It-Tlettax-Il Leġiżlatura Pl 6110

IT-TLETTAX-IL LEĠIŻLATURA

P.L. 6110

Dokument imqiegħed fuq il-Mejda tal-Kamra tad-Deputati fis-Seduta Numru 433 tal-1 ta’ Marzu 2021 mill-Ministru fl-Uffiċċju tal-Prim Ministru, f’isem il-Ministru għall-Affarijiet Barranin u Ewropej.

______Raymond Scicluna Skrivan tal-Kamra

KUNSILL GĦALL-MALTIN LI JGĦIXU BARRA MINN MALTA - LAQGĦAT

*19522. L-ONOR. CARMELO MIFSUD BONNICI staqsa lill-Ministru għall-Affarijiet Barranin u Ewropej: Jista’ l-Ministru jgħid jekk sarux iktar laqgħat mal-Kunsilliera tal-Kunsill għall-Maltin li Jgħixu Barra minn Malta mill-aħħar laqgħa fl-2019? Jekk iva, jistgħu jitqiegħdu l-minuti fuq il-Mejda tal-Kamra?

24/02/2021

ONOR. EVARIST BARTOLO: Ninforma lill-Onor. Interpellant li matul is-sena li għaddiet (2020) u din is-sena (2021) saru żewġ laqgħat mal-Kunsilliera tal-Kunsill tal-Maltin li Jgħixu barra minn Malta. Dawn il-laqgħat saru f’forma virtwali minħabba l-pademija COVID-19 fis- 16 ta’ Ottubru 2020 u fit-3 ta’ Frar 2021 rispettivament. Filwaqt li qiegħed inpoġġi kopja tal- minuti tal-ewwel laqgħa (dik li nżammet fis-16 ta’ Ottubru 2020) fuq il-Mejda tal-Kamra, il- minuti tat-tieni laqgħa tat-3 ta’ Frar 2021 ma jistgħux ikunu mpoġġija minħabba li għad iridu jiġu approvati mill-membri tal-Kunsill. Għaldaqstant l-Onorevoli Interpellant jista’ jitlob kopja tal-istess minuti meta dawn jiġu approvati mill-Kunsill fil-laqgħa li jmiss.

Seduta Numru 433 01/03/2021 Meeting of the Council for Maltese Living Abroad Meeting No. 11

Date and Time: Friday 16th October 2020 13.00 to 15.00 Venue: Virtual Meeting through TEAMS Chairman: The Hon. Evarist Bartolo, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Councillors in attendance: Ms. Edwidge Borg Mr. Mario Sammut Ms. Marie-Louise Marisa Previtera Mr. Manweli Camilleri Ms. Mary Susan Schembri Mr. John Vassallo Mr. Kanawati Nadim Mr. Alexander Grima Mr. Brandon Azzopardi Mr. Angelo Grima Prof. Claudia Caruana Mrs. Antonella Berry Brincat Mr. Denis Muniglia Prof. JosAnn Cutajar did not manage to communicate with Meeting Secretary: Mr. Joseph A. Xerri Director for Maltese Living Abroad: Mr. John Buttigieg Ministry Officials: Mr. Roberta Zahra Dr. Antoinette Calleja Rapporteur: Ms. Bernice Zarb

1. Welcome by Mr. John Buttigieg and opening speech by the Honorable Evarist Bartolo, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs John Buttigieg, Director for Consular Services and Maltese Living Abroad welcomed the councillors to the redacted version of the Annual Council meeting of the Council for Maltese Living Abroad. He stated that according to the legislation establishing the Maltese Council, the latter should meet at least annually. This meeting could not be done physically due to the ongoing pandemic therefore an alternative was found through virtual means. Mr. Buttigieg introduced the Minister and mentioned the importance of the meeting as a method to keep in touch whilst also introducing the councillors to the Minister, an item at the end of the day’s agenda. The Hon. Minister opened by welcoming all the members of the Council present and thanked them for their participation and commitment to the Maltese Living Abroad. He commented on the problems caused by the pandemic which has limited face to face interaction yet has made us more aware of alternative means of communication. Technology has provided us with more methods to communicate than other traditional means. He referred to other virtual meetings which were successful, proving that there is no need to wait for the pandemic to be over for the council to satisfy the legislation which states that the council should meet at least once annually. Such virtual means have also proven useful abroad. The Minister referred to different Maltese embassies around Europe who have met and kept in contact with the Maltese Living Abroad through virtual means. An example of this is Spain which has shown positive results since the Maltese diaspora appreciated the effort taken by using virtual means to keep in touch. The Minister also referred to the importance of technology as the link to the younger generation. The Hon. Minister ended by expressing his enthusiasm in working with the councilors as well as welcoming their comments and criticisms such as the one received from Canada, which he will discuss with the relevant councilors in due time. The Hon Minister said that he would be taking in consideration the proposal put to him by Susan Schembri and Brandon Azzopardi

