m’hemm xejn kontenzjuż, kapaċi jsiru ħbieb. Jiena naħseb li dawn it-tipi ta’ inizjattivi ta’ kif l-ewwelnett nibdew insiru ħbieb, malli nibdew insiru ħbieb nibdew naċċettaw lil xulxin, nibdew nagħrfu l-ħiliet tagħna, jiġifieri bħala Maltin u bħala nies ġejjin minn pajjiżi oħra u hemmhekk tibda tiġi an inbuilt perception li, iva, hemm opportunitajiet. L-input li qed isir fuq it-tfal huwa importanti ħafna. Jiena ma nemminx illi ttfal jieħdu xi ħaġa mill-iskola, imorru d-dar u jsibu l-kuntrarju u jitilfuha kollha. Jien kelli esperjenzi tat-tifla tiegħi fejn mingħandha tgħallimt u nemmen li l-ġenituri

PROMOtIng IntEgRatIOn and dIvERSIty In Malta Side by Side 5

JunE 2014

kollha mit-tfal tagħhom jitgħallmu. Ħa nsemmi xi ħaġa li ġrat lil kulħadd f’dan ilpajjiż. Meta kont tfal, ħadd ma kien jitkellem fuq l-ambjent, ħadd ma kellu awareness tal-ambjent – minn kull lat – dak naturali, fiżiku, eċċ, u l-infrastruttura ambjentali tagħna. Imma mbagħad saru kampanji matul is-snin fl-iskejjel. Kienu nħolqu ħafna maskots bħal Xummiemu/a u dawn għamlu rivoluzzjoni sħiħa fis-soċjetà tagħna. Imma t-target min kien? It-tfal fliskejjel, u dawn it-tfal ħadu dan it-tagħlim ġod-djar. Illum il-ġurnata, meta jsiru surveys fuq liema issues in-nies tara li l-aktar jinkwetaw, l-ambjent dejjem ikun fuq nett tal-aġenda. Jiġifieri meta jitkellmu fuq ittraffiku, qed jitkellmu wkoll fuq l-ambjent. Dan l-aħħar, bdejna naraw l-issue tannoise pollution. Sa ftit snin ilu, ħadd ma kien jitkellem jekk jgħaddi xi ħadd b’silencer imtaqqab u jifqagħlek it-tambur ta’ widnejk. Ħadd ma kien jgħid xejn (jew tgħid “uff xi dwejjaq” waħdek). Fil-passat, kien hemm min kien jitkellem fuq l-istorbju tal-ajruplani? In-nies qed jitgħallmu fuq l-istorbju tal-ajruplani filkuntest ta’ noise pollution u dan kollu ġej grazzi għal dak li ġie mgħallem u ppreżentat lit-tfal tagħna, allura ejja ma naqtgħux qalbna. Nemmen ukoll li jrid ikun hemm tip ta’ inizjattivi fejn ikun hemm il-familji flimkien, Maltin u TCNs, imma fuq it-tfal irridu nkomplu bil-ħidma tagħna. Nagħmlu kampanji ta’ awareness kontinwi u ma naqtgħux minnhom.

napprezzaw il-kultura tagħhom u nkunu infurmati fuq il-kultura diversa tagħhom, reliġjonijiet differenti, jiena nistenna li min tassew irid jissetilja f’dan il-pajjiż u jħossu integrat fis-soċjetà tagħna, jagħmel ħiltu wkoll biex jifhem il-karattru Malti, jifhem ilkaratteristiċi tagħna u jipprova jitgħallem il-lingwa. Għax x’jintegrak l-aktar? Illingwa, li tkun tista’ tikkomunika fuq l-istess livell man-nies li inti qed tgħix magħhom. Jiġifieri iva naraha importanti wkoll. Forsi hawn nistgħu nieħdu inizjattivi

rrid immur l-Awstralja, ħa nieħu din l-inizjattiva jien u rrid li f’din il-Presidenza niżviluppaw kuntatt li jkun regolari malMaltin biex huma jħossu li ż-żjara ma tkunx ta’ darba f‘okkażjoni u waqfet hemm, imma li Malta l-ħin kollu taħseb fihom. Mhux il-familja immedjata tagħhom biss taħseb fihom, l-Istat qed jaħseb fihom u huma jekk iħossu l-Istat daqshekk qrib tagħhom, allura jien konvinta li dak il-ġid li jista’ joħroġ mill-kuntatti li llum għandhom ġo dal-pajjiżi, nieħduh mija fil-mija.

illi biddillek l-opinjoni tiegħek? P: Mhux persuna waħda imma ħafna per-

suni. Iltqajt ma’ diversi TCNs fosthom ukoll min iħoss ċertu diffikultajiet. Id-diffikultà, f’każ per eżempju ta’ individwi li llum dawn għandhom familja - u xorta lanqas ma nattribwixxi l-problemi dejjem ma’, jew kompletament, għaliex ma kinux milqugħin aktar għax, kif jgħidu, it takes two to tango, imma wkoll, għax il-persuna tkun żammet lura minn ċertu inizjattivi li setgħat ħadet biex tintegra ruħha biżżejjed.

Il-President ﬂimkien mar-rappreżentanti tal-SOS Malta, Bartek Romanczuk u Emma Zammit.

SBS: Hemm min jgħid li l-barranin jistgħu jkissru l-identità Maltija. Inti x’taħseb fuq kummenti simili? P: Ma nemminhiex din jien. U ħa ngħidlek

għalfejn. L-identità tiegħek iżżommha kemm tridha inti. Kieku mmorru l-Awstralja issa, u mmorru fl-areas tal-Maltin, u nistaqsu lill-Maltin kif iħossuhom huma, jekk hux Maltin jew Awstraljani, jien konvinta li l-maġġoranza assoluta tagħhom ħa jgħidulek Maltin – iħossuhom Maltin. Anzi probabbilment jekk issaqsihom inti x’inti? Jgħidlek Malti. Għax l-identità tiegħek int tinżagħha jew tilbisha. U x’jagħmilna Maltin? Jagħmluna ħafna karatteristiċi li aħna trabbejna fihom – il-lingwa tagħna li tiddistingwina. Għalhekk huwa sabiħ li l-lingwa tagħna nippreservawha mhux f’termini ta’ xi ħaġa statika, bħallikieku qed nippreservaw xi pittura storika, għax lingwa tevolvi. Hija sitwazzjoni ta’ evolviment/aġġornament, imma tidentifikana mill-kumplament tad-dinja. Tgħidli imma jista’ barrani jitgħallem il-lingwa Ingliża jew Maltija u jkun kapaċi jitkellem bil-Malti tajjeb daqsna, jekk mhux aħjar minna wkoll. Iva, vera imma xi tfisser għalih/a il-lingwa Maltija? Bħal ma nfissru aħna l-lingwa Ingliża biex nikkomunikaw ma’ xi ħadd ieħor li huwa Ingliż? Din hi d-differenza. Psikoloġikament, nitgħallmu l-Ingliż tajjeb ħafna, u vera nitgħallmu niktbuh tajjeb ħafna, u meta niġu biex niktbu naħsbu blIngliż, imma ħafna drabi meta qed naħseb bl-Ingliż, jien nillustra l-lingwa Ingliża b’karatteristiċi Maltin – dak li jagħmilni Maltija – nista’ ngħix ħajti kollha l-Ingilterra imma jien nibqa’ nħossni Maltija. Hemm ħafna affarijiet oħra li jidentifikawna bħala Maltin. SBS: Kemm huwa importanti l-għarfien tal-lingwa biex tintegra sew ﬁssoċjetà Maltija? P: Anke hawn tiġi l-issue tat-TCNs. Kif

aħna għandna nħossuna li għandna

“Id-dinja immedjata tagħna qed tinbidel u forsi aħna m’aħniex qed ninbidlu biżżejjed biex takkomoda r-realtajiet tal-lum.” fejn nagħmlu korsijiet speċjali għal TCNs biex jitgħallmu l-lingwa Maltija u l-lingwa Ingliża wkoll għax il-lingwa Ingliża aħna dejjem qisnieha t-tieni lingwa tagħna u din inqisha bħala vantaġġ li lili ttini l-opportunità biex inkun nista’ nitkellem ma’ xi ħadd kullimkien, inkun fejn inkun fiddinja. Il-pajjiżi l-oħra kollha, illum anke Franċiż jagħmel ħiltu biex jitgħallem l-Ingliż. Fejn qatt kont tmur Franza u ssib daqstant Franċiżi jitkellmu bl-Ingliż? Jew l-Italja? U narawha ‘kważi industrija’ li aħna noffru t-tagħlim tal-Ingliż fejn jiġu barranin millEwropa kollha biex jitgħallmu l-Ingliż. SBS: X’tgħidilna dwar id-dijaspora Maltija minn madwar id-dinja? P: Waħda mill-viżjonijiet ta’ din il-Presi-

denza hija d-dijaspora Maltija, li tqarreb kważi l-miljun fid-dinja. Dawn in-nies, li jħossuhom Maltin u ilhom is-snin twal barra minn pajjiżna, irridu nuruhom li aħna wkoll narawhom u nqisuhom Maltin u li fejn qegħdin jistgħu jgħinu ’l Malta u lil pajjiżhom, u pajjiżhom jirrikonoxxihom. Hemm diversi inizjattivi maħsubin. Jiġifieri dawn, jien mhux qed nimmira li mmur inżurhom u nieqaf hemm, imma li huma jħossu li, bħalma… tgħidli se tqabbel lill-Għawdxin ma’ din? Forsi lanaloġija hija ristretta ħafna, imma deċiża, li jekk ma tkunx verament funzjonijiet uffiċjali, ma nitlobx lill-Għawdxin jiġu, imma mmur jien. Għax iktar ma mmur jien hemmhekk, iktar ma jkolli naqsam ilbaħar, f’kull tip ta’ temp, eċċ… inkun nista’ nifhem iktar il-hardships li għandhom l-Għawdxin. Allura jiena filwaqt li

