Human Dignity & Rights

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 »

2023 Annual Report

The mission of Justice and Peace is that of “keeping the eyes of the Church open, its heart sensitive and its hand prepared for the work of charity which it is called upon to realize in the world.” (Paul VI, Address to the Pontifical Commission for Justice and Peace, 1967).

The Justice and Peace Commission in Malta fulfils this Mission by promoting the integral development of the person in the light of the Gospel and in line with the Social Doctrine of the Church… Read more »

75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and 60th anniversary of Pacem in Terris

On 10 December 1948 the General Assembly of  the  United  Nations  adopted  the  Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Seventy-five years later Justice and Peace Europe wishes to underline the enduring importance of this document. The Universal Declaration, together with the encyclical letter Pacem in Terris, published 60 years ago, inspires us in our mission to promote human rights. The lack of respect throughout the world for their contents is deeply worrying… Read more »