2. Approval of the Council for Maltese Living Abroad 2019 Annual Meeting Minutes The Council unanimously approved the Minutes of the Meeting which took place in October 2019 after the intervention from Mr. Joseph A. Xerri, Secretary Council Maltese Living Abroad, regarding the amendments to the minutes which was to be done after the meeting.

3. Presented by: Director for Maltese Living Abroad: Director’s Report

Interlocutor: Mr. John Buttigieg, Director for Consular Services and Maltese Living Abroad Discussions John Buttigieg read the Directorate and CMLA Secretary Joint Report (see Attachment 1)

Mr. Buttigieg added some comments about the report itself namely regarding the pandemic which has taken prominence during the year, thereby asking the Councillors to take it into consideration when reading the report. Another comment referred to the Maltese Living Abroad website which in the last meeting had been agreed to be a sub-website in the short term with a full website dedicated to the Maltese Living Abroad in the long term. His last comment referred to the Maltese language project which is now envisaged to go live in the first quarter of 2021.

The report was put up for discussion.

Members were asked to raise any issues arising out of the report, and that Director for Maltese Living Aboard would subsequently, do his best, to respond to the points raised.

Mario Sammut posed a question on the regional committees, asking if the Councillors had nominated any people for the role

Joseph A. Xerri responded that there was only one response from a council member with most nominations coming from Embassies however, the rest of Australia had not been tackled yet.

Edwidge Borg stated that Mr. Xerri had claimed that there was no feedback from the council members.

Joseph A. Xerri responded that whilst there was some feedback, this was very poor.

John Buttigieg remarked that whilst there was some feedback, more input was expected from their end.

Edwidge Borg explained the reluctance of the council members in nominating a regional committee member due to the fact that the guidelines had not been finalized.

John Buttigieg said that the guidelines had been finalized in the last meeting in 2019; when they were discussed and approved. That being said, Mr. Buttigieg explained that these guidelines were not set in stone and could be amended if agreed to.

Edwidge Borg raised the issue of the registration of Property with the Planning Authority.

John Buttigieg said that a reply had been received two weeks before from Mr. David Cassar, whose answer was in the negative. (see Attachment 2). The email stated one does not need an e-id to access the site to check about development application as this was accessible on the planning Authority

3 website. However, to access proposed drawing one would need to contact an architect who would be able to act as an intermediary. Also, matters regarding the e-ID would need to be discussed with Identity Malta not the Planning Authority since it lies within the former’s remit.

Manweli Camilleri stated that the issue of the English subtitles for Maltese films had been answered in the report. He also remarked on the issue of the Bank of Valletta who has now been solved with success as people had approached him and told him that their accounts have now been settled. He thanked the people involved.

Mary Susan Schembri coming back to the topic of Regional Councils asked if there had been any nominations submitted for Canada.

Joseph A. Xerri replied in the negative stating that Brandon Azzopardi has discussed the matter with Dr Raymond Xerri, General Consul for Canada

John Buttigieg interjected, stating that it is important that people do their part by engaging in all projects as the council must look both towards its present and its future. He asked that the people nominated are enthusiastic for the job so that they are correctly representing the spirit and vision of the diaspora. He also emphasized that the nominations would need to be done with a clear mandate from both the Ministry and the Council so that those approved would deliver to their highest potential, otherwise the purpose of the regional councils (reference to ‘councils’ is as per current legislation) would be defeated.

Mary Susan Schembri proposed that she nominates a person from Alberta since she is on her own on the West side of Canada.

Joseph A. Xerri replied in the affirmative as all CMLA members were given the opportunity of nominating persons for this position.

John Buttigieg explained that the regionally appointed would be in direct contact with the council members therefore they would be able to help the councillors with their work.

Mario Sammut asked a question to the Hon. Minister regarding a sentence with the Minister’s letter to the Council that emphasized that the Council should be forward looking and that such a process could only happen if there is a soul-search into what makes a Maltese in today’s world (see Attachment 3). Mr. Sammut asked the Hon. Minister about the possibilities what such a reply would entail.

