(Scroll down for English version)
Il-protesta paċifika li seħħet lum, organizzata mil-Moviment Graffiti flimkien ma kważi 70 organiżazzjoni oħra, seħħet ġewwa l-belt Valletta, u attendew għaliha ‘il fuq minn 3000 persuna, kemm Maltin u kif ukoll barranin.
Dan kien l-intervent tiegħi f’isem il-Fondazjoni MaYA (Malta Youth in Agriculture):
Naħseb kull minn qiegħed hawn, qiegħed hawn għax iħobb l-ambjent.
Pero bħala Maltin, ma naħsibx li l-ambjent huwa biss parti minnha, imma l-ħajja tagħna.
Illum ħassejt li kelli niġi hawn u nsemmi lil dawk li jieħdu ħsieb l-art minn jeddhom u mhux kif jaħsbu ħafna, li jagħmluha biss għal-flus, li huma l-bdiewa u r-raħħala ta’ Malta.
Dan l-aħħar rajna ħafna ritratti, fuq il-midja soċjali, ta’ siġar qed jinqatgħu minħabba l-iżvilupp u l-proġetti kbar u naħseb li ħadd minnha jixtieq jgħix f’pajjiż bla progress. Pero naħseb ħadd ma jrid li l-progress ikun rigress, u li l-progress stess, ikissru.
Għadna kemm smajna stejjer ta’ taqtiegħ il-qalb, u dawn huma stejjer taż-żoni urbani. Fiż-żoni rurali ta’ Malta l-istess; għandna bdiewa li qegħdin iħabbtulhom il-bibien tagħhom is-sensara biex ibigħulhom ir-raba, sabiex jinbena’ iktar bini.
Meta aħna, bħala MaYA Foundation, inpoġġu l-quddiem dan l-argument, jgħidulna “Li kieku għandek ir-raba inti? u kieku tibni blokka u tirtira, u t-tfal tiegħek ikollhom fuq xiex jgħixu, imbagħad titkellem l-istess?”
Irridu nuru iktar rispett lil dawn in-nies, billi nagħżlu l-prodott lokali u nuru sapport lejn il-bdiewa u r-raħħala; għax is-siġar, l-ambjent Malti, u l-pajsaġġ rurali (hawn minnkom fotografi u ttellgħu ħafna ritratti sbieħ), dan għadu biss grazzi għal-bdiewa u raħħala ta’ Malta.
Naħseb ħafna minnkom ġieli sifirtu, hawn minnkom issiefru spiss, u fl-argument taż-żoni urbani jgħidulna: “Jekk post jiżviluppa, ovvja li ħa jkun hemm iktar bini!” Veru, pero bħal ma tafu ħafna minnkom, fiż-żoni urbani ta’ pajjiżi girien tagħna fl-UE, kull erbgħa passi, litteralment kull erbgħa passi, issib wesgħa, bandli, jew ġnien, u dan mhux qiegħed jiġri f’Malta.
Ma rridux naqgħu fin-nassa tan-negattiviżmu, u li kull ma naraw hu ikraħ, għax veru isiru inizjattivi, pero mhux biż-żejjed.
Iż-żejjed kollu żejjed fejn jidħol il-bini.
Semmejt l-UE, il-bieraħ stess kont qed naqra biċċa rapport, li jgħid li l-ewwel fondi li ser taqta’ l-UE, hija lil dawk il-pajjiżi li ma jużawx il-fondi tagħhom bil-għaqal. Issa jekk aħna f’Malta għandna dawn il-ftit egħlieqi, ftit, għax ma nistgħux ngħidu li huma ħafna, dejjem jitnaqqru għal xi raġuni jew oħra, aħna x’messaġġ qegħdin nagħtu lil-UE, ta’ kemm huma għal-qalbna l-bdiewa, fejn pajjiżi oħra huma eloġjati u mogħtija r-‘red carpet treatment’? Aħna f’Malta, mhumiex isibu biż-żejjed sapport il-bdiewa.
Din mhux qed ngħida jien, segwu il-platforms li jużaw il-bdiewa, għax illum għandna ħafna bdiewa kapaċi, li qegħdin fuq il-midja socjali, u taraw kemm hawn nies kapaċi. Intuhom is-sapport tagħna.
Dawn il-proġetti kbar li smajna bihom, ma jaffetwawx biss lilna li ħa nsuqu fihom, lilna li nħobbu s-siġar u li ngħidu “ara aħjar jitħawwlu iktar siġar”. Qed jaffetwaw il-bdiewa, bħal ma diġa ġara meta nbnew ħafna toroq, għax ħafna raba’ huwa tal-gvern (jiġifieri l-bidwi mhux proprjetarju ta’ dik l-art). Iħabbtulu l-bieb jew jibgħatulu ittra, u jgħidulu “Min għada tista’ toħroġ l-affarijiet tiegħek għax din l-art ma tistax tibqa’ taħdima”. Dawk huma r-realtajiet li għandna llum.
Mhux qed ngħidu li l-proġetti ma’ għandhomx isiru, pero jekk hemm bżonn li ssir bidla fit-trasport, l-ewwel irridu nibdew minn trasport prattiku, mhux niddeċiedu li ngħaddu t-toroq, biex nużaw iktar il-karozzi u neħlu iktar fit-traffik!