SBS: Inti President tal-poplu Malti, imma ﬁd-dawl tat-TCNs, inti wkoll ilPresident tagħhom? P: Iva, jien ukoll għandi responsabbiltà li

kull min jgħix f’dan il-pajjiż iħossu welcome, iħossu parti minnu, u jekk din ma nagħmluhiex, inkunu qed nonqsu. Għax jew dawn in-nies huma milqugħa jew m’humiex. M’hemmx triq tan-nofs. Jiena din nittama, li din il-Presidenza fil-viżjoni tagħha, għandha l-għarfien tad-diversità għaliex l-għaqda tagħna ma tistax tkun lgħaqda li nħobb biċċa u ma nħobbx lil kulħadd. Jien dejjem ngħid li l-għaqda tiġi fuq il-pedament li joffri l-valur talimħabba. Għax l-imħabba tagħtik it-tolleranza, ir-rispett, id-dinjità. U l-għaqda xi trid? Mhux dawn huma l-fatturi li jagħmlu l-għaqda? Allura kull min jiddependi minn dan il-pajjiż b’xi mod jew ieħor issa, min ġie bil-passaport, u min le, xorta qed jiddependi fuq dan il-pajjiż. Aħna mbagħad li għandna d-drittijiet kollha għax aħna Maltin, jekk għandna lil dawn in-nies magħna, irridu nħossuna responsabbli għalihom ukoll. Irridu nagħmlu reachout biex inkunu nistgħu nħossuna tajbin. Hekk irridu nħarsu lejn dawn l-affarijiet. Din bħal meta jien għandi d-dar u nistieden il-ħbieb – u xi ħadd jiddeċiedi jġib lil xi ħaddieħor miegħu li jien ma kontx naf bih; allura se noqgħod inħarislu bl-ikrah? Mhux nilqgħu wkoll irrid u nara x’nista’ nagħmel? Naturalment, nagħmel dak li niflaħ nagħmel. SBS: Fuq nota iktar personali, għandek lil xi ħadd TCN li attirak b’xi mod,

Meta nitkellmu dwar l-għarfien u lapprezzament ta’ kulturi differenti, ma tridx tiġi biss min-nies, imma trid tiġi wkoll mill-istituzzjonijiet. Għandna istituzzjonijiet illi għadhom m’humiex miftuħin biżżejjed biex jifhmu u jagħrfu l-kulturi differenti. Per eżempju, iċ-Ċentru Aċċess ġol-Qawra jaħdem ħafna f’dan ir-rigward, imma mbagħad għandna istituzzjonijiet oħra illi m’humiex jifhmu u jagħarfu biżżejjed ir-realtajiet kurrenti. SBS: Messaġġ qasir għall-qarrejja tagħna… P: Jiena dejjem nemmen li l-aktar sitwaz-

zjoni ta’ sodisfazzjon u ta’ ferħ fil-ħajja tal-bniedem hija meta tapprezza lil ħaddieħor, meta inti toħroġ idejk u tilqa’ lil ħaddieħor. Żgur m’humiex sitwazzjonijiet ta’ ferħ meta inti toqgħod tgħix f’biża’ jew tħares b’suspett lejn nies li tarahom differenti minnek. Allura l-ewwel l-appell tiegħi hu li aħna bħala Maltin, li tant aħna nies ġenerużi, ma niddejqux u ma nibżgħux nestendu jdejna lil min ma nikkunsidrawx li huwa bħalna eżatt. Min-naħa l-oħra, it-TCNs, la għoġobhom jiġu f’pajjiżna, nitlobhom ukoll li jifhmu u jagħarfu x’inhuma l-karatteristiċi ta’ dan il-poplu u japprezzawna ħalli kif aħna l-Maltin napprezzaw id-diversità li jistgħu joffrulna huma, huma japprezzaw lilna u b’hekk inħarsu lejn xulxin bħala tlaqqija tad-destin jew inkella ta’ pjan filħajja tagħna li jista’ jagħtina opportunitajiet ġodda, kemm għalina l-Maltin, kif ukoll għalihom li qed jaddottaw lill-Malta bħala l-pajjiż tagħhom.

Side by Side

PrOMOTing inTEgraTiOn and divErSiTy in MaLTa

JunE 2014

I had to adapt… By Jasen Ogle

iving in three different countries has provided me with the ability to adapt to different cultures, habits, and traditions. As a black person, I feel that I must especially adapt to race relations wherever I am, which can sometimes be difficult. I spent the first 12 years of my life in New York, where I attended school with children of many religious and cultural backgrounds. It was not until later in life that I realised that my kindergarten teacher Mrs Sompski, who taught me Christmas songs, is a Jewish woman. Her former teaching assistant Ms Taft, is a Black-British woman. Mr Kazimiroff my 5th-grade teacher, is of Russian descent. When you are young, religion, race, and origin do not matter as much as Sesame Street, Super Nintendo, and Power Rangers. When I moved down south to Georgia, I had a culture-shock even though I had not left the country. In the first school I attended in Georgia, 95 to 99 percent of

the student population was black, with the rest being caucasian and other races. I had to adapt. One of my only friends was Laura; a girl from the Philippines. Everyone knew we liked each other and they teased us for it. Apart from that, I had the feeling at the time that there was this sense of Us vs Them prevalent in the school and community, especially concerning one teacher in particular, who seemed to perceive racism in everything. From middle-school up until highschool, I was called white, because I spoke English clearly, did not sag my pants, and did not play basketball or football; as if there was something wrong with me; as if there was something wrong with not conforming to the black-stereotype. Two years after completing my Bachelor’s Degree, I decided to study for a Master’s Degree in London, where I met lifetime friends and colleagues from Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, China, India, Malta, and many other nations. I found myself back in a cosmopolitan city where it was not only acceptable to be

different, but it was almost a requirement. Although English is my mother tongue, I found that I had to learn to speak and understand The Queen’s English. Soccer became football, chips became crisps, fries became chips. To call a black person coloured is taboo in America, but indeed black became coloured. I had to adapt. I had every intention of continuing to be a Londoner after graduation, but I was lured away to Malta by a woman (I found out this happens more often than one would think). In Malta, I get stared at everywhere I go. It is not because of my good looks. In shops, when walking through a neighbourhood, when driving in my car, eyes are ﬁxated on me as if I am some sort of alien creature. Coming from America, I should be used to this, because I have been followed around stores many times and constantly offered help from staff. Continuously offering help is a common practice for theft prevention. At other times, people would look over their shoulder when passing me while crossing

Jasen Ogle

the street, to make sure I do not rob them. I should be used to this, but the stares I used to get were out of fear. Now it seems to be out of hate. I just say hello or bonġu. I take Maltese language lessons, so that when I can, I try and have a conversation; so the next time instead of stares, I get smiles and greetings. I had to adapt. Jasen earned his Bachelors’ Degree in Mass Media – Communications from Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia, USA, and his Masters’ Degree in International Journalism from the University of Westminster, in London, England. He has been living in Malta for over two years.

COLOMBIA By Juliana Zapata Bernal

A COUNTRY OF A THOUSAND COLOURS

ith around 48 million people, Colombia is a country of amazing natural contrasts. Embraced by the natural wealth and benefits of the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Amazon, Colombia has a privileged geographic position that makes it a bridge uniting the Americas. Colombia is a well guarded secret and shines for its flora and fauna, making it a territory full of colour scales, sceneries and forms that inspire love in locals and visitors alike.

“Colombia is a happy, vibrant and proud country where music and dance is second nature.” Due to its geographical position, Colombia does not have any seasons and our lands are productive all year long. In fact; throughout the year, one can ﬁnd a huge assortment of fruits with vibrant colours and exotic ﬂavours that all Colombian expatriates miss. Over and above all, the tourists that visit Colom-

Juliana Zapata Bernal

Eje cafetero

Parque Tayrona

bia and try the fruit are overwhelmed with their rich flavours and delightful palate. According to a recently released poll by WIN/Gallup International Association, Colombia took first place in the Global Barometer of Hope and Happiness. Colombians can be mulatto, mestizos, black, white, short, tall, thin and robust. This population is so undefined and varied that it makes the streets of our cities and towns look both colourful and mystical. Colombia is a happy, vibrant and proud country where music and dance is second nature. Both Colombians and visitors are exposed to countless carnivals and parties that revolve around beauty contests, saints or typical Colombian dishes. Shakira, Fernando Botero, Manuel Patarroyo, Falcao, Valderrama and the late nobel prize winner Gabriel García Márquez, are some of the currently well-known Colombians. These celebrities are recognised worldwide for their great talent and their ability to change the world’s impression that Colombia is a third-world country.

These culture, sport and science ambassadors help Colombia stand out in each corner of our planet by waving the tricoloured Colombian yellow, blue and red ﬂag.

Challenge yourself to take an airplane and enjoy a country full of diversity, fun and adventure. Return home painted with a thousand colours. The only risk is that you will want to stay!

The colourful neighbourhood of La Candelaria in the historic centre of Bogota, Colombia’s capital.

