Last weekend, the 60th anniversary of the George Cross being awarded to Malta for bravery during the onslaught of World War II was marked.
On occasion, the debate of whether or not the George Cross should be part of our national flag does resurface. But the purpose of this leading article is not to raise that debate. The purpose of this article is to remind people that yes, the people of Malta are a brave bunch.
The exploding bombs, shattered lives and miserable starvation that many of the older generation still remember are completely alien to the younger generations of today. Malta was the most bombed place on earth and teetered on the edge, but refused to give up. Maltese and British fought side by side to repel the repeated air raids, which reached the frequency of up to seven a day as Germany sought to crack the spirit of the defenders and the people of this tiny island. But Malta did not give in. It kept fighting, and backs up against the wall, our people dug deep and overcame everything that was thrown at them.
But it is not the first time. Without going into the history of battles and how much the Maltese people suffered and endured, let us just think about the daily challenges we face. We are a tiny island, stuck in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. We have no natural resources. In attempting to create a normal life for its people, Malta learned how to make water from the sea. We learnt how to set up a tourism industry that continues to boom today. Malta also learned to compete in the fields of IT and financial services; our people now known as some of the best in the world.
As Southern Europe began to buckle under the weight of its own swollen debt, Malta continued to plug away. The measures were harsh and many say they feel the pinch of the high utility tariffs we pay, but still people get on with it and strive to do better.
The people of Malta were brave during the Libya crisis. Aid and food went through our country and time and time again, rescue operations were mounted from here, our small islands. When Gaddafi tried to send soldiers and crew to take back his Mirages, again Malta stood firm. We do not even realise that for a tiny island in the Mediterranean, we do well.
We do have a habit of selling ourselves somewhat short and not giving ourselves enough credit for our achievements. We should be proud of who we are, what we have done and what we have achieved. Malta always will face challenges, but if we, the younger generations of today, can match any of the fighting spirit that our forebears had in repelling the invaders, then we can surely overcome them.