The Chairman replied that such a search for what makes us Maltese has to come from within and then shared with both the council itself and the rest of the diaspora. He continued with the assertion that today’s reality is

4 continuously changing and that each person must ask himself/herself who they are today. Whilst tradition is important, today the population lives in different times and whilst this does not mean that the past is forgotten it must refer to the process of self-definition and collective definition. Each person will have a diverse and complex identity therefore, there is no one right answer or solution. He ended by referring to a certain displacement that the Council members must feel when they come to Malta due to the change in Malta’s landscape.

Marie-Louise Marisa Previtera took up the Chairperson last point stating that her hometown was Sliema, which has now become unrecognizable. She then remarked that John had referred to the Regional Councils when these should be called Regional Committees .

John Buttigieg replied that such a change has to take place when the current legislation is amended.

The Chairperson asked whether this amendment could be taken up to Parliament soon.

John Buttigieg said that the intention was that the draft amendments to the law will be sent for internal legal consideration and redrafted with legal jargon and the follow the process before reaching Parliament.

Marie-Louise Marisa Previtera asked about the possibility of extending the chaplaincy for the Maltese diaspora. The Hon. Minster was asked if the Archbishop was contacted re the provision of priests from Malta for the diaspora.

The Chairperson replied that the decreasing number of priests has become an issue even in Malta and whilst this issue has been raised with the archbishop, there is not yet any solutions.

John Buttigieg continued by saying that the Curia had sent a letter to all the priests inviting them to serve the Maltese diaspora abroad but there were no responses.

Marie-Louise Marisa Previtera remarked that the memorandum sent for this call had been sparse. As a community that had worked hard to create an attractive package for priests coming to their community. She was sure that if this package is shown to the priests, there would be more encouragement for them to move. This package had been almost completed for the archbishop to view however; the pandemic had stopped the process.

The Chairperson asked if this package had been communicated to the archbishop.

Marie-Louise Marisa Previtera replied in the affirmative saying that she had a meeting with the archbishop and explained to him what the package would entail. She also asked that she be kept informed should there be any progress or updates.

Edwidge Borg enquired about the Maltese language online program which was now set to start in 2021 but had been in the pipeline for many years. She said that the University of Malta had started two courses for Maltese beginners however the fees for these courses at five hundred euros were too expensive for the diaspora. She explained that such an initiative is working at a disadvantage since it would not attract more people to the language.

The Chairperson asked if the Council members knew about the free and online material prepared by the Paulo Freire Institute called ‘Cavetta’. This material was created specifically for an adult literacy course in Maltese. He stated that back when he was the Minister for Education, he wanted to introduce the subject Maltese as a foreign language as a lot of people in Malta do not know it and yet, need it to advance both in their daily and professional life. He also stated that he will be in contact with the council members about some resources and websites that they could use.

Manweli Camilleri said that the Maltese schools in the diaspora would be very interested in these resources. Actions Person in Charge CMLA Members to send nominations for the regional committees CMLA Members Chairperson to send Maltese language resources to CMLA members Chairperson

4. The Future of the MLAC and the Forum

Presented by: Mr. John Buttigieg, Director for Consular Services and Maltese Living Abroad Discussions John Buttigieg shifted the topic of discussion towards the Convention and Forum of the Maltese Living Abroad. He mentioned the scientific research paper which was done by Dr Antoinette Calleja and asked for any views that the councillors might have on this research. He also focused on the idea of organizing a forum with the MLA who made a success within their area. This idea was followed with the question of whether the Convention and forum are going to be done as two separate events or would they be merged into one, thus creating a new format for the Convention. Mr. Buttigieg pointing out that the Convention was not mentioned in Act XX of 2011 but the idea of holding the Convention every five years came about through the evolution of the convention itself. He put the question whether the Convention should take place every five years or leaving it at the discretion of the Hon Minister to decide when to hold a convention based on what was achieved and what the aspirations for the future are. Mr. Buttigieg then opened the floor for discussion.

Antonella Berry Brincat argued that there is good reasoning behind both possibilities as having a Convention every five years would be quite sensible but putting it into law would not be ideal as flexibility is important especially when deciding on the subject that would be discussed. She continued by expressing the importance of calling a Convention as soon as it is safe to travel.

This statement was agreed to by Ms. Marie-Louise Marisa Previtera and Ms. Edwidge Borg.

Edwidge Borg continued on Ms. Antonella Berry Brincat’s statement and said that it was not important what the meeting is called, if it is either a Convention or a Forum, as the format will be dictated by the event of the time.

