Those who are lucky like me and were born during the end of the Second World War, are witness to the enormous progress that our Islands have achieved since taking over our own destiny.

From being left in poverty, with a lack of any facilities such as Social Services, Electricity, Water, Telecommunications, Conditions of Work, Hygiene, Ports or Airport, Foreign Banks with very limited local ones, discrepancies between locals and foreigners in pay and conditions, the taking over of all lands and facilities our Colonial Masters decided upon, to being what our Islands have become now after taking over our own destiny.

It was on the 5th of October 1943, the year I was born that a meeting was held by Indri Cilia and others, which was monitored by the Colonial Army Heads just in case the meeting was a flop and they would thus be able to arrest the organisers, thousands of workers flocked to this meeting which left many bewildered by the attendance of so many workers.

That’s how the General Union was born from this stupendous meeting. It was from and by this meeting that finally the workers had a voice in acquiring better conditions and way of life. I used to love hearing my father-in-law describing this meeting and how he was one of the first members to join this Association.

Social Services and Better Conditions of Pay

The health and educational systems including the higher studies have advanced in a way that these are now calculated as among the best in Europe and elsewhere.

The introduction of state breakfasts, child care centres and so many other innovations, are nothing but the best in the whole world.

So thanks to one and all our Islands as a whole have advanced to the betterment of all our citizens.

This is thanks to all of our Leaders and Political Parties throughout the years.

Contradictions to the Advancements

These systems have also came with contradictory and negative elements. The old slow way of life, the neighbourliness of knowing and helping each other have almost vanished. Nowadays the majority of neighbours do not talk or even know each other.

Our roads are now full of vehicles as almost all families now own one or more. Thus the horses, mules and donkeys have evaporated and completely disappeared from our streets and life.

The biggest problem affecting our Islands during these past years has been the excessive building, even in the outside development zone, with many even going ahead without building permits.

Our lands are also being taken over with the complicity of Government and without any real public consultations. The Planning Authority, which is there to regulate these issues, is becoming the “Permitting Authority.”

In many cases it seems that ”Might (financially) is Right.” Our citizens urgently need protection from these issues.

The old family life of having women doing the house work and its care have almost vanished for the majority of families. In one way it’s good to see our women advancing quite strongly in our society, on the other hand the children are losing the care which is very much needed when they are growing up.

On Balance

When one consider the conflicts – wars, displacements and poverty in many places around the world, one can see how well Malta’s policy of neutrality and non alliance has served us so well. Not only that, it has also has raised our esteem around the world.

So thanks to one and all, on the balance of things our Islands and way of life have improved greatly.

Lino DeBono,

Gozo.

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