INTERESTING FACTS

• • • • •

• Colombia is 3,600 times larger than Malta, in terms of earth surface. • The official language is Spanish. • Colombian coffee is one of the top three types of coffee in the global ranking. Colombia produces the most emeralds in the world. Colombia’s official religion is Catholicism. One Euro is equivalent to 2,600 Colombian Pesos. Colombia is the second largest bio-diverse country on the planet. Colombian flowers are the second most exported flowers in the world.

PRoMoting intEgRAtion AnD DivERSity in MAltA Side by Side 7

JUnE 2014

Community Integration through the work of the Qawra Access Centre

By Martin Chetcuti – Qawra Access Manager

he Qawra Access Centre aims to provide space for local residents coming from various backgrounds and nationalities to engage in active participation. This process is being done through a number of initiatives and an empowerment process with different stakeholders. Various projects and initiatives are carried out by the Qawra Access Manager in collaboration with a number of organisations and interested residents to provide concrete space where people coming from different countries will get an opportunity to learn from each other through direct participation. This process is constantly being carried out through the provision of training programmes, community projects and consultation meetings which are carried out from time to time. These initiatives are key tools used by the Qawra Access Centre to identify the needs of the community and to create further initiatives which would address these needs effectively.

Is the Maltese society multicultural? Why? How? As time goes by it is evident that the Maltese Society is not only made up of Maltese people, but also of other residents who represent different nationalities. This is becoming a reality for a number of different reasons. The fact that mobility is part and parcel of our everyday life is one of the reasons which contribute towards this development happening within our society. We have to value this fact and need to look ahead to see how such a reality could be used for the beneﬁt of the country. The fact that foreigners come to live in a particular country opens up new challenges both for the people in question and the rest of the population. These challenges should not be seen as threats but rather a process to enhance the developmental process of society. We need to look at this reality from a positive perspective and instead of remaining stuck in the present; we need to face the hereand-now together with the future, with an open mind. This process deﬁnitely needs to take place through the provision of a number of opportunities amongst which there is the educational aspect that has a pivotal role in the process. The Qawra Access Centre is constantly doing its utmost to offer opportunities for Maltese and other residents coming from different countries to participate in a number of educational experiences which are being provided in collaboration with different entities. The idea is to create spaces where people coming from different backgrounds and nationalities will have the opportunity to learn

Qawra Access Manager, Martin Chetcuti, with the US Ambassador promoting the value of integration. © Matthew’s Photography

together under the same roof at the same time. This process is carried out with different target audiences including children and adults. One of the programmes, entitled Kids Scene, targets children. In this programme, participants engage in interactive educational sessions which promote a number of healthy lifeskills. Educational programmes are also carried out with adults in collaboration with the Directorate for Life Long Learning. Through these programmes, participants are given the opportunity to learn different skills on various topics. Additional initiatives are also taken to empower people coming from different backgrounds and nation-

Russian Day at the centre.

Expression Wall at the centre promoting the value of diversity amongst the public. © Qawra Access Centre

alities to actively engage in the life of the community. Another two events, organised for the same purposes, include the International PACI Day and the Welcome Spring Festival which involved the participation of different NGOs and government entities. Is education important for integration? How can adult education be tackled? Education is essential for people who come from different countries to learn about the Maltese culture, norms and traditions. This process should be linked with the provision of training programmes and also through the direct experience of the individuals within the local scenarios. Another important factor is the need for people who are coming from different countries to learn Maltese and English so that it would make it easier for them to communicate effectively with other people within their respective communities. Initiatives are being taken at the Qawra Access Centre to enhance the prospects of residents coming from different nationalities to learn further about the Maltese culture and languages. This is mainly carried out through the provision of training programmes and also initiatives which are taken in collaboration with a number of organisations including the Moroccan Community in Malta, the Foundation for Educational Services and the Directorate for Life Long Learning. The educational process also needs to be carried out with Maltese residents so that these would get the opportunity to learn about the realities which were faced by the people who are now in Malta and came from different countries. Every person is different, and every person is brought up in a particular sphere that would mould who s/he is. That is why it is extremely important to open up to each

other and to try our utmost to understand the burdens of the people who are now living within our society. There are people who for different reasons may have to overcome a lot of challenging moments in their life and thus our attitude does play an important role in shaping the future of the same individuals. If we will not embark on an inclusive attitude we will be engaging in a reality where, instead of creating a society which cares for each other, we end up focusing on one’s individual desires without addressing the actual needs that are present with us on a daily basis. The Qawra Access Centre is constantly working to pass on this message to the local residents. This was done through a project which was conducted with the Foundation for Educational Services and financed by the Integration Fund of the European Union. This project targeted different audiences and amongst other initiatives it involved an awareness campaign promoting the value of diversity. Education needs to be tackled at various periods during the life of an individual. Early interventions with children will definitely help to establish healthier future communities which respect further one another despite the various backgrounds. Investment in adult education is also an essential element which may help in integration. This needs to be dealt with through a process where people will be invited to participate in open educational programmes which will not segregate particular target audiences but rather bring different people from various cultures and nationalities together to debate and discuss in an organised method. Do Third Country Nationals living in Malta have obligations to fulfil? Residents coming from different countries do have a number of obligations which they need to fulfil. Amongst their obligations, foreigners need to do their utmost to get to know about the present culture and norms which are now surrounding their living reality. It is not acceptable to persist in what used to be acceptable in other instances abroad. On the other hand, it is very important that foreigners are aware of the norms practised within the community so those norms are understood and wherever possible adhere to them. While doing so, it is also important to be open and communicate as much as possible with other residents so that the process of integration would be made easier. This process should take place with respect while giving value to the dignity and beliefs of different people. Diversity creates ample opportunities which need to be further understood and appreciated. Furthermore, the process of integration should be taken more seriously by different stakeholders so as to enhance the prospects of harmony within the society we live in. Like the Qawra Access Centre facebook page for more information about the different projects and initiatives which are being carried out by the centre.

Side by Side

PROMOTING INTEGRATION AND DIVERSITY IN MALTA

JUNE 2014

HAVE YOUR SAY…

Integrating and interculturalism in Malta How big is the Brazilian community in Malta? Actually it is quite big, most of them come here to play football. Actually Dounia we do not have a proper comBorg munity so it’s hard to meet up with them but I think we are quite a good number.

Dounia Borg Age: 42 (20 sena f’Malta) From: Morocco

Biex il-barranin jintegraw sew f’Malta, xi jridu jagħmlu? Biex jintegraw, huma iridu jagħmlu dak il-pass, għax jekk jibqgħu lura mhux se jintegraw. X’tip ta’ inizjattivi jridu jgħamlu? Jitħaltu mal-kulturi differenti u mal-kultura Maltija – iridu jkunu jafu x’inhi l-kultura Maltija. Għandhom id-drittijiet tagħhom imma għandhom iddmirijiet tagħhom ukoll. Il-lingwa, tħoss illi hija important biex tintegra sew? Iva, ħafna, ħafna! Per eżempju, ngħid għalija jiena, persuna li Malti u Ingliż ma kont naf xejn, lanqas studjajthom. Imma peress li lMalti viċin ħafna l-Għarbi stajt, ftit ftit nitgħallem sakemm bdejt nikkomunika magħhom ukoll.

kważi għaxar snin, fil-kunsill tal-iskejjel fejn konna nduru liskejjel u nintegraw il-kultura Maltija, u qegħda fl-EPA, l-Assoċjazzjoni tal-ġenituri fl-Ewropa, fejn anke ħadt sehem fihom u mort rappreżentajt lill-Malta ukoll bħala Maltija ma’ diversi Maltin oħra biex nippromovu l-kultura Maltija għall-barranin ukoll. Inti tħossok integrata f’Malta? Ħafna, għax għamilt il-pass jien. Hemm min għadu m’għamilx ilpass. Minn hawn nixtieq ngħidilhom… għamlu l-ewwel pass, mhux ħa ssibuha diffiċli!

Leticia Setter Age: Going to be 30 From: Brazil

What’s the best way a foreigner can integrate in Malta? First of all, by leading a Maltese life. Being with Maltese people, maybe joining a group, or as I did, going to the Qawra Access Centre and meeting some really nice people. They have some really nice ways to help one integrate.

Tħoss illi l-komunità Marokkina hija rappreżentata sew filmedia? Naħseb li iva u le – iva peress illi jiena diġà għandi programmi li nagħmel fuq it-televixin fuq it-tisjir Marokkin u programmi oħra fil-media, u Leticia meta jkolli ċ-ċans dak il-ħin, Setter nagħmel il-promotion għal komunità Marokkina u lkomunità kollha Għarbija ġo Malta. X’inizjattivi tinsab fihom bħalissa li jippromwovu d-diversità kulturali? Jien qegħda f’kważi erba’ NGOs; NGO talPACI mad-diversi pajjiżi li jgħixu f’Malta, jiena l-President tal-komunità Marokkina, kont, għal

Do you think your community is well represented in the media? No, not at all. We are trying on facebook… we have groups but it’s only a small part so something could be done to do more. We should create a real Brazilian community so people can start meeting up together. There’s still a long way to go. We organise some events, like Brazilian nights but we could do more.

Mina Mcbride

X’tissuġġerixxi li jsir? Għandna bżonn daqsxejn għajnuna – aħna lanqas ambaxxata m’għandna. Il-komunità stess qed tagħmel ħafna sforz imma għandna bżonn iktar għajnuna.

