The long history of interaction among the nations surrounding the Mediterranean Sea has contributed to the region’s complex social, political and spiritual cultures. Indeed, the realities of the Mediterranean, both ancient and contemporary, have always been characterised by intercultural exchanges and opportunities for encounter.
In my role as research support officer within the Faculty for Social Well-being, it has become clear that our university has a unique position to play in fostering such encounters among diversity.
As a forum for the free exchange of ideas, the very nature of the university itself is inextricably linked to the history of the Mediterranean. Among the 44 oldest universities of the world, 25 were founded in the Mediterranean Basin.
The Mediterranean and its concerns are not merely a ‘problem’ to be solved or a ‘crisis’ to be undone. It is a centre for some of the most vibrant expressions of human life that this planet has known. Its well-being is of primary concern and an exploration of this well-being must rely both on past experiences but also on what connects us all. Of particular concern are the ongoing risks experienced by individuals, taking their lives into their own hands to find peace.
The central Mediterranean route remains the primary access for migrants coming from various parts of Africa. The Mediterranean has long been acknowledged as a hazardous route and responsible for the most significant numbers of reported fatalities. Any sincere efforts towards building peace must consider the identities of communities on both sides of the Mediterranean and the particular struggles that they face.
Migrants risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean
While many refugees stay in the vicinity of their homes, more people are undertaking ever longer, more arduous, more expensive journeys. Many try to make their way to Europe in search of freedom and prosperity in the hope of enabling themselves and their families to live a better life. For weeks, months, sometimes even years, they travel, mercilessly exposed to the exploitation of looters, blackmailers and human traffickers. They may be robbed, tortured or sexually abused. They risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean in unseaworthy vessels and many are profoundly traumatised by their experiences.
Appropriate action is necessary to not only address this trauma once in Malta but to protect people from further risks of discrimination, violence and harm. Threats of violence and unfair economic or financial exploitation can only be counteracted when we acknowledge that the most vulnerable communities are the ones coming under additional stress. Therefore, undertaking measures that effectively support individuals and groups, whose capabilities have been diminished or constrained by the crushing weight of exclusionary policies, is a response rooted in social justice.
To reduce inequalities, facilitating free and quality access to information and knowledge and fostering active participation in political processes must become a cornerstone of our cultural identity. There is a tendency for those suffering inequalities to be under-represented in political processes that could potentially address and alleviate their oppression. Sometimes they are not represented at all. The Faculty for Social Well-being has taken up this challenge, most directly by prioritising research and projects that gives voice to the realities faced by migrant communities in Maltese society. Engaging stakeholders in dialogue has made it possible for us to take a hard look at the various layers of oppression, hardship and exclusion that operate.
Such an appeal to counteract discrimination, with a culture of inclusion and diversity, underpins a commitment to peacebuilding as more than the simple absence of direct conflict. If our peacebuilding arises only in response to violence, then it is incapable of safeguarding sustainable well-being rather than addressing symptomatic manifestations of conflict.
Without a proactive attitude towards the inclusion of diversity, there is the constant risk of tensions bubbling to the surface. As Maltese society adjusts in new and more profound ways to the presence of difference, this two-way invitation to change and grow becomes all the more urgent.
Pete Farrugia, Research support officer, Faculty for Social Well-being