L-aħħar li xtaqt insemmi (apparti li nirringrazjakom talli ġejtu hawn bil-bosta, għax aħna ma nħobbux l-ambjent biss bil-paroli imma bil-fatti, għax ġejna!) li l-ambjent naturali Malti naqas, ma tantx baqa’. Naraw il-kosta, li hemm ħafna minnha diġa żviluppata, għandna ftit boskijiet, bħal Buskett u l-Miżieb u xi ftit oħra zgħar, u x’jibqa’? L-għelieqi.
Mela ejja nirrealiżżaw, bħala Maltin, li l-ambjent tagħna u l-agrikoltura, huma marbutin flimkien. Is-siġar, li tant nieħdu pjaċir ngawdu d-dell tagħħom, u li mingħajrhom ossiġnu ma nieħdux, importanti naħsbu ukoll f’dawk is-siġar fl-għelieqi u li jieħdu ħsiebhom il-bdiewa. Nuru sapport, bħal ma diġà semmejt, lill-bdiewa li jieħdu ħsiebhom b’tant passjoni.
Grazzi.
Today’s peaceful protest organised by Moviment Graffiti together with almost 70 other organisations, happened in Valletta, and was attended by over 3000 locals and foreigners.
This was my intervention representing the MaYA Foundation (Malta Youth in Agriculture):
I think that anyone who is here today, is here because they love the environment.
As Maltese people, I do not think that the environment is simply part of us, but our whole lives.
Today I felt I had to be here to mention those who tend to our land on a voluntarily basis, and not as many think, ‘just to make money’. These are the farmers and breeders of Malta.
We’ve seen many pictures recently, on social media, trees being cut due to the development and large projects. I think that nobody wants to live in a country where there’s no progress. But I also that think nobody wants progress to result into regress, and that such progress ends up breaking us.
We have just heard heart-breaking stories, and these are problems within the urban areas. In the rural areas of Malta, it’s the same; we have farmers who are being systematically approached by real estate agents to sell their land in order to build more buildings.
When we, as a MaYA Foundation, put forward this argument, we get rhetoric like “What would you do if the land was yours? And if you had to develop a block of apartments that would allow your children to earn a living, would you speak up in the same manner?”
We need to show a lot more respect for our farmers and breeders, and support them by choosing local produce; because our trees, rural environment, and our countryside (we have so many photographers here with us today who regularly enjoy taking very nice photos of these areas); these areas are still standing, thanks to the Maltese farmers and breeders.
I believe many of you have been abroad, some travel very often. When it comes to the urbanisation argument we are told: “If a place is developing, is obvious that there’s going to be more buildings!” That’s true, but as many of you know, urban areas of our neighbouring countries in the EU are also full of green spaces. literally, wherever you look, you will find an open green area, a playground, or a garden, and this is not happening in Malta.
We cannot fall into a negativity trap, and look at everything around us in an appalling way; because there are real initiatives happening, but a lot more can be done.
Where development is concerned, enough is enough.
I mentioned the EU. Yesterday I was reading a report which is stating that the first cutbacks for EU funds will be geared towards those countries which are not using their funds wisely. Now if we in Malta have just these few fields, (we cannot really say that they are many, since huge parcels of land are being eroded for some reason or another) what’s the message we’re relating to the EU? How much do we have the farmers’ interests at heart? Farmers in other countries are exalted, they and given the red carpet treatment. Here in Malta, we do not find enough support for our farmers.
It’s not just me who’s saying this. Follow the online platforms which the farmers make use of, because today we have very capable individuals who are active on social media, and see what are their thoughts. Let’s give them our full support.
These major projects which we have heard about, are not only affecting us; the ones who will drive through them, or those who love the trees and we all shout “we want to see more planted trees”. It’s affecting farmers. As it happened in the past since most of the land is government-owned. The farmer gets a knock on the door or a letter, and he’s told: “As from tomorrow, you may start packing things up because this land can not be worked any more”. These are today’s realities.
We’re not saying that projects shouldn’t happen, but if there’s a much needed change in transportation methods, let’s first find practical solutions, rather than deciding to widen roads to host more cars and eventually end clogged up in further traffic!
The last that I wanted to mention (besides thanking you all for gathering here today, because we don’t just love our environment on paper or behind a keyboard, we actually made it here today!) is that the Maltese natural environment has declined, there’s not much anymore. We have our coast, some of which is already developed, we have a couple of woodland areas, like Buskett and Miżieb and some even smaller ones, and what are we left with? The agricultural land.
So let’s realize, as Maltese, that our environment and agriculture, are interlinked. It’s also important to think about those trees and green areas, needed for us enjoy their shade, and without which we would lack oxygen, that are on agricultural land and that are up till now being taken care of by our farmers. So once again, let’s show our support to the main environmental stewards of our islands, who care for trees and our green areas with so much passion.
Thanks.
Dan il-video juri footage tal-protesta u ‘nterventi minn kelliema diversi. L-intervent tiegħi f’isem il-MaYA Foundation @ 1:20:00
Links
https://movimentgraffitti.org/en/news/details/174/i-ejjed-kollu-ejjed-protesta.htm
https://www.tvm.com.mt/en/news/hundreds-gather-in-valletta-to-protest-against-reckless-development/
https://netnews.com.mt/2019/09/07/dan-il-pajjiz-ghandu-bzonn-bidla/
Jeanette Borg 