A CRUSADE FOR THE MILLENNIUM: building an inclusive society

Camilleri, Joseph M. (2000): 'A crusade for the millennium: building an inclusive society, a speech on the occasion of Victory Day. A commemorative evening organised by the Committee for National Festivities on Thursday, 7th September, 2000. Valletta. MALTA.

Introduction

When I began to carry out some research about the Great Siege of 1565 and the Second Siege of 1940-42 in preparation for this talk, I was struck by a profusion of fascinating details. For example, the power, both in weaponry and in numbers, of the aggressors, the courage of the handful of defenders, the terrible suffering of the people and the devastation left behind by seemingly endless months of total warfare. I was also struck by how imminent final catastrophe and annihilation was on both occasions.

However, among all these details, the single fact that moved me most deeply was the stark exercise in accounting which seems to conclude every human struggle: the list of the dead. Before my eyes I could picture scores of thousands of dead from both great sieges: Maltese civilians (men, women and children), Knights of St. John and warriors from the military forces of Turkey, Great Britain, Germany and Italy. "What was the point of their sacrifice?" I asked myself, since, as we all know, it is the living who have to seek find some sense in the untimely death of those we love.

At a most obvious level we could say that the attacking forces, the Ottomans in 1565 and the Fascist/ Nazi soldiers in 1940 died attempting to enlarge their empires, in order to increase their strength and to exert greater control over weaker countries. From the point of view of the defenders this was a fight for freedom, a struggle against slavery and oppression. Our ancestors died fighting to control their own destinies, to be masters in their own homes and to assume responsibility for their own choices.

A just society?

I think we also agree that those who lived, suffered and died in the two great sieges sacrificed their lives partly to enable us to live in a more just society. A society which treats us all with equal measure by offering everyone equal opportunities, a society which allows us to make our own choices, a society which accords an intrinsic value to each and every one of us.

We would be right in thinking that in the preceding fifty years our country has made considerable steps in improving the lives of the majority of our citizens. On the other hand, a number of local minorities are still having to confront the reality of oppression in their daily lives. As a disabled person, I am better qualified to discuss my own experiences and those of my disabled friends and their families. However, I feel it is important to point out that in the course of this speech, all references to the disability sector are, by extension, a description of common experiences shared by other minority groups.

Minority groups are groups which, for some reason or another are being denied a decent quality of life, groups whose choices in life are being systematically eroded, who are prevented from making their own decisions, who are not enjoying equal opportunities and who are the victims of negative attitudes, social isolation and oppression imposed upon them by a more powerful majority. Among these oppressed minorities we may single out women, elderly people, people whose race, creed, colour or sexual orientation is considered 'different' and finally, others who have found themselves somehow at odds with the traditional norms established by our society. As disabled persons we count ourselves among these minorities.

Until only a few years ago, we used to think that the problems which these minority groups had to face were entirely of their own making. People would argue that they came about as a result of the fact that these individuals were not "normal", like the rest of society. In their eyes, our differences were the greatest obstacles to our ultimate integration into mainstream society. Over the decades, inspired by this false notion, our society has proceeded to create hospitals, schools, day centres, institutions and services, that is the instruments by which we "abnormal" individuals have been exiled from the remainder of human-kind and thus condemned to eke out our existence in segregated and controlled environments; environments created with the chief aim of 'normalising' us. All of us here can identify individuals who are, or have been, the innocent victims of a system based on such normative and positivist notions.

But today, we know from experience that the process by which our minorities can be truly included in the daily life of our society does not depend solely on the exertions of the emarginated individual. In the case of Disability, the social model of disability has taught us that radical and lasting improvements in disabled persons' quality of life can only come about if society itself is also prepared to change. Society must come to value each individual, it must be more flexible and ready to adapt and accommodate the differences which make us all unique. In concrete terms, our society must begin to recognise and to guarantee the civil rights of all minorities in our countries.