Radia Borg Age: 46 From: Tunisia

Fl-opinjoni tiegħek, x’inhu l-aħjar mod biex tintegra f’Malta? Tgħix normali, bħal f’kull pajjiż ieħor. Jiena nuża l-kapaċità tiegħi biex tgħini ngħix; bil-karattru tiegħi fejn ngħin lili nnifsi u ninqala’. Trid tikkomunika mannies, tippreżenta xogħolok u lilek innifsek. Taħseb illi l-komunità Tuneżina hija rappreżentata sew ﬁlmedia? Le, ma naħsibx.

Mina Mcbride From: Morocco

Fl-opinjoni tiegħek, x’inhu laħjar mod biex tintegra f’Malta? L-ewwel nett, tiltaqa’ man-nies u toħroġ. Ħafna nies ma joħorġux, imma kif ħa jiltaqgħu man-nies? Trid toħroġ, tmur għall-attivitajiet u hekk tista’ tintegra mannies – mal-Maltin l-iktar. Taħseb illi l-komunità Marokkina hija rappreżentata sew ﬁlmedia? Hija rappreżentata imma żgur għandna bżonn iktar żmien. Bqajna naqra lura f’dan il-pajjiż biex nirrappreżentaw lilna nfusna imma għandna bżonn iktar ħin. X’jista’ jsir biex dan jitjieb? Aktar attivitajiet. Darba f’sena mhux biżżejjed. Ikollna iktar attivitajiet u nistgħu nagħtu ħafna lura. Il-kultura tagħna vera sabiħa!

Raphael Scerri Direttur Ġenerali ﬁ ħdan id-Diviżjoni tal-Fondi u Programmi Ewropej

Kemm hija important d-diversità kulturali f’Malta? Hija important ħafna, għaliex jekk irridu nkunu inklussivi irridu naċċettaw u nieħdu l-ideat ta’ kulħadd. Kulħadd huwa bżonjuż, kulħadd għandu l-viżjonijiet tiegħu, kulħadd għandu l-prioritajiet tiegħu, u allura s-sabiħ huwa li tisma’ lil kulħadd biex b’hekk tkun tista’ tinkludi lil kulħadd – u dik tiġi l-inklussività. L-inklussività tiġi billi inti l-ewwel tisma’, tisma’ d-diversi kulturi, tisma’ d-diversi esperjenzi tan-nies li jġibu magħhom, u b’hekk naqsmuhom ﬂimkien. Fl-aħħar millaħħar wieħed jemmen illi m’hawn ħadd speċjali. Meta tibda tisma’ l-esperjenzi tan-nies, meta tisma’

l-kulturi tan-nies, tinduna kemm aħna viċin xulxin. Kull kultura hija viċin ta’ kulturi oħra, forsi taħt ismijiet differenti, forsi taħt ideat differenti, imma fl-aħħar millaħħar kulħadd uman, kulħadd għandu l-ħajja personali tiegħu, u dak huwa s-sabiħ tal-inklussività. X’tip ta’ inizjattivi jistgħu jħeġġu jew jgħinu lill-barranin biex jintegraw aħjar f’Malta? Kemm ilni direttur ġenerali fi ħdan id-Diviżjoni għal-Fondi u Programmi, kellna diversi sejħiet għal fondi tal-Ewropa biex b’hekk inkunu nistgħu ninkoraġġixxu iktar għaqdiet biex jissottomettu applikazzjonijiet. Nista’ ngħid li meta bdejna fl-2011, il-fond għall-integrazzjoni għal persuni li ġejjin minn pajjiżi terzi, ftit li xejn kien qed jiġi utilizzat. Nista’ ngħidlek li kellna proġett wieħed jew tnejn. Illum għandna ‘il fuq minn għaxar jew tnax-il proġett illi qegħdin jiġu ffinanzjati. Għaliex? Għax ippruvajna navviċinaw l-entitajiet kollha li jistgħu jagħtu kontribut f’dik li hija integrazzjoni. Jiena nħeġġeġ, anke f’dan il-programm li se jiġi varat għall-2014-2020, sabiex jersqu lejna l-għaqdiet kollha, kemm għaqdiet mhux governattivi, għaqdiet volontarji, entitajiet talGvern, biex ikunu jistgħu jottjenu dawn il-fondi biex b’hekk, l-ideat tagħhom, mhux neċessarjament kbar, jitwettqu. Tista’ tkun xi ħaġa li qegħdin jagħmlu llum il-ġurnata, imma jistgħu jtejbuha biex b’hekk naslu iktar viċin dawn il-pajjiżi, dawn il-klienti, in-nies l-oħra li qed jgħixu magħna fuq din il-gżira u li għandhom bżonn l-għajnuna tagħna biex jintegraw. Minn naħa l-oħra inħeġġeġ lil dawk l-organizzazzjonijiet li qed jirrappreżentaw dawn l-għaqdiet, biex l-inizjattivi ma jiġux biss

Radia Borg

promoting integration and diversity in malta Side by Side 9

June 2014

Raphael Scerri

mill-għaqdiet “Maltin” li jaħdmu u jagħmlu xi ħaġa għal dawn l-organizzazzjonijiet, imma jista’ jkun ukoll li tiġi minn dawn lorganizzazzjonijiet Marokkini, għaqdiet jew organizzazzjonijiet oħra li qed jirrappreżentaw pajjiżi oħra, jew nies li ġejjin minn pajjiżi oħra, biex anka huma, jagħmlu proġetti biex jintegraw il-klijenti tagħhom ﬁn-nazzjon Malti u b’hekk ir-rieda tkun ġejja miż-żewġ naħat.

terzi, imma meta nitkellmu fuq immigranti li jkunu daħlu f’Malta illegalment. Dejjem nisimgħu headlines “daħlu daqsekk” – wieħed pero għandu jidħol fiddettal – imma għaliex telqu, kieku kont jiena flokhom, x’kont nagħmel? Il-familji tagħhom li ħallew warajhom, l-għajnuniet li għandhom bżonn. Il-messaġġ tiegħi hu, qabel wieħed jikkummenta, mhux jikkritika; jikkummenta, għax fl-

Il-media, xi rwol taralha u jekk il-media hijiex f’qagħda tajba bħalissa? Il-media għandha rwol importanti ħafna, biex tkompli tagħti l-għarfien imma l-għarfien trid tagħtih sew ukoll. Mhux biss kwistjoni li jkollok iktar promotion, imma kif qed tasal. Aħna dejjem nisimgħu kemm hawn barranin f’Malta, kemm hawn minnhom qegħdin jaħdmu f’ Malta, imma ma nisimgħux kemm hawn barranin li qegħdin jaħdmu f’Malta għaliex forsi ċertu Maltin ma jridux imorru jaħdmu f’dak it-tip ta’ xogħol. Jiġifieri lmessaġġ importanti li jasal sew u jasal b’mod komplet. Aħna dejjem ngħidu li meta ssir riċerka, min qed jippreżenta r-riċerka irid jagħti mhux biss jisma’ - irid jevalwa u jagħti l-istampa sħiħa. Ħafna drabi forsi npoġġu ilSamuela fatti li nkunu ġbarna qabel Galea kollox u ma naslux għattieni fażi, li dawk il-fatti nanalizzawhom u npoġġu l-istampa ikbar. Nerġa’ ngħid, għandna eluf ta’ barranin li jaħdmu f’Malta. Min jaqraha jgħid illi dawn qed jieħdulna xogħolna, mentri jekk tkompli tidħol fid-dettall u tkompli tara f’liema professjonijiet aħħar mill-aħħar nerġa’ ngħid qegħdin jaħdmu, kemm kien kulħadd uman, u nifhmu li l-qalb hemm talbiet li ma mtlewx mill- tal-Maltin hija kbira, imma qabel Maltin, għaliex il-Maltin ma jridux nikkummentaw, nirrealizzaw ftit, jaħdmu hemmhekk ukoll. Jiġifieri nidħlu fid-dettall taċ-ċirkustanwieħed irid jara l-istampa sħiħa za u allura wieħed ikun jista’ jasal għax forsi hemm xi raġuni għal riżultat differenti. għaliex il-Maltin ma jridux jaħdmu hemm. Raymond Tabone L-iskop tal-media huwa li Sindku ta’ San Pawl il-Baħar jwassal il-messaġġ imma l-mes- Age: 54 saġġ komplet b’analiżi dettaljata biex b’hekk kulħadd ikollu l- X’jistgħu jagħmlu l-barranin biex jintegraw aħjar f’Malta? għarfien dettaljat. Din il-ġimgħa kelli l-furtuna natMessaġġ qasir għal persuni li tendi għal Prize Day fl-iskola Prigħandhom id-dubji jew jibżgħu marja ta’ San Pawl il-Baħar fejn mill-barranin? Wieħed irid jidħol hemm kważi 1,000 student. Meta iktar fid-dettall tal-affarijiet. Nerġa’ kont qed nitkellem mas-surmast, ngħid, meta aħna nisimgħu, u issa Ms Dalmas, sibna li hemm malmhux se nsemmi nies mill-pajjiżi 40 komunità u skantawni meta

tellgħu drama, kantaw flimkien u l-mod kif jaħdmu dawn it-tfal flimkien. Naħseb li aħna l-kbar irridu nieħdu l-eżempju ta’ dawn it-tfal għax meta tara kif jirnexxilhom, b’dik l-innoċenza tagħhom, jingħaqdu u jaħdmu u jieħdu pjaċir flimkien, u jaħdmu proġetti flimkien fl-età tagħhom. Aħna l-kbar tlifna dik il-ħila li naħdmu l-istess, kemm Malta, lokali, kif ukoll b’mod internazzjonali. Bħala kunsill, nistgħu nżidu aktar attivitajiet kulturali biex nagħmlu t-taħlit iktar komuni, pero naħseb illi l-istess komunitajiet iridu jiġu l-quddiem minħabba li jżommu, anke fl-attivitajiet li norganizzaw, dak ilpass lura għalkemm hemm diversi gruppi li joffru s-servizzi, it-talenti tagħhom waqt ċertu attivitajiet. Qegħdin naħdmu fuq lezzjonijiet, per eżempju tal-lingwa Maltija għal kbar. Se nippruvaw naħdmu mal-iskola biex norganizzaw xi ħaġa għat-tfal biex waqt li l-kbar qed jitgħallmu l-Malti, it-tfal qed jitgħallmu

Sanna Abel

nieħu eżempju jien u nitgħallem – għax bdejt ngħir għalihom ittfal iż-żgħar – kif jirnexxilhom mingħajr problem ta’ xejn, jitħalltu, jilagħbu ﬂimkien. Naħseb aħna l-kbar nistgħu nersqu aktar viċin xulxin u nieħdu l-eżempju minn dawn it-tfal.

