Updated 1.47pm

Change will not come in one day, but we must take the first step towards that change, President George Vella said on Saturday as he opened a conference on national unity. 

The conference, announced last month and held at Verdala Palace, is looking into ways in which Malta can improve its social and political relations and foster unity.

Follow the event live in the video below. 

“Instead of pointing fingers at one another and pointing out each others' differences, we should stand together and educate one another,” the president said. 

Vella noted that the conference had elicited different reactions when it was first announced a month ago, with some responding with cynicism and others welcoming the discussion. 

“We need to come together and discuss the issues that are dividing us. Today will not fix the problems, but it is a big step forward for the discussion and a start to address the situation we are in."

“We must ask ourselves, is Malta only for the Maltese or is it for all those who live here? Are we all being responsible to ensure that we safeguard the environment?”

He said that the first step to building national unity is through education and teaching one another about our differences.

Now is the time to "rebuild what has been destroyed," he said. 
 
“The first step is the hardest and that is why we are here together to take it, and I hope we learn from one another.”

Partisanship, racism

A number of speakers and commenters who took part in the conference highlighted concerns about partisan media fostering disunity. 

Some asked how they could know the truth when certain media houses hid it, with news pieces twisted. 

Moviment Graffitti representative Wayne Flask said that national unity had to come not just from politicians – “guilty of betraying those who trusted them with their votes and hopes” but also from citizens. 

He thanked the president for having spoken up about the exploitation of Malta’s natural resources and asked him to foster unity to protect “a natural resource that is all too often forgotten: the workers.”

Robert Aquilina, the president of rule of law NGO Repubblika, said that in Malta the battle was not just between the country’s two main political parties, but also between those who want to push for truth and justice, and those who want to stop them. 

“Those people who are trying to push for justice are being portrayed as traitors. This is not fair and it is the role of the state to stop this,” he said.  Aquilina also distributed copies of the NGO’s position paper on national unity at the conference. 

Chamber of Commerce president David Xuereb said that apart from the coronavirus, the island is also facing another type of virus, the virus of individuality. 

“We need to focus on what unites us as Maltese. Justice, common good, respect, education, equality and other things. We need to focus on these basics for us to have a stronger more untied society.”

Blogger and Repubblika member Manuel Delia also spoke about his concerns about partisan media and the harm it does to the way people speak to one another.

“We have media which popularises racist discussion, that encourages us to push away people who come to our island. This is not right.”

He said that it is the role of citizens to distinguish the good and the bad. 

“If all we do is look for national symbols to unite us, this is taking the easy road. What we really need to do is to be citizens, before members of a nation. This is difficult, since we are a country where we sell citizenship to people who do not care about this island,” he said. 

'Malta is no longer so sweet'

Academic  Simone Borg said that environmental justice is a vital part of national unity. 

“If we do not address how we take care of our island, our home, we will never unite. This is not just a local issue, but a Mediterranean and international one, which must be tackled.”

“Malta, ‘din l-art helwa’ [this sweet land] is no longer so sweet. We need to ensure that we leave a better quality of life and resources for our future.”

She said that politicians and authorities have a role to play in ensuring sustainable development, but that the responsibility of safeguarding the island is a civilian one.

No politicians

In his closing comments, Vella pointed out that politicians were not formally invited to the conference. 

“I did not invite politicians here so that we listen to them. Instead I want them to listen to us, for them to address what has been said here.”

He thanked all the participants for a discussion, which carried no prejudice and that everyone was respectful towards one another. 

"I am encouraged to continue this discussion and for us to move forward as a country," he said.