John Buttigieg then brought up the topic of subsidies. He found the idea of need subsidies to attract people to come to the Convention very strange since if a person is interested in attending, there should be no need for a subsidy. This does not apply to the Council members who will get a subsidy when attending the Convention, as the CMLA Annual Meeting would be held at the same time.

Brandon Azzopardi spoke about the importance of attracting the younger generations to participate in the Convention which can only be done through proper marketing tools.

John Buttigieg supported this idea which came out clearly in the research statistics done by Dr. Antoinette Calleja.

Brandon Azzopardi spoke about the difficulties that the younger generations face to attend the convention. Although they are interested, the younger generation finds it hard to come to Malta due to the expensive long-haul flights and accommodation. In Mr. Azzopardi’s community they are encouraging youths and clubs to attend by doing fundraisers to help them pay their way to come to Malta and participate. Such fundraisers are being done instead of asking the Maltese Government to give money in subsidies.

Antonella Berry Brincat emphasized that most people find it difficult to travel to Malta due to the great distance. Most are only seeking a subsidized holiday, therefore she proposed that to get a subsidy the Maltese Living Abroad should contribute fully to the Convention and present evidence of such a contribution.

John Buttigieg interjected noting that the papers which were submitted for the Convention, which is now postponed, were not up to standard. An academic board has been selected to ensure that the papers chosen were of good quality, which failed to meet due to the pandemic. However an internal look at contributions proved to show that most of the papers submitted were not of good quality. Therefore, tying a subsidy with papers is a useless idea if

7 they are not up to standard. However, such an idea should not discourage from any good papers to be sent in.

Antonella Berry Brincat asked regarding the criteria for the papers.

John Buttigieg explained that the papers are selected according to the main theme of the convention.

Mario Sammut came up with the idea of starting a Youth Forum through virtual means to create more interest from the younger generation.

The Chairman agreed with Mr. Sammut’s proposal.

Manweli Camilleri remarked that the papers received after this youth forum would be up to standard as they would have a strong basis.

Antonella Berry Brincat said that the theme for the youth forum could be ‘What makes you Maltese’ and it could be launched worldwide. Afterwards, a thirty-minute video could be made or Tiktok could be used to distribute the idea amongst the CMLA members with a competition for the best video. This could then be used in the zoom platform coming together with a short presentation from the Maltese Living Abroad Unit from the Ministry. The theme could revolve around ‘what are our roots across the world’.

Marie-Louise Marisa Previtera echoed this idea with the theme used for the forum being ‘What makes me Maltese’.

Antonella Berry Brincat continued that the #JienMalti could be used on social media to bring more of the youths together.

Marie-Louise Marisa Previtera remarked that Shane Delia used such social media ideas during the pandemic, and they were a success. He was also doing an online event that night for the Sydney community.

Mario Sammut asserted that although Shane resigned from the Council, if the Minister were to ask for his help, he would give it willingly.

Marie-Louise Marisa Previtera agreed with this statement.

Claudia Caruana remarked that that regarding the Convention, there should be a showcase of the Maltese artists and writers Living Abroad. This had been done before and it was successful.

The Chairperson said that he had just come down from a meeting with the Arts Council. Ms. Caruana’s idea could involve the Institute of Maltese artists who had complained of few resources. Their involvement could also help as an

outreach initiative. Therefore, both the Institute and the Council could come together for this idea and event.

Marie-Louise Marisa Previtera commented that when reading the research, a main idea was to hold the convention in July. She agreed that most people would come to Malta in July for a holiday but not for the convention. Therefore, she preferred if the Convention is held in September or October or before the summer season.

Antonella Berry Brincat said that the last convention held in 2015. October is a good time as the Convention schedule could include the Notte Bianca in the program of events. Also, the weather was cooler.

Brandon Azzopardi brought up the fact that although October is not as hot, the research done by both the Ministry and the diaspora community shows that the younger generation would prefer to attend a convention during the summer months. This is because the youths could come to the Convention during the summer holidays. Also, the people would be attracted to come to Malta, not just for the Convention but also for aspects, such as the sun and sea and to visit their family.

John Buttigieg rounded up the discussion saying that the Convention should not be tied to a particular time, but rather it would reflect the need of the time in which it is called. Mr. Mario Sammut’s proposal for a virtual youth forum will also be taken up. Its timing and organization would then be discussed. As regards to the timing of the Convention, it has been made clear that the younger generation are keener on attending in the summer months.

