Human Dignity & Rights

Faith and Politics – Reflections on a week in Venice

Xandru Cassar – President, Żgħażagħ Ħaddiema Nsara

Life often feels like a mad rush. We do things without stopping to ask why, launching ourselves headlong into the tasks at hand, so easily losing sight of what really matters. As my time as a student draws to a close, I felt the need to step back from this frenzy, to take a moment to reflect on what I wanted to do next… Read more »

Church entities demand immediate release of detained Ethiopian nationals

Fr Anton D’Amato, Director Migrants Commission

The Ethiopian nationals who are being detained and facing deportation after having lived and worked legally in Malta for years should be released immediately, the Migrants Commission, the Justice and Peace Commission and JRS Malta urged the authorities.

The two commissions, which form part of the Archdiocese of Malta, and JRS Malta are wholeheartedly condemning the recent arrest of several Ethiopian nationals, who were rounded up, detained and told they will be sent back to Ethiopia… Read more »

Infinite dignity under threat

In April 2024, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued Dignitas Infinita, a Declaration approved by Pope Francis that reaffirms the Church’s traditional teaching on abortion, poverty and euthanasia, whilst denouncing newer forms of violation of human dignity in the 21st century.  

At a time when definitions of what “dignity” actually means differ widely, this document clarifies the true meaning of human dignity and the practical implications – in the social, political and economic realms – of building our societies and communities on the solid foundation of human dignity… Read more »

Working migrants share insights of navigating life in Malta with the Archbishop

The prohibitive increase in housing costs and the conflicting emotions of joy and anxiety that came with living in Malta were the issues working migrants raised with Archbishop Charles Scicluna on 30th April 2024, eve of the feast of St Joseph the Worker.

Several migrants from Sub-Saharan and West Africa, as well as South and Southeast Asia who gathered at the Archbishop’s Curia in Floriana, thanked the Archbishop for welcoming them as a father, while acknowledging the Church’s role as a defender of workers’ dignity… Read more »

Justice for workers: rights, dignity and a better quality of life

The Maltese economic system is built on worker exploitation.

The economic growth of the past years should have improved the quality of life of workers. Instead, we are in a situation where many workers have to make do with low wages, work precariously, and in bad conditions. We believe that we should shift to an economic model based on social justice.

On the 1st of May, Workers’ Day, the campaign “Justice for Workers” was launched with the presentation of a document outlining how we can shift towards an economic system based on social justice… Read more »

Justice and Peace Commission urges dignity for workers amid AI advancements

On this year’s Workers’ Day, the Justice and Peace Commission emphasises the critical need to address the implications of generative AI technologies on the workplace and workers’ livelihoods. With forecasts indicating that AI adoption may affect up to 60% of jobs in advanced economies such as Malta’s[1], the Commission highlights the urgency for society and policymakers to come up with proactive measures to ensure that technological progress benefits all, safeguarding against disproportionate advantages for a select few while potentially disadvantaging many… Read more »

What happened to second chance?

Last week, just as people in Valletta were celebrating the arrival on our shores of St Paul, another person who landed on our shores was unwillingly removed from our midst.

The story of Kusi sheds light on the harsh realities faced by many. In a world rife with complexities and contradictions, one of the starkest injustices lies in the treatment of migrants who are violently uprooted from a place they have settled in and call home… Read more »

Stability, not uncertainty

We, as long-term migrants living and working in Malta, are uniting to demand stability, not uncertainty, in our lives. In light of recent events and ongoing struggles faced by the migrant community, we are asserting our rights and calling for urgent action from authorities. We arrived in Malta years ago, leaving behind critical situations in our countries of origin, and now call Malta home. Although we were neither given protection nor a residence card, we were given the right to work legitimately and in turn to pay tax and national insurance for decades… Read more »

Baħar Ċimiterju 2024

Today, 25 local organisations are calling on the Maltese authorities to prevent further human rights violations and deaths in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Mediterranean Sea remains one of the deadliest border spaces in the world. Tens of thousands of people have died or gone missing attempting to cross the Med. At least 3,041 (1)  people died in the Sea in 2023, making it one of the deadliest years on record… Read more »

Stations of the cross

In preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, 2024 has been designated a Year of Prayer by Pope Francis. This Lent, we walk alongside Christ on the journey of his passion and remember our brothers and sisters both around the world and in our own country who experience suffering, poverty and injustice on a daily basis.

Download resource by clicking here (ENG) or here (MLT)… Read more »