The deficit in flesh and blood - Michael Briguglio

My op-ed article in today's Malta Independent discusses challenges related to the hefty increase in Malta's deficit.

Article link: The deficit in flesh and blood - The Malta Independent

#Ħsibijiet (80) Vaccination and Cross-Party Consensus

I believe that one reason why Malta's Covid-19 vaccination drive is so successful is because there is cross-party consensus on this, putting country before party. Thumbs up to both Chris Fearne and Stephen Spiteri, and to non-parliamentary forces for acting responsibly on this. Some so called 'advanced societies' are miles away from this feat, with anti-vaxx sentiment gaining ground.

WIPSS Seminar - Protests in the year of Covid - The case of Malta - Michael Briguglio

 

WIPSS - Convened by Peter Mayo, Michael Briguglio, Francois Zammit

Protests in the year of Covid– The case of Malta

Speaker: Dr Michael Briguglio

Monday 10 May 18:30

Zoom link: https://universityofmalta.zoom.us/j/94384248891

Facebook event page: (10) Protests in the Year of Covid, The Case of Malta | Facebook

This research presents and discusses physical protests that took place in Malta during 2020 – the year of Covid19 - and which gained media coverage in Malta’s main independent newspapers.

The paper will analyse the issues, organisations, coalitions, venues and type of protests in question. This will provide comparative analysis during the year, which in turn can be compared to upcoming research of protests in subsequent years.

The study will look at the groups and organisations that make up the collective actions in question; the events that form the action repertoire; and the ideas that guide the protests.

In turn, the study will look into the networks and the broader context in which movements are protesting, which in this case concerns the specific characteristics of movement and political activism in Malta as a small EU member state.

The end of #Covid19 - Michael Briguglio

My op-ed article in today's Malta Independent discusses the end of Covid-19. You can read the article here:

The end of Covid - The Malta Independent

Call for papers: Civil Society and Social Movements in Small States

A scholarly book on Civil Society and Social Movements in Small States is being proposed for publication by Routledge. 

In this regard, authors wishing to be considered to author a chapter of this book may wish to send an abstract to michael.briguglio@um.edu.mt 

The coverage of the chapter can be just one small state or a group of small states at the regional or global level. The chapter should be about 6500 words long (including references and appendices), and is to be submitted by the end of this year. Please feel free to share this post to other persons who might be interested in submitting a chapter of the book.

Free Speech, Fake Speech - Michael Briguglio

My op-ed article in today's Malta Independent discusses challenges related to free speech and fake speech in democratic societies. You can read the article here:

Free speech, fake speech - The Malta Independent

 

#Ħsibijiet (79) Roads, Trees and Social Impacts - Michael Briguglio

The current protest by Moviment Graffitti in Dingli and Government's reaction exemplifies the role of social movements in democratic societies. Graffitti's protest repertoire is particularly visible in Malta's public sphere. 

A society without protests is like an ecology without evolution, but on the other hand governments have legitimate authority through democracy. So how can such controversies be tackled? 

Moviment Graffitti's call for dialogue echoes so many other examples of civil society claims about lack of transparent public consultation, particularly on development of land, over the years and under different administrations. 

A few days before the European and Local Elections in 2019, Government, through the Planning Authority, announced a public consultation process for social impact assessments (SIAs).  It would be highly relevant for policy development and implementation, in different areas, to comprise such impact assessments, which in turn should be deliberative and continuous, and not mere rubber stamping or one-off procedures.

I was one of those who sent my proposals to the SIA consultation process, which, in turn were based on the SIA guidelines of the International Association for Impact Assessment. Unfortunately this consultation exercise was not followed up by the same Government. SIAs will not stop political differences, which, after all are essential in democracy, but they can help deliver deeper and more inclusive public consultation.