Antoinette Calleja clarified the results of her research. The latter showed clearly what the Maltese Diaspora enjoyed doing when they come to Malta: visiting family and experiencing the sun and sea. The research showed a 95% confidence level in the likelihood that should they attend the convention, then the Maltese diaspora would combine it with visiting family and experiencing the sun and sea, amongst other activities. The range which was preferred by the participants was in the summer months, with July seen as the preferred option. The logic behind this idea is that they would be able to enjoy the season whilst also attending the convention.

Actions Person in Charge Ministry to organize the Virtual Youth Forum Maltese Living Abroad Unit

5. Introductions of the Maltese Living Abroad Council

Introductions

Brandon Azzopardi started the round of introductions. He is from Ontario Canada. He is part of several groups in Toronto and he is the founder of the Maltese Canadian group. There is a big Maltese population, but most are now old. This group is trying to target second and third generation Maltese Canadians who do not know much about Malta and their connection with it. Their mission is to bring Maltese knowledge thereby showing them that they could be Maltese Canadians. This mission is accompanied by the ability to bring youths together in a single space. He is also part of the Canadian Federation which keeps all the groups organized. He explained how before, the Maltese community had six soccer teams playing in Canada who would go yearly to New York to meet other teams. This event has now been restarted since many youths are attracted to sporting opportunities. His suggestions revolve around creating a stronger communication link with the different generations of the Maltese diaspora. His participation in this Council is helpful as he can be the messenger between the Council and the diaspora. He also appreciated the fact that whatever happens in Malta becomes known to the Maltese Canadians, something that they would like to keep.

Edwidge Borg was born in Attard and went to Australia as an adult. After a few years she got involved in the Maltese community and that was her initiation. Her most important role is maintaining the Maltese language abroad, thereby making sure it is not lost within the Maltese diaspora. She is the president of the Federation of Maltese Language Schools in Australia. In Victoria due to lockdown all the courses shifted online but in NSW some are still held face to face. However, in other parts of Australia all the schools have been closed due to disinterest and lack of funding and resources. She would like to see more cooperation with the Maltese Government to get the Maltese language to the diaspora. In Victoria, the courses have over 38 students, most of which are beginners and are second or third generation Maltese. She wants such courses to happen in other states as well. She will do her utmost encourage the students to join in the youth forum. She also gave importance to the search for the successors of the community councils in Australia, which has become a hard endeavor due to the lack of interest from the younger generation. Ms. Borg also noted that it is very important that more youths participate as they are future of the Council itself.

Manweli Camilleri was born in Birzebbuga but he lives in Australia in NSL and his role is to serve the Maltese diaspora whilst trying to get more youths interested in their Maltese connections. He explained that the Council needs the younger generation to take over the work. He also remarked that in the future, communication will be a big thing to keep in mind and therefore, the Council must find ways to communicate with the Maltese diaspora wherever they are and to help them as much as they can.

Claudia Caruana lives in New York but her father was born in Malta and she has Maltese speakers in her family. She teaches in NYU and she knows a Maltese psychotherapist who is doing research on the problems that young

10 people face when they move from far countries to the US. She also wanted to bring to the Council’s attention a person from San Francisco who wanted to get his Maltese passport renewed but has been unable to do so.

Antonella Berry Brincat lives in the United Kingdom but was born in Marsa. She treasures the Maltese culture and tradition as well as the Maltese conscience. She fondly remarked that the Maltese look after each other and there is a genuineness to the people. She has long been active in the United Kingdom to keep her Maltese roots alive. As from last year, she has aided Maltese doctors in studying in the UK to specialize in their area. She has been trying to establish a link to ensure that the doctors return to Malta to take their skills back. She wants to see more cohesion as all communities and events are based in London, therefore she is trying to organize activities outside the London hub. She would like to see an online platform to instill Maltese pride whilst keeping away from traditional ideas of pastizzi and tombla. Mrs. Berry Brincat also commented on the fact that in London there are teachers who are taking care of the language. Yet, the biggest problem is in communication and the fact that things are done at the last minute. The younger generations are not taking up roles in their community as they do not feel part of the community and they see no reason to take up responsibility. She highlighted that this idea needs to change.

Alexander Grima works as a translator with the Council for the European Union. He echoed Ms. Berry Brincat in that the Maltese Community is not about pastizzi, but there are issues such as communication and timely information. He noted that the Maltese community used to organize events such as the Imnarja which were not successful in Brussels and have now been disbanded. Therefore, the community is very similar to those in the UK but different from the ones in Australia and Canada.

