Keith Mayl 11A

17.03.09

EVS May 2005, 11A

More than political citizenship related to legal rights, society needs

active and participative citizens. Discuss how a Maltese citizen can
be active and participate in the public affairs of Maltese society.

Malta is a democratic Republic, meaning that there is an

elected parliament in Valletta, with an unelected President as Head
of State. However most sociologists argue that voting every five
years is not an effective way of ensuring the wishes of people are
met. Some say that all the power is maintained in the hands of a
small elite group of people which control our society, without the
general public being able to participate in the decisions and public
affairs of our society. Whilst others believe that Malta is democratic
because there are ways in which people can influence the
government, i.e. pluralism. Either way, in a society diversity is key
and thus there must be space for people to express their own
personal disagreement and beliefs; otherwise the whole ideology of
democracy would fail. As people which form part of society, it is our
duty to be active in public affairs and speak up if we feel it is just
and necessary.
One of the main ways of being an active member of society is
by joining a pressure group. Pressure groups are basically
organisations which have certain beliefs and work together in order
to have their values heard. Pressure groups are a good way by
which members of society can effect and be active in government
decisions. Pressure groups include organizations such as Trade
Unions, cultural organisations such as Heritage Malta, and
Environmental groups such as Birdlife, Greenpeace. Some of these
organisations are extremely powerful and influential, as is the
General workers Union for instance. Another way to participate in
societies affairs is by joining the Local councils. Anyone can take
part in the local council elections and become a member of the
council if they wish too. Local councils are there so that locals can
control some of the decisions and resources which directly influence
their own locality. However it isn’t only the members of the council
who make the decisions, any person can approach the local council
with suggestions on what needs to be done and cannot be ignored.
Petitions concerning public affairs may not be that common in
Malta, however they are certainly a means by which the public can
involve itself in society. If enough votes are collected then the
organizers of the petition can even take the matter to government
level and expect that something is done.
Another way of being active in society is by actually taking
part in general elections. All Maltese citizens are allowed to
participate in these elections which take place once every 5 years. If
a candidate obtains enough votes s/he will become a Member of
Parliament and possibly move on to become a Minister. Apart from
taking part elections, one can also decide to form their won political
party. Speaking about politics one of the main ways participating in
society is actually by voting. It is our duty to vote for the party we
believe is best for our country and we shouldn’t simply vote for
someone because the rest of the family has certain political views.
The above points highlight what it means to be active in
society and involve one with national decisions. As Maltese citizens
we should work together to create a better society, speaking up
when we feel it is right and involving ourselves with political affairs.