F’dawn iż-żminijiet ta’ festi, spiss niftakru f’min hu batut u għandu bżonn l-għajnuna. Ħafna minna jdaħħlu jdejhom fil-but u jagħtu xi ħaġa tal-flus lil min jeħtieġhom. Imma s-solidarjetà m’għandhiex tkun staġjonali. Is-solidarjetà hemm bżonn li nuruha s-sena kollha. X’jiswa jekk nuru kompassjoni fi żmien il-Milied, jekk matul il-kumplament tas-sena, nuru bruda lejn min hu batut, u min kien mingħajr saqaf fuq rasu, arrestajnieh u bih għamilna spettaklu? Il-valur ta’ persuna m’għandux ikun marbut ma kemm tipposjedi flus u propjeta’ imma mad-dinjità li tixraq lil kull persuna hi x’inhi l-klassi soċjali, il-kulur tal-ġilda jew il-pajjiż tal-oriġini.
Dan intqal waqt konferenza tal-aħbarijiet dalgħodu minn Sandra Gauci, Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party u Mario Mallia Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali.
Il-kelliema saħqu li ħajja diċenti mhux karità imma dritt. Għalhekk l-insistenza fuq il-Basic Living Wage li tassigura livell ta’ għajxien bażiku lil kulħadd. Għalhekk nibqgħu nisħqu fuq paga minima aġġornata u diċenti.
Huwa stmat li llum in-nies bla dar jgħoddu mal-ħames mija. Din statistika li għandha tħammrilna wiċċna bħala soċjeta. Skont l-Uffiċċju Nazzjonali tal-Istatistika, ir-Residential Property Price Index fl-ewwel kwart ta’ din is-sena meta mqabbel mal-istess perjodu tas-sena l-oħra, tela’ 5.7%. Skont il-unjin ‘Solidarjetà’, il-prezz medju ta’ kiri ta’ propjeta’ two bedroom żdied bi 28.3% f’sentejn bejn l-2022 u l-2024, id-doppju taż-żieda fil-paga medja. Dan għandu jinkwetana bħala pajjiż għax ifisser faxxa ikbar ta’ nies li qed isibu diffikulta’ ilaħħqu ma’ l-iktar bżonnijiet bażiċi.
Pajjiż li tassew jindokra lill-iżvantaġġjati irid jaħseb fuq metodi li ma jħallux is-suq isuq tennew il-kelliema.
“Niftaħru li dan hu pajjiż ta’ ‘sinjuri żgħar’. Niftaħru li n-negozju għaddej ġmielu, li r-ristoranti mifqugħin bin-nies, li l-ekonomija qiegħda tagħmel passi ta’ġgant. Dan għandu jissodisfana biss jekk kemm-il darba jfisser li l-ġid igawdi minnu kulħadd.”
Il-kelliema fakkru l-obbligu li għandna lkoll li niftakru fl-isfidi li jaffaċċaw persuni li għadhom kif ħarġu mill-ħabs sabiex isibu xogħol li jagħtihom l-għajxien, u d-dinjità. “Għandna obbligu niftakru f’dawk li qegħdin jikkumbattu l-mard, kif ukoll dawk li r-relazzjoni tagħhom għadha kif sfaxxat. Għandna obbligu li nirrikonoxxu l-martirju ta’ numru mdaqqas ta’ immigranti ‘l bogħod minn pajjiżhom u familthom li qed jispiċċaw vittma ta’ sfruttament u indifferenza kollettiva u konvenjenti li taqdi ekonomija maħruba.”
Il-kelliema awguraw li dan iż-żmien ta’ festi jkun ċelebrazzjoni ta’ spirtu komunitarju. ADPD-The Green Party għaldaqstant tiżżik ħajr lil tant organizazzjonijiet u ndividwi ta’ rieda tajba li jaħdmu għal ġid komuni, speċjalment b’risq dawk żvantaġġjati, mhux biss f’dan iż-żmien imma tul is-sena kollha.
Filwaqt li tawgura l-festi t-tajba li kulħadd, ADPD-The Green Party tibqa’ timpenja ruħha biex taħdem favur politika li taqdi u tindokra.
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The festive season should remind us that dignity is a right, not an act of charity.
“During the festive season, we frequently think of those who are less fortunate and are in need of assistance. Many dig deep into their pockets to donate money to the people who need it most. However, solidarity should not be a seasonal affair. Compassion at Christmastime is worthless if during the rest of the year we show indifference to those who are in need; if we choose to criminalise the homeless, arrest them, drag them to court and make a spectacle out it. The value of a person cannot be tied their financial standing and the property they possess. It should be tied to dignity inherent in being human, irrespective of social class, race or ethnicity.
This was reiterated during a press conference this morning by Sandra Gauci, ADPD-The Green Party chairperson, and Mario Mallia Deputy Secretary General.
The speakers pointed out that living decently should not be viewed as an act of charity but a human right. This is the reason why ADPD-The Green Party keeps insisting on a Basic Living Wage that guarantees a baseline for all. That is why the minimum wage must be decent enough to live on.
It is currently estimated that there are around 500 homeless people. This is an alarming and shameful statistic. According to the Malta National Statistics Office, the Residential Property Price Index has increased by 5.7% in the first quarter of the current year when compared to the same quarter last year. Union ‘Solidarjeta’, points out that the average rental price for a
two-bedroom apartment has increased by 28.3% in two years (2022 – 2024), twice the increase of the median wage. This should be a cause for concern for all of us because it points towards a worrying trend that more people will find it difficult to afford their basic needs.
A country that truly looks after the disadvantaged must think about ways that keep in check a free market left unbridled for too long.
“We brag that we are a country of well-off people. We boast that business is good, that restaurants are always full of patrons, that the economy has grown in leaps and bounds. This can only be acceptable as long as everybody can enjoy the fruits of this economic
wealth. We have an obligation to think about ex prisoners who are finding it difficult to access employment that gives them purpose and dignity. We have an obligation towards people who battle illness, and also towards those whose relationship has irrevocably broken down. We also have an obligation towards immigrants who, far from their home countries and families, end up as victims of exploitation, through a collective and convenient indifference that serves a runaway economy.
This festive period should be a celebration of community. ADPD-The Green Party thanks the innumerable organisations and individuals that work for the common good, in particular the disadvantaged among us, not just during the Christmas period but throughout the whole year.
Whilst giving its best wishes to all during this festive season, ADPD-The Green Party reiterates its commitment in favour of politics that serves and supports.