Angelo Grima lives in Washington DC but both his parents are from Gozo. He gives importance to the development of the website for the MLA which will help in creating a connection whilst also promoting communication. The website can have a forum page with contributions from the Maltese people abroad and it can promote Maltese culture and language. This idea can also be reflected on social media. Mr. Grima also highlighted the importance of official emails to contact people and business. He commented that the Ministry would find it useful to develop a database with emails from the diaspora to share its information. These can be accessed from embassies and consuls. He also mentioned that the people would need to give their consent, but they would have the benefit of having more contact with the Ministry.

Kanawati Nadim lives in Egypt but his family is from Senglea. The Maltese community in Egypt are trying to make an event, a clean up to show that there is a big Maltese presence in Egypt. He would also like to point out the proposal that he sent as regards to the possibility to increasing the flexibility of documents emanating from Egypt (see Attachment 4). He also agrees with Mr.

Azzopardi in that the Council should focus more on youths now that they can use marketing and technology to show the Maltese culture.

Denis Muniglia lives in Paris, France. He expressed that in France there are people coming from North Africa who after 200 years still recognize their Maltese ancestry. They live mostly in the south of France near the Mediterranean Sea. He also said that has had Maltese citizenship for ten years yet some families cannot access citizenship so there needs to be a change in the law.

Marie-Louise Marisa Previtera said that lately she has had to think outside of the box because of the pandemic on how to keep in touch with the community and the best way she found was through Facebook. This has helped to keep the Maltese seniors connected and this group keeps growing. In these groups the members give updates on what is happening in Malta and Australia, but it is not limited to news since the write other information to keep the social interaction. Such digital platforms can give much more information and keep up communication. She has also started a dialogue with the broadcasting services in Australia to show Maltese films with a translation in English. She proposed that the Minister liaises with PBS to be able to do it. She noted that they have the technology to do it, but they would need help in liaising.

Mary Susan Schembri l has been living in British Colombia (Canada) for almost 40 years. She has been involved with the Maltese community for many years and she was the president of a Maltese club that has shut down quite a number of years ago. She said that although there are no clubs, the community still keeps in touch. The Maltese community is scattered all over Canada, but she has contacts and she still transports Maltese foods from Ontario for distribution to Maltese living in British Columbia and Alberta. She expressed her excitement in the Consul on the move project which was successful as the Consul visited twice a year. She expressed her hope in creating the regional communities which would be essential as she works alone, and she thinks that having someone in Alberta would be a big help. The Maltese Canadian Community is trying to encourage youths to be proud of their Maltese heritage and the Community has managed to start a link for the Maltese in British Colombia. She noted that there are also people from outside who want to join but they do not have the resources for such an expansion.

John Vassallo lives in Canberra but is originally from Gozo. He is the President of a local Maltese Australian association and he has now joined the CMLA. He is looking forward to the establishment of the regional council so that he can get more contact with the different places for which he is responsible. He is very interested in publicizing the youth forum. He expressed that it might be difficult to get the youth involved but this forum might be able to get their attention.

Mario Sammut lives in Australia and he has been involved in the Maltese community for a long time. He has produced and presented on Maltese radio programs in Melbourne and Le Trobe Valley. Something that he is very passionate about is the Maltese museum which opened last February. It was a lot of work and he produced a video of the work being done in the last convention in 2015. He said that there is a lack of appreciation from Malta as this museum was never mention. The Maltese Museum and the Latrobe Valley Maltese Festa attracted 10,000 people. i but there is still the need to encourage the Community, especially the younger generation find out what Malta is about. He also thanked the Ministry for their help.

The Chairperson asked for the link to market the museum so it could be placed on the Ministerial website. He also asked for contacts to be made with Heritage Malta to promote this museum.

6. Closing remarks by Minister The Hon. Minister closed the meeting by thanking the Council for the Maltese Living Abroad for serving Malta so selflessly. He said that he will be in contact with every councillor individually and he will be following up to see what can be done in each case. He noted that the Maltese are still in a reality where there are as many Maltese globally as there are on the islands and such a phenomenon should be used to our advantage. The Hon. Minster further commented that today the world has no borders, therefore the Council should now be talking about Maltese in the world and that is partly answering the difficult question of who every person is. He thanked all the councillors for their participation, especially those woke up very early to take part. He wished them all the best and asked them to stay safe.