Messaġġ qasir għal min forsi jibża’ mill-barranin? Kultant innies jgħidulek li dawn theddida, għax per eżempju, meta tmur f’restaurant tara barranin biss jaħdmu. Naħseb jiena, ixxogħol huwa offrut għal kulħadd, naħseb kulħadd Raymond irid jagħmel l-għalmu tiegħu Tabone li japplika – kulħadd għandu dritt għall-għejxien, kulħadd għandu dritt għas-sehem tiegħu. Naħseb wieħed m’għandux ikun egoist u jgħid jiena hawnhekk pajjiżi u jiena l-ewwel. Naħseb aħna l-lingwa tagħmlilna differenti, u l-kultura tagħmlilna differenti, imma l-poplu tad-dinja kollha huwa poplu wieħed – kulħadd għandu żewġ saqajn, żewġ idejn, żewġ għajnejn, żewġ widnejn, ħalq wieħed u allura naħseb li ma tagħmilx differenza suppost fejn tidħol id-diversità u fejn jidħlu kulturi differenti.

Samuela Galea Age: 26 From: Malta

fl-istess ħin affarijiet fil-livell tagħhom. Din l-idea għadna qed naħdmu fuqha. Jekk jirnexxilna din is-sena, naraw ir-rispons li jkun hemm. Qed nippruvaw ukoll li mmorru aħna għandhom. Il-komunitajiet stess għandhom qishom ċentri, biex insejħulhom hekk, mhux uffiċjali tagħhom u immorru hemm, nitkellmu magħhom hemm, naraw x’inhuma l-problemi li jiltaqgħu magħhom minħabba l-kultura differenti tagħhom, u barra minn hekk nitgħallmu iktar minnhom biex aħna, forsi nsiru ningħaqdu u noħolqu dak is-sense of belonging fir-raħal tagħna. Is-sense of belonging jista’ jinħoloq permezz tad-diversità tal-kulturi totalment differenti. Naħseb li kif

What’s the best way to integrate in Malta in your opinion? Work, eat, enjoy the beaches! Accept the culture ﬁrst of all because it’s very different from Europe, America, Africa or Asia. Get used to the food, the Maltese way of thinking, of speaking and the weather perhaps – the heat. Above all, enjoy yourself and get to know other people. Do you think that foreigners are represented enough in the media or do we need more? Sometimes they are and maybe sometimes they are misrepresented, especially if they’re from African, Arab or Eastern European countries. We might not be well informed on all the nationalities but overall I think it’s starting to mix quite well - an interesting international mixture. How should foreigners meet with Maltese people? Well, if it’s summer, they can go to beaches

I guess or to clubs. There are different clubs that Maltese people and foreigners go to but I guess it’s also a “Maltese effort” that could be done so that they mix more with the international people as well.

Sanna Abel Age: 32 From: Morocco (she also has some origins from France)

What’s the best way to integrate in Malta? The first thing, is the language. Even when you speak English, you are not integrating 100% because as you know, the Maltese activities, the Maltese culture is a bit different. You need to speak the language to get used to the Maltese. They will talk to you in English; that does not mean you will integrate with them. I’m talking about everywhere… in the gym for example. If they know you are a foreigner it is difficult to integrate in a group. You need to be very open and socialise, otherwise you will remain excluded. Then it also depends on where you work. I work in a company where there are more Maltese and English so we share that culture. They like my culture and wherever I go, I promote it as well. Do you think the Moroccan community is well represented in the media? I actually met the president of our association and she’s trying hard to represent Morocco and bring it closer to the media. As it is a small country, you need to reach out since people might not know about this part of the world. You need to make the first step. I’m sure she worked hard to arrive where we are today, organising promotions, programmes on food, etc, so the Maltese people will get to know more about Moroccan culture. Morocco is situated next to Libya, Tunisia and Algeria but many don’t know about it. It’s not easy to inform everyone about all the countries around the world. We are getting there. Today is a good occasion for example. We had this idea of having the bride because it’s traditional. Not everyone will be doing the same thing. It’s kind of showing how we do things. We try to share our traditions.

Side by Side

PROMOTING INTeGRATION AND DIVeRSITy IN MALTA

Kellimni.com By James Buhagiar

t kellimni.com you can talk to us about anything. We are here to listen. Kellimni.com offers online support services primarily to youths and adolescents, providing them with specialised moral and social support. Our aim is to support young people who are going through difficult times and have no one to turn to during these difficult moments. Our services are free, private and confidential, and the user can choose to remain anonymous. The kellimni.com team can be reached through e-mail, chat services and online forums. Our services allow users to express their concerns and seek professional advice about the issues directly affecting them. Young people need to know that they are not alone; that their life can be free from pain and fear. Whilst the e-mail service is available 24/7, the chat service is open during the following times; Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7pm till 11pm and Saturdays from 10 am till 1 pm. There are many young people who felt at a loss, because they thought they had no one to turn to, until they discovered kellimni.com. Angie lost her mother in a car accident; she could not deal with it. John was constantly being bullied at school. Kim feared she was pregnant. Thomas felt lonely and Marta was in constant conflict with her parents. Darren felt he was a good-for-nothing. They all found that the support they needed was one click away.

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St John Bosco St Paul St Gregory The Annunciation St Paul St Anthony St Anthony Corpus Christi Sacred Heart Of Jesus St John The Baptist St Peter & St Paul Visitation Our Lady Of Perpetual Help Our Lady Of Mount Carmel St George St Margaret St Joseph St Lawrence The Assumption Of Our Lady The Assumption Of Our Lady Our Lady Of Loreto Our Lady Of Mount Carmel The Nativity Of Our Lady Our Lady As Patron Saint Jesus Of Nazareth Immaculate Conception Immaculate Conception

Victoria Munxar Kerċem Victoria Munxar Mġarr Għajnsielem Għasri Fontana Xewkija Nadur Għarb Kerċem Xewkija Victoria Sannat Qala San Lawrence Victoria Żebbuġ Għajnsielem Xlendi Xagħra Għasri Xagħra Rabat Qala

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February 10 March 19 March 26 April 02 April 25 May 02 May 03 May 09 May 16 May 22 May 23 May 23 June 06 June 06 June 06 June 06 June 13 June 20 June 20 June 20 June 27 June 27 June 27 June 29 July 04 July 04 July 04 July 04 July 04 July 04 July 04 July 11 July 11 July 11 July 11 July 16 July 18 July 18 July 16 July 18 July 25 July 25 July 25 July 25 July 25 July 25 July 25 August 01 August 01 August 01 August 01 August 06 August 08 August 10 August 15 August 15 August 15 August 15 August 15 August 15 August 22 August 22 August 22 August 22 August 22 August 29 August 29 August 29 August 29 August 29 August 29 September 05 September 05 September 05 September 05 September 08 September 08 September 08 September 12 September 19 October 03 October 03 October 17 December 08 December 08

St Paul St Joseph Jesus Of Nazareth Our Lady Of Sorrows St Publius St Joseph Holy Cross Our Lady Of Liesse St Augustine St Rita The Annunciation Our Lady Of Fatima St Anthony Of Padova St Philip St Joseph Holy Trinity Corpus Christi Our Lady Of The Lily St Catherine Christ The Redeemer St Nicholas St George Our Lady Of Sacred Heart St Peter & St Paul Our Lady Of Lourdes Our Lady Of Sacred Heart St Paul Immaculate Conception St Andrew St Joseph The Worker Our Lady Of Mount Carmel St Joseph Our Lady Of Mount Carmel The Annunciation Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Our Lady Of Mount Carmel St Sebastian St Joseph Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Our Lady Of Mount Carmel St Anna Christ The King Our Lady Of Sorrows St Joseph Our Lady Of Mount Carmel St Venera St Dominic St Peter Our Lady Of Pompei Our Lady Of Lourdes Transfiguration Of Our Lord St Gaetan St Lawrence The Assumption Of Our Lady The Assumption Of Our Lady The Assumption Of Our Lady The Assumption Of Our Lady The Assumption Of Our Lady The Assumption Of Our Lady The Assumption Of Our Lady The Assumption Of Our Lady Our Lady Of Lourdes Stella Maris St Helen St Paul St Julian St Dominic St Joseph St Bartholomew Maria Regina St Catherine St Gregory Our Lady Of The Girdle Our Lady Of The Girdle The Nativity Of Our Lady The Nativity Of Our Lady The Nativity Of Our Lady Our Lady Of Graces St Leonard Our Lady Of The Rosary St Francis Of Assisi Our Lady Of Good Health Immaculate Conception Immaculate Conception

