"The majority of humans see evolution as a race along a straight race track, a race they are winning by a long margin. If they slow down long enough, they may observe that the track is actually cyclic." - Robert Black
We are living in uncertain times - our way of living is changing in ways we never thought possible. Many of us are reflecting on what was, what is and what will be with trepidation. This is natural. As humans we are by nature linear in our thoughts and actions. We love straight lines. Look at most of our houses and roads - straight is beautiful! Even our conversations take on a linear form - għid id-dritt! Tgħawwiġx id-diskors!
Past and present
This linear approach to life is embedded in our psyche. We view history as existing along an imaginary path shrouded in the mist of time. We have a vague collective memory of great sieges that were won, empires that rose and fell and political ideologies that failed but stop short of comparing present day situations with past events.
Covid-19 has given most us the opportunity to slow down, reflect and learn. Now is the time to merge past experiences with present challenges and prioritize on what really matters. Our health and well-being together with respect for one another and unity in the face of adversity are part of the cycle of life. This scenario has been repeating itself in different forms since recorded history and beyond. It's up to us to make this connection - linear thought might be good for the attainment of goals but in the long run it is thinking outside the box and linking the chains of past events that will help us get through and flourish.
Circular economies
The concept of abandoning linear thought also applies to economies. In a circular economy the value of products and materials is maintained for as long as possible. Waste and resource use are minimised, and when a product reaches the end of its life, it is used again to create further value. Re-use and re-cycle come to mind. This can bring major economic benefits, contributing to innovation, growth and job creation.
The cultural innovator and thinker Michiel Schwarz goes further and states that “So-called 'circular' approaches - to the city, the economy and design - extend well beyond just limiting environmental impacts. They take on a more systemic, cyclical view of how physical and biological processes, together with human interactions, give rise to sustainable living environments - forming a complete self-sustaining 'ecosystem', like a closed circle.”
Labour's policies
The Circular Economy Action Plan of 2015 has been the European Union's new agenda for sustainable growth. Labour's policies in fact have been geared towards this concept since day one. In order to attain a circular economy there has to be a total sytemic change and a new form of governance.
This is in fact what the Labour Government has been doing for the past eight years. We now have a new method of collaborating - government departments and agencies are joining forces with the citizens and businesses in order to establish an effective circular strategy. It is well expressed in the anti-Covid approach of addressing the protection of both lives and livelihoods.
Gozo – a show-case
I wholeheartedly believe in this method and have seen it bear fruit time and again particularly in Gozo. The way Gozo flourished through Labour’s collaboration with NGO’s, Church entities and businesses, and the injection of incentives and the upgrading of Gozo’s infrastructure is an undeniable show-case of how a circular economy action-plan produces positive and sustainable results. Excellent firsts attained confirm that it is the only way forward.
I am proud to be part of this plan for our island. That is why the Permanent Committee for Gozo Affairs is so crucial to the continuation of this action plan. It helps create closer knit ties between the citizens, businesses, entities and NGO’s with one sole goal – to build a society based on sustainability and continuity at all levels. Last Wednesday I called the first-ever meeting by a Permamnent Committee in Gozo and ensured that, through the expert feedback from high officials from national authorities, we can better visualise the circular and encompassing benefits of the policies we have implemented for the Covid and post-Covid era.
The only way we can co-exist with our physicial and economic environment and secure a future for our children is by putting aside our tendency towards linear thought. We must give also respect to get respect! This means, taking care of our environment and collaborating and sustaining each other for the common-good. Each new generation is reared by its predecessor. In order to improve our successors’ lives and chances of survival we must therefore improve ourselves. It is the only way forward.
The circle of life
Whilst it is true that we are living in trying and uncertain times, it is also true that mother nature is giving us the opportunity to slow down, pause and reflect on how to learn from the past and adapt ourselves to the future. Let us all look to the future with courage and conviction.
It is not too late to make amends. Shedding the linear methodology we are so used to, will not be easy but it is plausible and the best way to move ahead. Our past does not guarantee our future but is an essential part of our existence. It is our duty to use the tools and knowlege handed down to us by our ancestors. We need to improve upon them and ensure that what we are enjoying now will be passed on to the future generations - enhanced and better than we have found it ourselves.
It means we could live on through others and remain part of the cycle of life that our beautiful planet can sustain. It is what today's Gozitans and Maltese should be committed to in order to be considered as having been on the right side of history - with a linear timeline but inspired and driven by a circular vision.