Jorg Sicot, obo Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar

 

Despite the stormy weather, despite the sudden arrival of autumn over Malta, a strong and visibly upset group of approximately 180 to 200 Cottonera residents gathered Sunday 27 October 2019 in Bormla to voice their dismay and anger over the proposal by the American University of Malta to extend the buildings, which AuM is now using, and take over further buildings and open spaces. The protest was organised by a group of Cottonera residents “Tuna Artna Lura” (Give us back our Land) and supported by established NGOs Moviment Graffitti and Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar. Dr Joseph Tonna, a medical doctor from Isla, presented an impassioned speech, followed by Dr. Andrea Dibben (Tuna Artna Lura) with all current information and announcements.

What are we dealing with here? The anger is directed at a planning application submitted by AuM, to take over the Knights Building along Dock 1 in Bormla, and furthermore to take open spaces on either side of that building away from the community and instead build administrative buildings into those open spaces.

There has been much talk in past weeks about this American University of Malta. With many questioning why exactly it is even called a university, when its student numbers are hopelessly low, and the level of tertiary education, which it offers, would not even find serious recognition anywhere in the world. To call AuM a university would be like calling my favourite pastizzi shop a fine dining restaurant. Let us call a spade a spade: we are not the idiots of the nation.

This supposed ‘university’ is a poorly disguised smoke screen for much bigger ambitions in the dark background. The term ‘university’ is coined to obtain prime real estate and land at an absolute bargain price, to convince our Planning Authority that it is justified to convert beautifully sensitive heritage buildings such as these British and Knights buildings. The buildings as such are not enough though. Greed knows no boundaries here and suddenly the Cottonera residents discover that even their open spaces are under attack. Another pressing question rears its ugly head: what does the community receive in return for this massive grab of land and heritage? Simple answer: absolutely nothing.

Perhaps it is also worth following up further questions immediately. When the day arrives where AuM formally announces that it will shut down, because it simply has no student numbers worthy of a university, because its educational offers are not something anybody with sound mind will invest years of time in, who actually steps in and takes over such a fine group of buildings and open spaces? Key phrase here: change of use. Who stands to benefit from such an inevitable change of use?

This ugly recipe has been tried and tested: call to mind the recent saga of Vitals Global Healthcare/Steward Health Care, where three hospitals were given away to foreign businesses for peanuts. The return for the community or nation as a whole: zero.

Sunday morning has shown that the residents of Cottonera are fed-up of being hook-winked and fooled. Cunning business strategists in the background devise cynical plans to rob entire communities of their heritage, their open spaces needed for healthy exchanges. But our communities no longer stand by like sheepish idiots and watch helplessly. We do not accept the theft of our heritage to enrich businesses who give no added value as a return to those communities which they plunder. As a community of all Cottonera residents, we will oppose this absurd planning application with all means possible, to safe-guard the interests of our community.

Tuna Artna Lura - Give Us our Back our Land.