This takes us to the concept of 'pragmatic adversarialism' proposed by scholars Ralph Tafon, David Howarth and Steven Griggs, which in their words  "highlights the deeply entrenched role of politics in negotiating differences, as rival projects endeavour to impose their wills, while the pragmatic element speaks to the cultivation of an appropriate ethos that should animate those involved in struggle. Adversaries are thus not enemies intent on each other’s mutual destruction, but nor are they just competitors who bargain about outcomes with a fixed set of preferences. Instead, adversaries are encouraged vigorously to espouse their values and ideals, while acknowledging the right of rival forces to articulate and promote their views with equal passion. Indeed, because the expression of divergent ideals can enhance the development and canvassing of a wide spectrum of possible practices, organizational forms and policy outcomes, sharp contestations about outcomes are both inevitable and desirable. In short, in the interests of achieving durable settlements that are legitimate and acceptable to affected citizens, pragmatic adversarialism offers a desirable mode of reaching workable agreements in public controversies".

Photo: The Malta Independent

#Ħsibijiet (78) - Hate Speech, Fake News and Ethical Standards - Michael Briguglio

In today's Malta Independent I commented about the hate speech situation in Malta, together with University of Malta colleagues Brenda Murphy and JosAnn Cutajar.

You can read the feature here:

How can we counter online hate speech? It still remains on the rise despite resistance - The Malta Independent

Some further comments from my end:

There are trolls, fake profiles and keyboard warriors who seem to have no problem using abusive language on social media platforms like Facebook. Among the reasons why such language is so present I would assume that as a small island state, many are engaged in hyperpersonal politics which is based on loyalty towards one’s tribe, thus considering the ‘other’ as being wrong merely because of his or her affiliation or non-affiliation. 

Yet we also witness hate speech on the basis of race, gender and other social factors, including personal ones, which is also the case across social media platforms around the world. For example last week AP News reported that white supremacist propaganda surged in the USA last year. This can be linked to the rise of snackable media, the speed of which may impact the quality of deliberation negatively, the strong presence of politics and activism which refuses to engage with the ‘other’, and the challenges faced by policy projects which focus on responsibility and ethics.

  

I commend recent efforts made by social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, wherein they inform readers that the reliability of a source is doubtful or fake. In liberal democratic societies, free speech is a basic right, but readers also have the right to know that the information they are being given is correct. 

At the same time, I also believe that we need a stronger framework for responsible communication. For example, academics are bound by ethical standards when they present findings or quote other studies, and this is only fair. Similarly, ethical standards or norms could bind journalists, politicians, candidates, activists, influencers, bloggers and even the general public. We need to invest more in education through which social media users can be equipped how to distinguish between a reliable source and a fake one, a proper journalist and a self-appointed one, a scientist and a quack. Ethical standards can be set up amongst political and journalistic communities, for example to double-check sources before splashing slogans.

#Ħsibijiet (77) It-terremot tal-bieraħ

It-terremot tal-bieraħ m'għandux iħallina niġru bl-emozzjonijiet, fejn inħallu t-tribaliżmu joqtol id-deliberazzjoni. Speċjalment jekk irridu politika ħielsa mill-korruzzjoni.

F'demokrazija huwa naturali li jkun hemm pressjoni għall-ġustizzja u governanza tajba. Huwa sinjal tajjeb ukoll li l-isituzzjonijiet legali jidher li qed jagħmlu xogħolhom. Huma l-qrati li għandhom jiddeċiedu dwar dawn il-kwistjonijiet, permezz tal-proċess legali, u mhux il-likes fuq il-Facebook.

F'dak li għandu x'jaqsam mal-proċess politiku, ikun tassew utli jekk ikun hemm qbil bejn in-naħat kollha dwar finanzjament trasparenti u kontabbli, dwar meritokrazija u mhux partitokrazija, dwar rispett lejn l-avversarju u mhux mibgħeda, u dwar teħid tad-deċiżżjonijiet b'mod li ma jiddependix mill-interessi li jiddettaw minn wara l-kwinti (u xi kultant apertament ukoll). Tajjeb ukoll li l-elezzjonijiet ma jkunux tellieqa ta' min iwiegħed l-iktar anke meta dan imur kontra l-ġid komuni. 

                                                    (Stampa: The Malta Independent)

Physical distance, social contact - Michael Briguglio

 My op-ed article in today's Malta Independent discusses the challenges of physical distancing and social contact in the context of Covid-19.

You can read the article here:

Physical distance, social contact - The Malta Independent