Non-governmental organisations have been around for decades, but it is only their persistence in the last few years which has seen them mushroom into a veritable force that offers some hope to society.

From the pressure group ‘tan-Numri’ in the politically turbulent 1980s right through to the civil society movements and environmental NGOs of this day, voluntary associations have tried to right what was wrong with the state of Malta.

A more sophisticated, educated and questioning society has thankfully led to a greater readiness by people to raise their voices against what they deem to be wrong.  In the process, new and established NGOs have become more active and even an essential pillar in the fight for transparency, accountability and other aspects of good governance.

NGOs have often filled the vacuum of moral, environmental and social needs that in reality should be taken on by the government.

They are prepared to speak truth to power, however unpalatable that truth may sometimes be, and even if they risk being publicly criticised and derided, or trolled on social media.

With the two main parties, especially, seeking to appease everyone without a care for principles and long-term planning, or refusing to clamp down on the ridiculous number of irregularities, voluntary associations have become a crucial counterweight to governments and corporate power.

Environmental organisations like Din l-Art Ħelwa have been at the forefront of alerting the public to potential environmental disasters and attempting to restore whatever is left of the country’s rich heritage. 

The leftist Moviment Graffitti has been instrumental in fighting so many battles on different fronts – from environmental degradation to social justice. Only yesterday, Graffitti presented 134 proposals to reform the construction sector across six sectors, the result of a year-long consultation process and technical consultation with experts.

While BirdLife Malta has been trying to alert the country to the cruelty of indiscriminate hunting, Nature Trust has been doing commendable work in the conservation field.

Organisations like Aditus and the Jesuit Refugee Service provide some hope for asylum seekers and refugees in a country where migration has become a political tool to score cheap populist points.

Meanwhile, civil society activists have repeatedly taken to the streets to highlight the high-level corruption and to call for justice in the wake of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder.

But like most other things in Malta, several NGOs remain fragmented, with multiple organisations sometimes fighting for almost the same cause. Some NGOs will certainly gain more muscle if they amalgamated their structures and members, rather than continue operating as lone rangers. Let’s remember that most of them are doing their bit with no financial compensation for their time.

This is why it’s important for principled citizens who cannot accept cronyism and further exploitation of our environment to lend their voice against the disgraceful concession given to the hunters’ federation to manage the Miżieb and L-Aħrax woodlands.

We have simply had enough of governments which have bent over backwards to please a lobby which has resorted to bullying tactics for years  in return for hunters’ votes.

Civil society must persuade politicians and policy makers that they ignore them at their own peril.