Valletta Rabat Sliema Various cities Floriana Ħamrun B’Kara Valletta Valletta Valletta Tarxien G’Manġa B’Kara Żebbuġ Għaxaq Marsa Rabat Mqabba Żejtun Senglea Siġġiewi Qormi Burmarrad Mdina Qrendi Sliema Rabat Ħamrun Luqa B’Kara Fleur De Lys Kirkop Fgura Balzan Gżira Valletta Qormi Msida B’Kara Mdina Żurrieq Marsascala Paola St Paul’s Bay Żebbuġ Balluta St Venera Valletta Birżebbuġa M’Xlokk San Ġwann Lija Ħamrun Vittoriosa Għaxaq Gudja Mosta Mqabba Qrendi Attard Dingli Mġarr Paola Sliema B’Kara Saﬁ St Julian’s Vittoriosa Manikata Għargħur Marsa Żurrieq Sliema Rabat Gudja Mellieħa Senglea Naxxar Żabbar Kirkop Gudja Sliema Rabat Ibraġġ Cospicua

promoting integration and diversity in malta Side by Side 11

June 2014

TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES ON MULTICULTURALISM A study by Mariella Scicluna

aving been an immigrant student for the better part of my education led me to choose multiculturalism and multicultural education as the subject of my dissertation. The memory of how I felt during the first years at school in a foreign country, dealing with the linguistic and cultural differences, initiated my interest in multicultural education. Studying to become a teacher focused my interest on teachers’ perceptions of the same subjects. The aim of my study was to discover what Maltese teachers’ perceptions were when it came to multicultural education and if they were ready to put those perceptions into action. The study was conducted in eleven State Secondary schools across Malta. U.S historian Henry Adams once said that, “a teacher influences eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops” and research has shown that the teacher is fundamentally the most important resource in any classroom. Teachers’ perceptions of multiculturalism and multicultural education are important because, ultimately, it is teachers who hold the potential and responsibility to improve the learning experience of all children. Until recently, Malta and Maltese educators have taken the absence of immigrants in its educational system for granted. The increase of foreign adoption, irregular migration and interracial marriages are making it harder for teachers to ignore the changing cultural landscape of Maltese society; changes which are increasingly reflected in classrooms throughout the country. Teachers are faced with the challenge of being global educators, and this challenge can be met by multicultural education. Gloria Ladson Billings calls truly multicultural educators, “culturally relevant” in that they recognise, understand and apply attitudes and practices that are sensitive to, and appropriate for people with diverse socio-economic and educational backgrounds. Alternatively, there are the “assimilationist” teachers: those who expect children to discard their culture in order to fit in, do not adapt their practices in the classroom to better

suit diversity, and have low expectations of the child. The ﬁndings of my dissertation found that teachers’ basic perceptions of multicultural education are mostly positive. Teachers are aware of the cultural and religious diversity found in their classrooms and recognise the challenges this brings. They see schools as the best places to promote multiculturalism and their expectations regarding immigrant students’ motivation and behavioural problems are not prejudiced. Furthermore, they recognise their responsibility to encourage students’ learning about their own cultures.

Maltese teachers in State Secondary schools are more culturally relevant when it comes to the philosophy behind multicultural education, but unfortunately fall short on the practical front. Teachers expect immigrant students to fit in and they do not believe that all immigrant students can succeed. Most teachers think that students should speak only Maltese and English in classrooms and especially dislike students speaking to each other in a different language if it is unknown to them. This is problematic for many immigrant children who have little or no English language skills and definitely no Maltese language skills. When teachers are talking during a lesson, the findings show that most of

“Regrettably, less than half of teachers in state secondary schools are willing to adapt their lessons to suit the diversity found in their classrooms, despite knowing the impact cultural and religious difference has on the learning experience of students.”

them expect their students to maintain eye-contact with them to know that they are listening. However, a child coming from a culture that views the maintaining of eye-contact with authority figures such as teachers to be discourteous will have to discard this cultural nuance in order to conform. Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of teachers take a colour-blind approach in their classrooms. This may seem a positive trait but in truth, it is misleading. Avoiding the issue of race by simply not seeing it diminishes its significance and dismisses one of the most important features of a student’s identity. In addition, politely pretending not to notice students’ cultural identity makes no sense unless it is somehow shameful. Regrettably, less than half of teachers in State Secondary schools are willing to adapt their lessons to suit the diversity found in their classrooms, despite knowing the impact cultural and religious difference has on the learning experience of students. This makes most classrooms in Malta educationally unjust for the culturally diverse students who do not easily conform to Maltese cultural standards. Furthermore, teachers are not motivated by their experience of teaching culturally diverse students into researching topics that may help them develop professionally into multicultural educators. In their defence, teachers express the challenges of time constraints and too rigid and focused syllabi as the main reasons they cannot take an active multicultural approach in their classrooms. This may also explain why many teachers feel there is too much emphasis on diversity and multiculturalism in the National Curriculum Framework. Teachers may reason that it is pointless to emphasise diversity and multiculturalism when departmental policies contain syllabi that are too rigid, focused and extensive. Although having positive perceptions of multiculturalism in classrooms is the first step towards affecting change, teachers need to learn how to build on these perceptions and turn them into positive actions.

Side by Side

PrOMOTING INTEGrATION ANd dIVErSITY IN MALTA

JuNE 2014

The Holi Festival Marking the triumph of good over evil Malta’s Indian community, along with Maltese and members of other diverse communities, celebrated the colourful festival of Holi this year. The festival was organised by Gilbert Mohnani and hosted by the Consulate of India, in Santa Venera. The event took place at the end of March. It featured Indian cuisine and music, as well as games for participants to enjoy. The Holi Festival is a celebration that originates in ancient India which marks the triumph of good over evil. The celebration also signifies the end of dark and drab winter, and the arrival of the bright and colourful spring season. On the third day of the festival, people of all ages gather together in brotherly and sisterly love to throw coloured powders, abeer and gulal, at each other. In addition to India, Holi is celebrated in many countries around the world, especially in Asian, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, North American and European countries. © Images – Jasen Ogle

The changing face of folk Malta Council for Culture & the Arts

Għana

Bizzilla

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Perhaps the real reason which makes Għanafest one of Malta’s fastest-growing festivals is the atmosphere: friendly and relaxed, families, young and not-so-young will feel equally at home here. Local artisans work at their crafts before your eyes, and will often chattily explain how they are made. This year, there was a children’s workshop on tberfil too – the decorative painted lettering often found on the old buses which is rapidly dying out. Yet, despite its increasing popularity, the festival is still intimate enough for details to be curated lovingly. Even the food is carefully picked to a theme: no commercial entities are in sight: you are likelier to find pastizzi, imqaret and all things traditionally Maltese, making this festival – devoted to music, food and crafts – much more than just a series of concerts. In such a setting, folk music can flourish. Folk’s power lies in its telling of simple stories, the stirring tunes, the stunning rich voices – and this year’s Għanafest – which was held from 30 May to 1 June with a gypsy/klezmer music theme – promises plenty of all of those. The festival, which is supported by the Malta Council for Culture & the Arts and the Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government, is organised under the auspices of Fondazzjoni Ċelebrazzjonijiet Nazzjonali (FĊN) in collaboration with Valletta 2018 Foundation.

proMoting integration anD Diversity in Malta Side by Side 13

June 2014

Stepping outside of your comfort zone By Dana McKeon Dana McKeon is a Maltese singer-songwriter and Malta’s international beat-box pioneer. Here’s her take on cultural diversity and music.

ife takes on a very interesting twist once you step out of your comfort zone. Over the past few years, music has taken me on an amazing journey. I’ve had the opportunity to travel to festivals and concerts beyond Maltese shores, meeting people from all over the world and experiencing different cultures. From a musical perspective, I’ve come to discover that there is no such thing as a language barrier. Even during my ﬁrst jamming experience in Malta, it soon became evident that rhythm is one of the greatest communication tools available to us. Without the need for words, I soon learned how to integrate with a group of Maltese and African musicians playing a spontaneous piece of music. After joining in with my own contribution, we created a unique sound on the spur of the moment. That was when I truly started to appreciate the fact that “music is a universal language”.

Dana McKeon

Following that eye-opening experience, I found myself drawing inspiration from the distinctive sounds I heard from different artists. At the 2012 World Beatbox Championships in Germany, I met vocal percussionists from all around the world, each having their own unique style. Listening to a beat-boxer from the USA compared with one from Japan, I was impressed with how one’s cultural background can have such a big inﬂuence on their interpretation of the same art form. Once again, despite not being able to speak the same language at times, beat-boxers still managed to communicate effectively.

Jazz on the Harbour By Jasen Ogle

he Malta Jazz Festival 2014 is returning for its 24th edition, featuring a programme of local and international artists, as well as fringe festival (Jazz on the Fringe), The Malta Jazz Contest, and The Malta Summer Jazz Camp. Some of the featured artists include Brecker Brothers Band Reunion ‘The Heavy Metal Bebop Tour’, Tom Harrel ‘Colors of a Dream,’ Laurent Coq ‘Dialogue’ Trio; which combines Caribbean-Creole inﬂuences with modern jazz, and Mehliana, which mixes jazz and electronica. The fringe festival will feature an open-air concert and master classes in piano, improvisation, harmony, arranging, guitar, drums and saxophone. It will also provide opportunities for local and international jazz musicians to collaborate. The Malta Jazz Contest will be held on the last day of The Malta Jazz Festival. Entrance is free and will be open to Maltese Jazz soloists up to the age of 35. The Malta Jazz Festival is being held at Ta’ Liesse in the Valletta Grand Harbour from Thursday, 17th July until Saturday, 19th July. For more information, contact the Malta Council for Culture and Arts by visiting http://www.maltaculture.com or by calling 2339 7000.

