Without the selfless and often heroic work of voluntary organisations, Maltese society would be far poorer in so many ways.
The work these organisations undertake ranges vastly. They rehabilitate drug addicts, fight for the environment, raise money for cancer research, assist children in care, hold power to account, protect animals, promote sports, restore our built heritage, help the poor, comfort the dying... activities far too numerous and diverse to provide even a slightly more representative list. So much altruism, so much effort to do good and improve communities and society on such a small island.
The Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector lists nearly 2,000 voluntary organisations in its VO directory. It’s quite a prodigious list for a country of 500,000 people. It means there is one VO to every 250 of us. The place is veritably buzzing with charitable initiatives, compassionate actions, helping activities, organisations offering solutions to people’s problems and activists clamouring to fix society’s ills.
The sentiment displayed in all this contrasts sharply with the recent international survey by Gallup which found the Maltese to be the “angriest people in the EU”. A quarter of those questioned admitted to experiencing anger the day before, placing them among the top 20 in the world for this negative emotion.
On could say that anger and compassion are at either ends of the emotional spectrum. The survey did not, however, ask if respondents felt compassion or consideration for others the day before or at least how many were angry about something that they saw as wrong in society and were compelled to do something about it.
Going by the number of VOs, a lot of which are dedicated to helping people or protecting the planet, those positive emotions are alive and well in the local population.
It is rather clichéd to say that the Maltese harbour a strong love of family – most civilised societies do. It is another cliché to boast of Maltese generosity, as happens every year during the Christmas fund-raising marathons on television. We don’t really know if we are more or less generous than other nations. It doesn’t really matter.
One would do well, however, to occasionally pause and celebrate the side of the Maltese character that spawns so many organisations and initiatives born in the spirit of selfless service. There are many thousands of people who dedicate their free time not only to doing good but to doing it with utter dedication and professionalism. And one must not forget all the non-Maltese involved in this sort of work too.
It takes more than time and skill to move this work forward though. It takes money too. The Church in Malta has, throughout the centuries, been a major initiator and supporter of good works in the social field. Private enterprise funds a whole plethora of philanthropic causes, the government backs many others and, without public financial support, a lot of voluntary organisations would never be founded. All this funding is essential to the work of volunteers.
Some of those volunteers are inspired by the teachings and values of the Catholic Church or other religions. Others are driven by more secular ideologies and ideals. Wherever their motivations for doing good have sprung from, they are the unsung heroes and heroines of Malta who serve as models for the rest of us.
Volunteers will say that the work they do gives them great satisfaction and is the source of a type of happiness that cannot be matched in any way but by being of service to others. So what is everyone else waiting for?
As the council says on its website: “Volunteering is the best feeling in the world. Share your talents through volunteering and make this world a better place.”