The mother of all clichés would probably read; ‘life is a balancing act’!

But, in my opinion this is only partly true.  Life really and truly is how we decide to make it.

Let me explain myself.

We all know how difficult it is to live our life to the full, to give time to the things we like doing and at the same time work enough to be able to generate resources for our chosen comforts.  Most of us also try to converge our values and beliefs, most of which we inherit from our parents and the people we were brought up with, to our desires and passions. 

Naturally, we all have a different scale of values and priorities and that is where it starts getting obfuscated. 

As a community we endeavour to try and strike a balance between what ‘we believe in’ to ‘what is right for the collective’.  This is not always an easy situation considering we are developing a societal framework whereby the forma mentis is mostly about ‘me’ and little ‘about the rest’.

Just think about what we keep telling our children; ‘irridek tkun ahjar minn ta’ madwarek’ (I want you to be better than those around you), as if life is just one big league table and what matters is how fast and how high you climb up the ladder!  And not only that, we end up making children believe that the rank in life is measured by the job one does, the income generated, the designer clothes one wears and the language code one takes on.  In my opinion this can’t be further from the truth, because in my books you are as fine as the good you do to others!

We all agree, in our heart of hearts that the only way how we can have a harmonious community is by doing what is adequate for us without troubling those around us.

We will live well with each other by doing what is correct.

Now righteous is not only about abiding by what the law tells us.  If we were to be led solely by legislation, we would miss out on some very basic and fundamental good decisions that we need to take.  In fact, I think that a community’s wellbeing is really and truly founded around common sense (better known as good judgment) of its citizens and their leaders.  In other words, reflecting thoroughly on what ingredients will tilt the decisions to a virtuous and respectable position is what should be guiding all of us.   

Let us not be deceived. 

Our political ‘class’, that is, the people we elect to represent us, have a lot to do with how we live our life.  Today’s decisions will mark or stain our future, whether it is about the uprooting of a tree, the dismantling of age old houses and replacing them with concrete, mutilating our ODZ and instead supplying it to the speculators, belittling our heritage, replacing fields with asphalt, legislating against fundamental principles that guide human existence.   

We know that our politicians are elected to legislate in full respect of the laws but also to listen to the citizens’ interpretation of wellbeing which should be at the heart of all that is decided.  Now if politicians had to slip away from two basic elements, ‘ethics’ and ‘integrity’, we would be in the proverbial ‘shit creek’ because what will guide our decision making?

Let us face it.  

We are privileged to live in a country that notwithstanding so small, has a culture to boast of, customs and culture second to none, a lovely climate, nice people, a decent quality of life, first-rate social and welfare services, international recognition and visibility to name just a few.

But like in all fairy tales there is always ‘id-dunkwe’.

This neoliberal society is choking any debate around ‘ethics’ and ‘integrity’.  These values seem to have been placed conveniently on the back-burner.  We think, erroneously, that we can do without principles and morality.

Not only. 

Some even dare believe that standing for your life code gets in the way of progress.  So wrong, it can’t be further from the truth!  It is exactly the other way round.  In fact, for example, collegiality is founded on the principles of mutuality.

This is where the politicians (should) come in.

Whilst I am all for the decisions taken by the representatives of the People to get us away from the Confessional State of the Leli ta’ Haz-Zghir times, yet, governance and decision-making need to be guided by social integrity.

I believe that the political climate that has developed and unleashed so much hatred, leaves us barren in front of the threat there is against social truths.  We need properly positioned policy that reflects the communal because being the social animals we are, it is the only guarantee of survival and good quality of life.  Whether we are ordinary citizens or politicians our main objective should be nonstop resistance against the dismantling of civil rights.

Social wellbeing does not grow on trees (witticism intended) but needs to be instilled, implanted and inculcated in our society because social wellbeing is being taken over by self-centredness and self-regard.  This could be evaded if politicians judiciously interpret their arguments around ethical reasoning and compassion. 

This is all I am asking for, a community of consideration.

Whilst wealth and prosperity in itself is not bad, yet sustaining oneself economically is not enough.  Politicians need to show vigour not fear.  Politicians shouldn’t be about tameness but about asking continuously a fundamental question; ‘but, what matters?’

We cannot afford this country to go to the dogs with its populist and Xarabankesque level of debate, which is slobbering a dialectic of hate, of antagonism and of obstruction, rather than genuinely attempting at creating concord and respect.

To ensure social change, to drive the country forward we need a human centered rights discourse. All of this needs to be governed by a deep-seated commitment towards social justice.

Can you see the link?

Because social wellbeing is a right and like every other right we need to work hard to make right.

We need to develop the ability to live together, to engage with each other, to be able to love and be loved, to respect and to be respected. It is about sharing the wealth of our community, of knowing that I am part of this big jigsaw puzzle called society and this doesn’t come with misfired decision making, with lack of environmental respect, with a lack of consideration for others 

We are intended to engage in this lovely experiment we call life. 

And what is life, with all the wealth and capital we might harvest, if not founded on the principles of social justice, of inclusion, focused around the ‘human soul’, around the wellbeing of the individual and concerns for an improved society.  .