I've heard it so many times that our society is passive, disinterested and its citizens are disengaged.  This cannot be further from the truth.

I think this country should be proud of its civic engagement.  True, we take politics (too) seriously at times and we tend to get a bit hot under the collar.  In fact in her comments the President of Malta Marie Louise Coleiro Preca during my radio show Ghandi xi Nghid were timely and judicious.  Her appeal for proportionality was commendable. However, our interest in the way our communities develop doesn't rest on politician adulation. Whether it is at the work place or at the village square, at the coffee shop or at the University Quadrangle, everyone seems to have an opinion on everything in this Country.

Without a doubt NGOs, political parties, interest groups, charities, professional associations, the unions and all sort of organisations that represent different clusters of society contribute favorably.  Nevertheless, civil society needs to keep growing in stature, an important requirement in an evolving democracy.

If one had to take this legislature as a benchmark we can  see that we've had our civil society enlisted on a number of very important issues; ranging from the ODZ debacle (mainly coupled with the proposed University turned Higher Institution in the Zonqor area), the Spring Hunting debate which saw most of the environmental NGOs working together and supported by three newsrooms and now the mobilisation of people during two national protests spearheaded by the Nationalist Party.  Add to this the social media, blogging and contributions on the news portals and newspapers and you will soon realise that we are engrossed in citizen voice.  This is the way it should be.  Dissent is one important tool at keeping the Government on its toes and at the same time the State in check.  As I have always reiterated, politicians are employed by the citizens and are duty bound to act diligently.  ‘Appropriate’ is not only legal, it is also ethical and principled.

This country might have its fuzzy moments but we do take our serenity seriously.  The moment Maltese citizens feel that they are being let down they take it upon themselves to make things better.  So civil society coupled with the institutions and a good legal framework helps to regulate the way our communities unfold.  That is why silly behaviour and unethical actions are taken to heart.  We expect politicians to regulate their behaviour.  All of this attached to a strong and effective  Fourth Estate makes certain that as soon as something goes amiss it is
flagged immediately.  Justice, legitimacy and correctness might be delayed, true, but it will come back to haunt and it won't be denied.  The power of the people is commanding and is further strengthened by social media.  No invisible cloak will get anyone away from scrutiny.

In more ways than one this is a hint that our society is moving forward.  This doesn't mean that we are done and dusted.  There is still a great deal of work to do and people are after fairness, righteousness and integrity and not catch phrases, slogans and dippy apologies.

That is why we need to remain vigilant and no one is better placed than civil society to ensure we remain (or get back) on track.  We need to keep  strengthening our civil society to ensure it will not succumb to political correctness and narrow-mindedness.  A civil society that kicks-up, that federates, that manages to see beyond a myopic agenda is music to my ears.

That is why our society needs to work towards full access to social rights for all citizens.  All of this needs to be founded on social dialogue and the involvement of multiple stakeholders. We need to engage social partners in policy design and evaluation at national, regional and local level.

The protection of our citizens is sacred; ensuring good corporate governance and sustainable development at the macro level; promoting ethical financing and responsible consumption; safeguarding sustainable land and water management; encouraging greater industrial democracy and promoting a solidarity based economy and social enterprises are all important pillars in a modern society.

In other words we need to foster full access to social rights for all citizens.  Within this context MCESD is an important institution that should be strengthened and becomes an enduring space for dialogue and civil engagement.

While our institutions continue to change and evolve, they often find themselves in situations that lack credibility and trust while citizens feel flustered and disconcerted.  Whether it’s the Panama papers, Dubai accounts, Swiss leaks or oil negotiation calamities, our system is not simply based on getting on with it but we now have a society that demands high standards.

In other words, civil society echoes the discomfort in our communities.

When something is perceived as being bad taking action is of the essence.  It is absolutely wrong to think that doing well on other fronts will outweigh the negatives - it just doesn't work that way.  Civil society will keep breathing down the neck of those who have a responsibility to make society function.  The government might feel hard done that so much work goes unnoticed whilst the 'Mizzi' fiasco takes so much prominence.  But this shows what high expectations our communities have developed for themselves. It shows that people expect decency as a minimum and demonstrates that at the end of the day the truth will come to disturb and what was  unacceptable has to be cleared up.

It is reassuring that our civil society will not let go.