We are living in a pluralistic world having constant encounters with many different types of worldviews. Different cultures mix, and Malta is no exception with the native population facing the ever-increasing number of foreign nationals from different cultural backgrounds coming to work and even settle here. Malta has become multicultural and cosmopolitan.

This feature examines different worldviews, how we can learn and appreciate common ground across cultures and how, on a global level, worldviews evolved over the course of history. Also, how the current global human worldview can protect the planet and its citizens.

Many do not agree with diversity and want to protect their native culture from "foreign invasion" which they perceive as threatening the culture of the Maltese nation. Still, reality being what it is, with little or no sign of change in sight, one can still "make hay while the sun shines" to seek a clearer understanding and appreciation of the different religious and secular worldviews living in our midst.

We can learn how different worldviews think and act and how to relate to them. These worldviews can be explored through their beliefs, values, morality, behaviour and perspective on life.

For as long as these different cultures co-exist within Maltese society, constructive, respectful and other-enriching dialogue can lead to peaceful co-existence and healthy synergism.

On a worldwide and historical level, worldviews change with time as events trigger changes in the global level of consciousness exposing emerging needs that the world feels compelled to address.

What is a worldview?

Different authors came up with different definitions of the term worldview:

Perceptual frameworks, ways of seeing, embodied in actual ways of life - Brian Walsh and Richard Middleton

View of the world and the resulting way of life within it - David Naugle

A vision of God, the universe, our world and ourselves rooted and grounded in the embodied human heart as the seat and source of our worship and spirituality, ideas and beliefs, loves and affections, and decisions and actions - David Naugle

The bottom-line definition with which most authors agree is that a worldview is "a belief system that shapes one's perceptions, values and actions".

Types of worldviews

There are four types of worldviews:

• Attitudinal (for example, pessimism)
• Ideological (for example, capitalism and environmentalism)
• Religious (for example, theocracy)
• Philosophical (for example, moral absolutism and humanism)

Within each of these categories, we can identify other examples of worldviews such as optimism, libertarianism, monotheism and stoicism.

Everyone has a worldview irrespective of sex, age, race and creed. Some of the basic questions that a worldview seeks to answer are:

• Does God exist?
• How did everything begin?
• Who am I?
• Why I am here?
• What is the good life?
• What happens after I die?

Common values and common good

The fundamental question in a community having different worldviews is whether we can find ground to work together and how some form of symbiosis can be garnered.

Different worldviews justify in their own ways the fight for justice, the promotion of peace, the way of non-violence for equal rights, the defence of minority rights and the effort to preserve and increase ecological sustainability.

It is also important that both religious and secular people benefit from each other's achievements. The nature of law, commerce education and relationships all stem from assumptions we hold about right and wrong. Social values are influenced by many sources such as history, literature, philosophy and science. Moral and religious traditions are the ones that perform a key role.

Development of worldviews: A historical perspective

A very interesting description of the development of worldviews is presented by the Barret Academy for the Advancement of Human Values. This publication is titled, Understanding values, beliefs and worldviews and how they relate to consciousness by Richard Barrett (2021) who is also author of the book New Leadership Paradigm (www.barrettacademy.com)

In this description of worldviews, the author shows the correspondence between the individual's stages of development (as per an expanded version of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs) and the historical and societal stages of development. In the same manner as an individual passes through different growth stages of maturity and needs, so does our planet.

The world is seen as having passed through the following worldviews or stages with humanity awareness being the latest emerging worldview:

1.      Clan awareness (survival through sharing and reciprocity),

2.      Tribe awareness (safety through loyalty and belonging),

3.      State awareness (security through power and strength),

4.      Nation awareness (security through authority and education),

5.      Wealth awareness (security through status and influence),

6.      People awareness (freedom through equality and accountability), and

7.      Humanity awareness (self-expression through creativity)

The following table shows Barrett's different worldviews and corresponding triggering events:

• Clan awareness (the emergence of Homo Sapiens, 200,000-300,000 years ago)
• Tribe awareness (agriculture in the fertile crescent of the Levant, 10,000 years ago)
• State awareness (climate change in Africa and East Asia, 5,500 years ago)
• Nation awareness (the adoption of a State religion in the 4^th and 7^th centuries)
• Wealth awareness (the adoption of secularism in the 16^th century)
• People awareness (the French Revolution, the abolition of slavery and the adoption of women's voting rights in the late 19th and early 20^th centuries)
• Humanity awareness (recognition of the climate crisis in the 21^st century)

Behavioural characteristics of human awareness

The worldview of humanity awareness corresponds to the self-actualising stage of personal development that focuses on the individual's need to find meaning and purpose through the internal cohesion (ego-soul alignment) and external cohesion (living in harmony with others). This worldview is one where individuals come together in group structures that care about the future of humanity.

The following are listed as the principal behavioural characteristics or markers of this worldview:

• New forms of governance involving all age groups
• New forms of global cooperation
• Everyone regarded as equal and important
• Focus on energy healing
• Focus on psychological welfare
• Values-based education
• Focus on competence and creativity
• Global redistribution of income to meet everyone's deficiency needs

We are all citizens of planet earth

Humanity awareness means that business and political leaders together with national, regional and global entities develop policies that not only support the planet but also support society.

Humanity awareness means that on a worldwide, national and regional level, a consciousness is created where we recognise that we are all citizens of the planet and responsible for it which goes beyond identifying with a particular nationality.

On a practical level, one can cite some illustrations of being humanely aware and conscious. Human and global awareness is also "the mechanism" that fights against those international entities whose agendas do not always line up with the values of the earth's citizens. Some other issues include what is termed as the globalist health takeover by the UN, radical gender ideologies by WHO and digital censorship by the EU and the UN.

Another example is the chemtrail clouds left by planes in our blue skies, which suggest a secret programme may be releasing toxic chemicals into the atmosphere to alter weather patterns. This raises many unanswered questions to the citizens of planet earth:

• Is there enough humanity awareness to address this issue, which if true, affects the growth of crops and the food and water we consume, through the toxins being released by these planes?
• Is sufficient pressure being applied to reach a solution to this issue?
• Or are European citizens alienated?
• Are these chemtrails the real culprits causing global warming?

The above are just some illustrations how humanity awareness can come to the level of consciousness and awareness to address just the issue of chemtrails. It is no use having global wellbeing indicators unless the root causes of lack of well-being are not properly addressed. We all need to become aware of the impact our actions and behaviours have on others and the planet.