What more do women want?
We cannot address gender inequality without examining the culture, belief systems and often-outdated religious traditions that breed it and legitimatize it. Women’s Day is a reminder of that obligation.
Civil Rights
Surviving change (the real kind)
The declaration by newly appointed European Commissioner Tonio Borg that he will “actively support EU policies with regard to women’s rights” was met with an outcry against the humiliation forced upon the country. But for those in Malta who agree his views are extremist, it was a humiliating experience for entirely different reasons.
Calling murder by its name
Franco Debono’s statements in court as defence lawyer for one of the soldiers accused of murdering Malian Abdalla Mohammed prove he would have made the perfect Justice Minister if only he were given the chance…
Environment
The more things change, the more they stay the same
The fact that the hunting issue has been placed under ‘animal rights’ under the current administration reveals a fundamental ignorance of the difference between animal welfare and nature conservation.
Hook, line and stinker
Scientific and environmental experts have been attempting to address the impending extinction of the Bluefin tuna and the European Commission has been attempting to legislate in favour of its protection. In contrast, the Resources Ministry joined forces with the fisheries industry to promote consumption of the species with a tuna feast organised at Marsaxlokk.
The media, the environment, and you
The media plays a vital role in raising awareness on environmental health issues and their effect on public health. But with the current challenges journalism faces, can the media truly act in the public interest? This is the question addressed in the presentation given at the seminar ‘Our Environment, Our Health’ organised by IDEAT on [...]
Politics
A threat to electoral integrity
The vast amounts of money being spent on the political campaigns of the two major parties is coming from unknown sources lurking in the shadows where nobody is held accountable. Is Malta really democratic when elections are bought by the highest bidders, movers and shakers?
Turkey: It’s about human rights
Turkey’s candidacy for EU membership is the controversial topic of the week in Malta. Mouths are foaming, heads are shaking and there’s no shortage of uninformed opinion making headlines…
On dirty secrets
Wikileaks has once again come to the fore to put governments to shame and this time the US diplomatic cables released include interesting revelations on Malta’s dealings with the US behind closed doors. They lead to other unanswered questions…
Media Watch
PBS: New puppets, old strings?
Public trust is the rating that should matter most to PBS as a public organisation that uses public funds. Audience following is not necessarily a measure of PBS’ success considering the lack of choice of alternatives in the context within which it operates. PBS can claim to be serving its remit when people stop thinking it is nothing more than a puppet.
The war on Wikileaks: narratives that distract from the truth
The ongoing story related to the release of over a quarter of a million US diplomatic cables is a good example of the workings of the global media, an industry tasked with the formation of public opinion in the world. The picture emerging is consistent – an industry whose primary task is truth is instead [...]
News without truth
News depends on sources, but not every source is necessarily credible. That distinction seems to be missing in ‘news’ being relayed to the public. There’s one particular source that has decided to latch on to a cause (because he can) and then use it to make demands based on irrational arguments that are insulting to [...]
