The European Parliament Information Office in Malta has published a short book for children entitled ‘Hbieb tal-Qalb’. It was presented during an event at Maria Regina College, St Paul’s Bay Primary School, this morning, in the presence of Education Minister Evarist Bartolo, MEP Roberta Metsola and Children’s Commissioner Helen D’Amato.

‘Hbieb tal-Qalb,’ which is written in Maltese and Arabic, recounts the story of three children, Matthew Liz and Rashida, and illustrates the enriching aspects of cultural diversity.

The book presentation formed part of the events being organised in the run-up to the discussion with MEPs on irregular migration, which will be held on Tuesday, the 29th of October.

The St Paul’s Bay primary students who participated in the event spoke about various aspects of the European Union and the European Parliament, as well as their own experiences in a school with a great deal of cultural diversity. In fact the St Paul’s Bay Primary School is probably Malta’s most culturally diverse school, with students from 33 different countries.

MEP Roberta Metsola congratulated the students on their knowledge of the European Union, and explained that while the Maltese Parliament and the European Parliament are separate entities, any laws approved by the European Parliament apply to the 28 EU member states, including Malta. She explained that this meant that as an MEP, she represents the interests of every Maltese citizen through the work she carries out in the European Parliament.

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo recalled how, as a child, he only learnt about different cultures from books, and said his learning experience would have been much more enriching if he had classmates from different countries.

Students shared their own experiences with friends from different cultural backgrounds. They spoke about their exposure to a variety of languages, as well as different religions. One of the students, for instance, mentioned that he first heard about the Islamic practice of daily prayer from one of his classmates, while an English student speaking fluent Maltese said that he had learnt some Bulgarian from his friend and that he, in turn, taught him some Maltese.

The discussion with MEPs on irregular migration will include the story of Goitom, who escaped from a life of forced labour in Eritrea in search of ‘somewhere safe’. A debate on the local realities and perceptions with mayors and MEPs will follow, and MEPs from the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee will close the event, which will be held on Tuesday 29 October at Fortress Builders Interpretation Centre in Valletta at 7pm.

For further information and registration please call the European Parliament Information Office in Valletta on 21235075 or send an email to epvalletta@europarl.europa.eu.

Permalink: EP Malta Office publishes children’s book illustrating cultural diversity