Once communication barriers are done away with, the world becomes a much smaller place. Always one to absorb things from my surroundings, my travels provide an unrivalled means of cultural education and inspiration. Meeting new people of various nationalities and sharing musical experiences with them creates connections which bridge the gap between different cultures. It is in fact those differences themselves which usually make for such a rich and beautiful musical encounter. Nowadays, being mainly based in London, I am continuously exposed to an array of musicians from every corner of the

world. Often named as the European mecca for music, the city boasts a multi-cultural music scene, which has introduced me to new sounds, accents and musical styles. Noting the blend of characteristics which each individual presents is like taking a glance at their origins and cultural background. When a group of musicians come together to make music, their separate styles complement one another to create a wonderful eclectic fusion. One might wonder whether preconceptions exist within such an environment. Unfortunately they do! I’ve encountered skepticism on numerous occasions based on my gender and appearance. However, nothing beats the satisfaction of turning someone’s doubt into respect during a performance, and driving home the message that music transcends social boundaries. The diversity I have encountered and been a part of has truly widened my horizons and inspired me to no end. Be it through my singing, song-writing, beatboxing or guitar-playing, music has provided a way of exchanging ideas with others, while maintaining a great spirit of openness and mutual understanding. These enriching experiences have helped me mature and develop into the person I am today, and my music is a reﬂection of that. One thing’s for sure though…once you’ve stepped out of your comfort zone, there’s no going back!

FESTIVAL PROGRAMME AND LINE-UPS Thursday, 17th July Paul Abela Quintet (featuring special guest Gabriele Comeglio) Paul Abela – piano • Gabriele Comeglio – alto sax • Marc Galea – guitar • Ryan Abela – bass • Charles ‘City’ Gatt – drums. Laurent Coq ‘Dialogue’ Trio Laurent Coq – piano • Ralph Lavital – guitar • Nicolas Pelage – vocals. Tom Harrell ‘Colors of a Dream’ Tom Harrell – trumpet • Jaleel Shaw – alto sax • Wayne Escoffery – tenor sax • Ugonna Okegwo – bass • Esperanza Spalding – bass, vocals • Johnathan Blake – drums.

Kneebody Shane Endsley – trumpet • Ben Wendel – tenor sax • Adam Benjamin – keyboards • Kaveh Rastegar – electric bass • Nate Wood – drums. Mehliana (featuring Brad Mehldau and Mark Giuliana) Brad Mehldau – keyboards, piano • Mark Giuliana – drums.

Saturday, 19th July Francesca Galea 5tet Francesca Galea – vocals • Renato D’Aiello – tenor sax • Claudio Angeleri – piano • Yoni Zelnik – bass • Karl Jannuska – drums. Warren Wolf Warren Wolf – vibraphone

Friday, 18th July Joseph Camilleri Trio (featuring Yoni Zelnik and Joseph Camilleri) Joe Debono – piano • Yoni Zelnik – bass • Joseph Camilleri – drums. Dominic Galea Trio Dominic Galea – piano • Mario Aquilina – bass • Noel Grech – drums.

• Anthony Wonsey – piano • Vicente Archer – bass • Justin Brown – drums. Brecker Brothers Band Reunion “The Heavy Metal Bebop Tour” Randy Brecker – electric trumpet/vocals • Ada Rovatti – tenor/soprano sax • Barry Finnerty – guitar • Neil Jason – electric bass/vocals • Terry Bozzio – drums.

Side by Side

PROMOTING INTEGRATION AND DIVERSITY IN MALTA

JUNE 2014

KomoKuba brings a Latin twist to the local jazz scene

Newly formed Cuban-Latin jazz band KomoKuba kicked off summer’s music programme that is packed with an eclectic dose of music and dancing – from Għanafest to Isle of MTV and the Malta Jazz Festival. Jasen Ogle sat down with pianist Joe Debono and vocalist Justin Galea of KomoKuba to talk about Cuban and Latin influences on the local jazz scene, and their expectations of their first performance at Bottegin Palazzo Xara, Rabat. Do you plan on writing music for the Cuban and Latin jazz genres? Joe: Like everything else, you must get involved in the

idiom ﬁrst, carry out research on it, let it simmer, and then why not [do it]? I will be playing my compositions at the Malta Jazz Festival as well. What should jazz fans expect at the Jazz Festival? Joe: I’ll be playing in a trio with Joe Camilleri and Yoni

Zelnik, a bass player from Paris. We’ll be playing some standard and original compositions as well. As a fan, who do you look forward to seeing at the Jazz Festival? Joe: I like to see what’s happening at the global

From left: Joe Debono, Adrian Galea, Justin Galea, Joe Camilleri, Anthony Saliba, Jonathan Abela and Adrian Brincat (front). Photo by Jasen Ogle

Where did the band name KomoKuba come from? Justin: It was my idea. We wanted a name that would ring

well and KomoKuba has a percussion sound to it. In Spanish it means ‘like a Cuban’. We are Maltese, but we like to represent Cuban music as best as we can. We replaced the Cs with Ks because that is how the Maltese would say it. Who are the other members of KomoKuba? Joe: There is Jonathan Abela on the trombone, Adrian

‘ir-Russu’ Brincat on the trumpet, Anthony ‘il-Fesu’ Saliba on the bass, Joe ‘il-Bibi iż-Żgħir’ Camilleri on the drums, and Adrian Galea on percussion. What sparked the interest in Latin jazz? Joe: Apart from the local music scene, we look at the

global music scene; at what’s happening in Paris, London, New York, etc… there are always cross-overs towards Brazilian, funk and Cuban music. Initially, this interest in Cuban/Latin jazz was brought up by a friend of mine, the late Nicky Doublet, who was a drummer. About 10 years ago we were in a group in which we invested time to create a repertoire that falls around the Cuban idiom. It works well with the people, it works well for us. Justin: This concert consists of classical Cuban music, but our intention is that it evolves into more experimental tunes. Jazz is about experimentation. Maybe Joe is experienced in this, but I had to learn and research about Cuban music because of this project. I think it’s good to start with the basics, the traditional Cuban sounds, and then evolve and experiment later on. How do you feel about playing together for the first time as KomoKuba? Joe: There is always an element of anxiousness. Justin:

It’s because we are organising the show tonight. We are not just playing but we are also promoting and taking care of lighting and sound. There are a lot of things to take care of apart from the music. That creates more tension for us — because we are musicians after all — but I think it will be good because we spent a lot of time working on this.

Are there any Latin artists that have influenced you? Joe: Actually, one of the cross-

KomoKuba recently played for a packed-house of over 200 people in the dining hall of Bottegin Palazzo Xara. They will be performing next at the Fringe Festival. For more information about this festival, contact the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts.

over [artists] that interests me the most is Spanish. Chano Dominguez introduces the ﬂamenco style to jazz and Spanish-gypsy music. Apart from that, there is Tito Puente, Chucho Valdés, and Buena Vista Social Club. Is there a large jazz following in Malta? Justin: Interest in jazz is growing. There are a lot of salsa

and Cuban dancers, and Maltese who like to dance to Cuban music but have not had the opportunity to do so with a live band. This is the opportunity that we are presenting to the Maltese public and whoever else wants to come listen to us. Joe: It involves improvisation, and the Cuban style is more digestible to a general audience, so it can also be the carrot that leads a general audience to jazz. Do you see jazz music gaining popularity in Malta? Joe: Yes, jazz music is growing. Keeping in mind that

Malta is a very small island, I have seen a lot of young people getting involved and new trios being formed. Justin: It’s diﬃcult to ﬁnd a venue that will host you and get a good deal with them. Some vendors do not differentiate between a DJ and a band. However it does make a difference for musicians. Musicians need a place where they can enjoy themselves and learn through playing. That is lacking a bit in Malta. Is your set original or do you play music from other artists? Joe: They are all covers. We cover famous, and not so fa-

mous Cuban standards. I did some arrangements on them with brass and bass, and we gave them our own take. Most of these standards are played with a whole band, while we are a seven-piece band. However we managed to find a compromise with the sound. Justin: We also have one song in Maltese. I am very fond of the Maltese language and I try to use it in different contexts. There is misconception that it does not fit well, but it does fit well in different styles, so why not try the Cuban style?

cross-section of jazz. Sandro Zerafa - the artistic director of the Jazz Festival - and Charles ‘City’ Gatt before him make us feel the pulse of what is going on internationally, so they get the best artists they can. This year there is Kneebody whom I’m really looking forward to seeing. What is the Fringe Festival? Justin: It happens two weeks before the Jazz

Festival. It is made up of a number of concerts and master classes given by jazz tutors and artists from abroad. There is also a jazz contest for soloartists. The winner of the contest will get a chance to play in Paris and at next year’s Malta Jazz Festival. What advice do you have for people who are new to jazz? Joe: Listen to jazz greats. Listen to the bebop era artists

such as Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and the jazz music of the 1940s and 1950s. And then of course there’s Miles Davis. Listen to what you like, what appeals to you. It needs to arouse a certain amount of curiosity. Justin: There is so much variation in jazz music, especially nowadays, that it appeals to everyone. Anyone can find their own niche in the whole field of jazz music. Joe: As a listener, listen to whatever you like, but as a musician, it’s important to study the roots, to get involved in what makes this music so special in the first place. It started in the 1940s. Like anything else, you need to spend a lot of time on the instrument and carry out research. It’s such a malleable idiom that everybody can have their own take on it. Outside of jazz, what sort of music do you listen to? Justin: I listen to a lot of different styles. Lately I was lis-

tening to contemporary classical music because I feel inspired by it a lot - I feel I can relate to it. I listen to a lot of different styles and try to perform as much. Joe: Like Justin, it’s important to listen to what’s currently happening. I listen to classical and Brazilian music a lot as well. Like anybody else, it depends on the mood. There is music that I listen to just to have fun, and there is music I analyse. The more you listen, the more you discover. What are your expectations for tonight? Joe: I hope that people dance. That’s it! Justin: I’m sure

people will dance. I hope they enjoy themselves. Maybe after tonight we can look into playing at other places and maybe we’ll be invited to play somewhere else.

