Din l-Art Helwa is presenting a talk by Martin Scicluna entitled, ‘Fifty Years of Planning Abuse: Look Around You and Weep,’ about the battle over the last five decades to safeguard Malta’s architectural and environmental heritage.

In Scicluna’s words “This is a story about greed, exploitation, abuse, mis-governance and political ineptitude. It is an object lesson in how not to safeguard your environment.”

Martin Scicluna tells the story of the fifty years between 1962 and 2012 in three parts. First he describes the battle waged over the last fifty years to protect Malta’s built heritage and the natural environment, focusing on Malta’s history of land planning legislation.

Secondly he goes on to describe the position reached today. And thirdly, he sets out the major lessons learnt from Malta’s experience of the last fifty years, and points to the way ahead.

Martin Scicluna is the Director General of the Today Public Policy Institute think-tank. He was the Executive President of Din l-Art Helwa (2001 to 2005) and Vice President (2005 to 2013) and is a member of its Council. A Director of the HSBC Malta Heritage Foundation, he is also currently the Adviser to the government of Malta on illegal immigration. He was a member of the Board of Europa Nostra (2004 to 2012), and of the Board of the International National Trusts Organisation (2003 to 2012).

He retired to Malta in 1996 at the end of a 20-year career in the British Army and 23 years as a civil servant in the Ministry of Defence in London. He served in the UK Delegation to NATO. He was subsequently Adviser to two Prime Ministers of Malta on defence policy matters until 1999, and Malta’s Ambassador to NATO in 1996.

The talk will be delivered in English at 133, Melita Street, Valletta, on Thursday, the 9th of May at 6pm.

For further details kindly email info@dinlarthelwa.org or telephone 21225952.

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