Many disabled persons and their families tell me that: "Everyday is a battle!" Faced with so much hostility, we should not be surprised if disabled persons, like myself, remain a relatively invisible minority. When confronted with the merciless onslaught of a powerful foe, our forefathers sought shelter in caves and in underground labyrinths hewn out of the living rock. Similarly, many disabled people are constrained to seek the shelter of home and family and to venture outdoors as seldom as possible largely because the inaccessible environment around is a clear indication that our existence is merely tolerated, rather than valued.

A society which embraces everyone

But thanks to the courage and sterling work of many disabled persons, their families, non-government organisations, voluntary bodies and successive governments, today the people of our country have begun to understand the role and responsibility which we must all assume, if we are to guarantee a decent quality of life to every citizen, irrespective of ability, or disability. Since 1947, the disability sector has benefited from various measures and initiatives which have kept up a regular pace of change aimed at improving the quality of our individual lives.

Thus, we have seen the Department of Education assume responsibility for the education of disabled children, until recently in special schools, but today many disabled children attend mainstream schools. In 1969 the Employment (Handicapped Persons) Act was approved, offering disabled persons new opportunities for useful employment. Through the seventies and eighties we were also to witness the gradual introduction of a range of services, benefits and other initiatives as well as the setting up of various non-government organisations all of which sought to bring disabled persons ever closer to the central core of our society.

To my mind, this concerted endeavour by all the social partners reached its apex in February of this year when our Parliament approved Act I of 2000, the Equal Opportunities (Persons with Disability) Act. This piece of legislation, which passed with the wholehearted approval of both sides of the House of Representatives, has given a clear signal that, like our forefathers we are still capable of forgetting our differences and putting up a united front before a common enemy. This Act is witness to the fact that amidst a plethora of differing ideas and opinions Maltese society still moves to beat of a single heart. We all felt the need for anti-discriminatory legislation because the civil rights of minority groups cannot be safeguarded simply through education and persuasion. Prejudice and ignorance are not always won over with kind words and deeds. That is why the actions of the heartless and heedless have to be controlled by force of law.

However, not everyone appreciates the changes brought about by this historic act of Parliament. A short while ago, my colleague and I were advised, in the most patronising manner, that no one would deny disabled persons' entreaties, but if we were to start "quoting law and talking about civil rights" we would get nothing for our pains and may even risk losing the little we'd already gained. We were also accused of wanting to create a "society of the disabled"! As far as I am concerned this was a clear example of how many individuals, from every level of our society, can live comfortably with minorities that are passive, weak and silent, but feel overtly threatened by minorities which are active, assertive, strong and ready to speak out.

What we want to create is a society which is more just. A society which, while accepting our differences, does not regard us as inferior to other groups who are stronger in numbers and social power than we are. Contrary to the attitude held by many who regard themselves as the successes of society we do not see ourselves as in any way special, or better, than anyone else. In the words of a friend of mine:

"What most of us want in our lives is peace of mind, good health, a sense of security, a degree of consistency, close links with our family and our circle of friends, a feeling of belonging and enough income to get by on. We want to be valued and respected. We want to know that someone cares. We want the chance to live a full life."

If creating a 'disabled' society consists of this, then to my mind it is infinitely preferable to the type of society created by those who think they are more capable than me and my kind.

Conclusion

This is the first Victory Day speech, the first such reflection for this millennium. Therefore, it is fitting that on this occasion we cast our eyes respectfully over a past which fills us with pride. But it is equally fitting that we fix our gaze towards the future and ask ourselves: "How are we to be remembered in our turn?" What legacy will we leave behind us which will be worthy of the sacrifice of our ancestors?

This year also marks the 500th anniversary of when the King of Spain handed over these islands to the care of the Order of St. John. For the Knights of St. John and the Maltese of the time, the great siege of 1565 was truly the last crusade. However, today I am proposing a new crusade for a new millennium: a systematic struggle against those elements in our society which discriminate, segregate, control and at times even destroy people who, like myself, belong to a minority.

I am convinced that the best memorial, the finest monument with which we can honour those who took part in these historic events should not be one made out of bronze, fine as the workmanship may be. The finest reminder is a living memorial: that of a society founded on the principals of equal opportunities, social justice, Christian values, above all, a society which includes us all.
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