Promoting intEgration and diVErsity in malta Side by Side 15

JunE 2014

Valletta 2018 EMPOWERING PEOPLE THROUGH CULTURALLY ENRICHING ACTIVITIES By Annaliza Borg

mpowering people by focusing on generational, cultural and geographical barriers to inclusion and participation in society and culture, is at the heart of the Valletta 2018 Foundation. As the body responsible for Valletta’s journey towards the title of European Capital of Culture (ECoC) in 2018, it also serves as a cultural laboratory for society to pose self-reflective questions about the challenges we face, borders, extremities, differences and similarities within a European and Mediterranean context. The ECoC is a European flagship project aiming to raise positive awareness of ‘Europeanness’ among EU citizens and beyond, and following 25 years and circa 50 such cities, results are mixed. Valletta’s bid for the title is about the implementation of a series of projects, events and initiatives that will lead to the implementation of the cultural programme in 2018 and its planned legacy. Central to this is giving children and young generations the right tools to practice inclusion by being direct players in culturally enriching activities. Based on a deeper understanding of the Mediterranean Sea as a geographical space that tends to connect social relations rather than to maintain a social divide, the educational programme Kalejdoskopji Mediterranji, which will take place this summer, aims to introduce children to an alternative perspective which will be interactively explored throughout the Klabb 3-16 Skolasajf sessions. The summer school programme is run by the Foundation for Educational Services and is being supported by the Valletta 2018 Foundation and Heritage Malta. A flat map observation of Europe and the Mediterranean may project the perspective of land (the continent) as being separate from the sea. The Mediterranean Sea may also appear to divide Europe from the South, namely from the Middle East and North African lands. This perception may only serve to emphasise a north-south divide, wherein borders are seen as definite barriers not only in physical and geographical terms, but also in terms of culture, religion, and ethnicities. Over the past weeks, 10 Klabb 3-16 area co-ordinators attended two preparation sessions given by Nathalie Grima on behalf of the Foundation, during which they were challenged to think of the Mediterranean region as a geographical but equally, a human space that connects

Valletta 2018 strives to involve children in the European Capital of Culture Project to ensure a strong level of participation from children and young people in 2018.

rather than divides Europe with the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. Consequently, the name Kalejdoskopji Mediterranji was chosen, reﬂecting changing shapes similar to ones produced by a kaleidoscope. These can be compared to the continuously changing landscapes and fabric of society in the Mediterranean region and nudge us to move away from a Eurocentric and static view of the region, to a broader view that takes a closer look at local and regional contexts which are moulded and shaped with diverse and, at times, similar and overlapping realities. The approach taken is also aimed to challenge stereotypes which, more often

than not, serve to instil generalisations and misconceptions about the conceived ‘other’. Addressing a different cohort, Valletta 2018 is launching a series of annual international conferences addressing different aspects related to cultural relations in Europe and the Mediterranean. The ﬁrst conference will be held on 4th and 5th September at the University of Malta, Valletta Campus. It invites speakers from across Europe and North Africa to discuss matters related to the common histories and geo-political realities of Europe and the Mediterranean within the spheres of international relations and cultural diplomacy.

The First Annual Valletta 2018 International Conference on Cultural Relations in Europe and the Mediterranean aims to address aspects of contemporary cultural relations in the Mediterranean in the framework of Valletta as the European Capital of Culture. The conference is being organised in conjunction with the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival organised by Inizjamed from 4th to 6th September. A total of 16 international speakers are invited to reflect on how this project can contribute to a dialogue and exchange in terms of cultural experiences and expressions in the Euro-Med area, also in light of the chequered history of super-national initiatives such as the Union for the Mediterranean and the Anna Lindh Foundation. Meanwhile, through the ongoing project Community Hip-Hop, currently in its second edition, Valletta 2018 aims to integrate the refugee community and prison inmates with a group of young local people. Spanning six months, the project involves individuals from marginalised communities working on readily available tunes from the programme’s first edition and recreating them in different languages while elaborating on the arrangements to make the songs adaptable to the project’s various themes. Valletta 2018 also endorses SOS Malta in the 16-month project it is leading, Valletta Living Together (VLT): Promoting Integration through Achieving Intercultural City Status, co-financed through the European Fund for the Integration of Third Country Nationals. The project’s main objective is to promote integration, intercultural exchange and diversity in Valletta through achieving the Council of Europe’s intercultural city status.

SOS Malta is leading a 16-month project, Valletta Living Together (VLT): Promoting Integration through Achieving Intercultural City Status, co-financed through the European Fund for the Integration of Third Country Nationals. The project’s main objective is to promote integration, intercultural exchange and diversity in Valletta through achieving the Council of Europe’s intercultural city status. The project aims to develop, through a series of workshops and exchanges, a strategy for Valletta to become an intercultural city through adhering to the Council of Europe Intercultural Cities Programme. This strategy will promote and enable the Integration of TCN in Malta through strengthening Valletta’s intercultural credentials. SOS Malta is collaborating with the Valletta Local Council and the V18 Foundation to carry out the Intercultural Cities Programme process involving exchanges at an international level on good practices for integration as well as national level events. This project will focus on the Council of Europe intercultural cities approach as one means through which integration may be achieved. The intercultural cites process will involve a diagnosis of Valletta’s intercultural status, followed by an expert visit from the Council of Europe. Representatives will then participate in exchange visits to other intercultural cities to exchange experiences and good practices with international experts in the field of integration and intercultural cities. These activities will result in the development of an intercultural city three-year strategy for Valletta which will be launched at an international intercultural event in Malta. Valletta’s achievement of intercultural city status will play a key aspect in delivering the Valletta 2018 City of Culture objective of growing internationally from the world within us. Valletta Living Together (VLT): Promoting Integration through Achieving Intercultural City Status will continue to build upon the work being done by SOS Malta to promote integration as a two-way process. Through the Intercultural Cities Programme, SOS Malta will support Valletta in reviewing their policies through an intercultural lens and developing comprehensive intercultural strategies to help them manage diversity positively and realise the diversity advantage. For further information, contact SOS Malta at info@sosmalta.org

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PROMOTING INTEGRATION AND DIVERSITY IN MALTA

JUNE 2014

No Hate Speech Movement

2014 EUROPEAN ACTION DAYS • Action Day 20th June

European Action Day in support of Refugees and Asylum-Seekers.

By Jasen Ogle

un by the Council of Europe, the No Hate Speech Movement is an EU-wide campaign which works to ﬁght racism and all forms of discrimination by equipping participants with the tools necessary to identify and stand up against intolerance. National campaigns are being carried out in member states through the leadership of national campaign committees. The goals of Malta’s national campaign are to inform the public on what is hate speech, to lessen the usage of hate speech in daily life, to create a thoughtful discussion of how society treats one another, and to convey solidarity with victims of hate speech. Forming Malta’s national committee, Aġenzjia Żgħażagħ, with the help of SOS Malta and the Embassy of the United States of America, have come together to support the Council of Europe in raising awareness in Malta about hate speech and ways to stand up against it.

• Action Day 22nd July European Action day in Solidarity with Victims of Hate Crimes.

• Action Day 21st September European Action Day against Islamophobia and Religious Intolerance.

• Action Day 9th November European Action Day against Fascism and Anti-Semitism.

• Action Week 8th – 15th December European Action Week for Human Rights.

The national campaign targets the Maltese public, but focuses on social media to disseminate their message to Maltese youth. Members of the national committee have been using their individual social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and local online youth support platform Kellimni.com to help educate, and to reach out to vulnerable individuals and groups. The national campaign committee points out that, “people do not even know what hate speech is, do not recognise discrimination and prejudice, or

harassment as such, and do not recognise this as a crime.” According to Chapter 9 of the Criminal Code, it is unlawful to publicly incite racial hatred, condone, deny, or trivialise genocide and crimes against peace; to aid, abet and/or instigate such offences against a person/group based on gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, colour, language, ethnic origin, religion or belief, or political or other opinion. In other words, in Malta, hate speech is a crime. The Council of Europe seeks the ratiﬁcation by all member states, the Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention on Cyber Crime, which would criminalise racist and xenophobic acts committed by the use of computer systems. Malta is a signatory of the Additional Protocol, but has not yet ratiﬁed it. The Council also seeks further policy recommendations for member states, guidelines for signalling of hate speech and offensive content in videogames, a code of conduct for social media platforms, policies on privacy in reporting of hate speech in social media, inclusion of youth in the consultation of internet governance methods, inclusion of media education and internet literacy for proposed action for human rights education, and the promotion of 22nd July as the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Hate Crimes. The No Hate Speech Movement was launched by the Council of Europe in March 2013 and will continue through 2015. Further information can be found at www.nohatespeechmovement.org.