Most definitions of the word ‘community’ emphasise the importance of shared qualities, characteristics, interests and activities. These values of community were on full display in Gozo recently as the Rotary Club of Gozo awarded eight Gozitans for their service to the community and for the inspiration they personify.
Now in their second year, the awards are also sponsored by the ministry for Gozo in association with Times of Malta.
Among those being awarded was a woman whose quick thinking saved a man’s life; a nurse providing vital support to breast cancer patients; a man who founded an organisation dedicated to maintaining pollution-free coastlines; and a business that provides free diving training to disadvantaged young people.
The awards focus on members of the local community who, through their profession or hobby, consistently serve their neighbours and Gozo as a whole. Their community focus and service offer an important alternative to the current dominance of individualism and personal rather than social benefit.
Ultimately, the awards highlight the considerable social capital that exists in all our communities but which is routinely under-reported and under-valued. It is the yeast that routinely gives substance and texture to the very term community.
The variety of service such ‘local heroes’ personify is very considerable. It is not simply evident in the specific acts or initiatives directly involved but also in the intangible values they represent. A nurse offering support to women facing life-threatening illness; a company offering opportunity to those routinely denied it; a cultural volunteer promoting creativity and skills; an environmental activist promoting care and respect for our seas cannot be underestimated.
Through their behaviour and leadership, they offer care, hope, inspiration and confidence, especially to those experiencing crisis, vulnerability or even despair. They also provide micro models for a better future. Importantly, they offer a set of role models for those debating how best to build and sustain community.
The areas of health, education, disadvantage, environment, the elderly, culture and migration research were acknowledged as part of community endeavour through the awards. That span of coverage illustrates the breadth and depth of voluntary community service that is available across the island. It is the DNA of what the concept ‘community’ personifies.
The awards and the initiative of the Rotary Club need to be also acknowledged in a deeper sense. They highlight ‘ordinary’ people doing ‘extraordinary’ life-preserving and life-enhancing things. They point to the often-hidden dimensions of community life – simply caring for others; the local neighbourhood and environment; those in need or ‘at risk’; the importance of culture in sustaining and enhancing identity.
They celebrate the importance of substance over appearance. The awards focus on the best of what our communities can and do represent in a context where their opposite is what is routinely and mistakenly celebrated.
Equally important, the people being acknowledged were not seeking attention or self-promotion. It is a vivid reminder that each one of us can be a force for the common good. In these days of instant gratification, especially through social media, it is a relief to see these initiatives taking centre stage.
In a world inundated with news of turmoil, strife and corruption, it is easy to become disillusioned and disheartened by the seemingly endless stream of negativity. Amid the ugliness, it is crucial to pause and acknowledge the bright spots – the acts of kindness, compassion and selflessness that often go unnoticed.