Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties Helena Dalli emphasised the need for Maltese society to grow into a more open space where different perspectives of the world meet peacefully, and similarities and differences are identified and appreciated in a democratic manner.
Speaking during the launch of a festival themed ‘Social Integration through Sports and Culture’ organised by the Gżira Local Council, Minister Dalli said that we must not be afraid, if we are doing the right thing, others will follow. She cited the divorce law example and said that had we been afraid of those against us – and there were many against us – when only five years ago we wanted the introduction of the long overdue right to divorce in Malta, we would not have that right today. We were the agents of change then and continued to be with other legislation such as the civil union law and the gender identity law. We worked hard against those who were against change and were trying to stop us. But we were resilient and overcame all the conservative hurdles put our way. Those who were against us eventually followed us.
Minister Dalli applauded Gżira Local Council for taking the initiative to promote social integration and diversity through sports and culture, even though this may not be a very popular thing to do. The project aims to involve children from the local community who are experiencing a multi-ethnic and cultural urban neighbourhood.
Dr Dalli urged local councils to be proactive as important partners in guaranteeing integration at the local level. “Local councils have the benefit of being easily accessible and a place which can easily communicate the ideas of integration to their practical realities” stated Dr Dalli.
Minister Dalli stressed the fact that in a modern country, there should be a no tolerance attitude towards xenophobia, sexism or any other form of discrimination. Dr Dalli explained how the new Equality Bill that will presented to Parliament in the coming weeks makes it clear that no one may be discriminated against in any sphere of life on the basis of colour, ethnic origin or race, amongst other protected characteristics such as age, sex or sexual orientation.
Minister Dalli stated how throughout her tenure as Minister, she has worked for changes in our society which she considered as essential, even though in some instances few people thought so.
“Malta is moving on in many different sectors of life in the civil rights sector, and government is committed towards keeping up its work in the remit of human rights” added Dr Dalli.
Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport, Chris Agius, said that this is another initiative illustrating how sport is an essential tool in promoting inclusion, and highlighted the important role sport has in society.
He expressed his satisfaction that a large number of sport associations that fall within local council boundaries, are taking part in such a project, as is Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, together with state and church schools.
He added that this was in line with Government policy to not only promote the competitive side of sport but also stress the importance of physical activity, resulting in healthier citizens and, as statistics show, students obtaining better results.
Gżira Mayor Conrad Borg Manchè remarked how the event will span over a whole week starting on 13th November, with celebrations culminating on the 20th November on the Universal Children’s Day. He explained how this initiative aims to link residents together within the locality, which is made up of more than twenty nationalities.
The press conference was also addressed by the Children’s Commissioner Pauline Miceli who emphasised how its office is committed to promote childrens’ rights including all human rights.