Mark Anthony Sammut

Sitt żgħażagħ mill-Gudja li għandhom bejn is-16 u t-18-il sena kellhom l-opportunita' jipparteċipaw fil-Balkan Youth Festival ġewwa Sandanski fil-Bulgarija bejn is-6 u s-17 ta' Settembru, festival li fih jipparteċipaw eluf ta' żgħażagħ minn madwar id-dinja. Din il-parteċipazzjoni kienet possibli grazzi għal proġett tal-Youth in Action iffinanzjat mill-Unjoni Ewropea, u li minnu ibbenefika l-Kunsill Lokali tal-Gudja flimkien ma' NGOs mill-Ingilterra, Estonja, Italja, Latvia, Rumanija u Turkija. Tul dan il-proġett, apparti li saru jafu l-mużika ta' pajjiżi differenti, kellhom anke' l-opportunita' jaħdmu fi gruppi fuq kompożizzjoni ta' mużika. Nistedinkom taraw parti mill-video t'hawn isfel, u taraw kif dawn il-mużiċisti irnexxielhom iqajmu l-entużjażmu ta' folla żgħażagħ bħalhom permezz ta' diski tradizzjonali Maltin, minkejja li l-ewwel darba li dawn iż-żgħażagħ bdew idoqqu flimkien kien propju ftit tal-ġimgħat qabel telqu għal dan il-kun

The EU Commissioner for Justice Viviane Reding has proposed imposing an obligatory 40% female quota for boardrooms of all companies across Europe. My opinion about the issue was published in an article in the Times back in December last year, in which I explained why I believe such quotas to go against meritocracy, equality and democracy. To starting from principles, I abhor big government and State impositions except when absolutely needed to redress a mismatch of opportunities or induced monopolies in the market. So a directive by the EU, imposing all nation states to force, by law, the number of women and men private companies should appoint to their boards, is already a false start. The Maltese government together with the UK and other countries is opposing this proposal, and rightly so. Minister Chris Said reportedly told MaltaToday that the Maltese government believes the EU should stay out of such legislation and instead allow national governments to pursue their own

L-artiklu tiegħi li deher fin-Nazzjon tat-Tnejn 20 ta' Awissu, 2012 Minħabba ċ-ċokon ta' pajjiżna u l-fatt li aħna gżira, spiss naqgħu fin-nasba li ningħalqu fil-mentalita' insulari tagħna u ninsew inħarsu ftit x'qed jiġri madwarna. F'dinja daqstant globalizzata, fejn dak li jiġri fil-Ġermanja, fiċ-Ċina, fl-iStati Uniti, u f'kull parti oħra tad-dinja, jaffetwana mill-qrib, ma nistgħux inġibu ruħna bħal li kieku d-dinja ddur magħna biss. Wisq nibża' li hekk qed jiġrilu l-Partit Laburista. Jitkellem fuq tkabbir ekonomiku bħal li kieku dan isir bil-maġija, jitkellem fuq l-ispiża tal-Gvern bħal li kieku din kienet xi bir bla qiegħ. Jirrispondi għal billboard fuq ix-xogħol b' billboard fuq tal-linja, bħal li kieku hawn xi ħadd jippreferi jagħmel ħames minuti jistenna biex jirreġistra milli nofs siegħa jistenna tal-linja. Jipprova jbellagħhielna li s-suċċess li qed tagħmel Malta qed jiġri biss b'kumbinazzjoni jew għax aħna iffortunati, li pajjiżna

Fil-ġranet li għaddew faqqgħet l-istorja żvelata minn Reuters u minn Times of Malta, li għaqqdet flimkien il- jigsaw puzzle tal-proġett “monument tal-korruzzjoni” tal-Electrogas, il-kumpaniji sigriet fil-Panama, Keith Schembri u l-Ministru Konrad Mizzi. L-unika argument ta’ difiża li uża l-Gvern, kemm fil-propoganda tiegħu, kemm fir-risposti li taw il-Ministri u d-Deputati meta ffaċċjati mill- media , u anke f’dak li qalu fid-dibattitu msejjaħ b’urġenza fil-Parlament mill-Kap tal-Partit Nazzjonalista Adrian Delia nhar it-Tnejn li għadda, hija li “għandna nistennew ir-riżultat tal-inkjesti”. Argument fażull u qarrieq, għal fatt li mhux biss ma hemm l-ebda inkjesta miftuħa dwar 17 Black, iżda għax agħar minn hekk, l-inkjesta li talbet l-Oppożizzjoni fuqha qed tipprova titwaqqaf fil-Qrati minn Joseph Muscat innifsu. Joseph Muscat lanqas biss irid li ssir investigazzjoni biex insiru nafu l-verit à , fl-istess nifs li jgħidilna li jrid jistenna t-tmiem tal-investigazzjoni.

This was an interview with me carried out by journalist Christian Peregin from the Times of Malta. You can watch excerpts on the original link . What made you decide to contest the general election? I was asked by the Prime Minister and accepted because I believe I can make a positive contribution. I’m tired of seeing self-interest and egoism rule in all spheres of life. Not just in politics... it’s trickled down into social behaviour. In what way? We have lost a sense of ethics and basic manners. The maxim in Malta is: “Those who cheat move forward and those who don’t lag behind”. I want to live in a society where honest and diligent taxpayers move forward and those who are cheating stay behind. Are you idealistic? Yes, I believe in ideals. And I think we need to believe in ideals once again. What do you like most about your party? The fact that it has always strived to provide opportunities for everyone: young people, workers, businesses... And these