Anzjani – ġustizzja soċjali jew esklużjoni?

Il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Anzjani (KNA) żamm b’suċċess konferenza nazzjonali ta’ nofs ta’ nhar fl-Istitut Kattoliku l-Furjana nhar is-Sibt 29 ta’ Settembru. Is-suġġett kien; “Anzjani: Ġustizzja Soċjali jew Esklużjoni?”

Anthony Agius Decelis, is-Segretarju Parlamentari għall-Persuni b’Diżabilità u Anzjanità Attiva spjega l-ħidma tal-Gvern favur il-ġustizzja soċjali u kif din qed tolqot lill-anzjani. Ivan Bartolo, il-Kelliem tal-Oppożizzjoni għall- Akkomodazzjoni Soċjali, il-Ġlieda Kontra l-Faqar, is-Solitudni u l-Esklużjoni Soċjali, fisser l-effetti tal-eskluzjoni fuq l-anzjani.

Kelliema oħrajn kienu l-Prof. Marvin Formosa, il-Kap tal-Ġerontologia fl-Università ta’ Malta; Carmel Mallia, il-President tal-Alleanza ta’ Organizazzjonijiet tal-Pensjonanti, li saħaq dwar is-sostenibilita` u l-adekwatezza tal-Pensjonijiet tal-Istat; Etienne Caruana, id-Direttur Ġenerali tal-NSO, li tkellem dwar l-anzjani u l-istatistika; kif ukoll Anthony Gatt, Direttur ta’ Caritas Malta li spjega r-riskju tal-esklużjoni għall-Anzjani. Wara kien hemm diskussjoni miftuħa għall-pubbliku preżenti.

Il-President tal-Kunsill għamel id-diskors tal-għeluq.  Hu wera s-sodisfazzjon tiegħu għas-suċċess tal-konferenza u rringrazzja lil dawk kollha li taw sehemhom biex dan seħħ. Huwa stieden ukoll lil dawk preżenti sabiex jibagħtu iżjed kummenti lill-Kunsill u jistennew li jaraw ir-rapport tal-konferenza fuq il-websajt tal-għaqda www.kna.org.mt.

The elderly: social justice or exclusion? 

The National Council for the Elderly (KNA) successfully held a half-day national conference at the Catholic Institute, Floriana on Saturday 29 September. The theme was “The Elderly: Social Justice or Exclusion?”

The President of the Council welcomed the numerous attendees and invited the Parliamentary Secretary for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing  Anthony Agius Decelis to deliver his opening speech. He described what the Government was doing to promote social justice and was followed by Ivan Bartolo, the spokesperson from the Opposition for Social Accomodation, the Fight Against Poverty, Solitude and Social Exclusion, who expressed his views on exclusion and  how this affects the elderly.

Other speakers were Prof. Marvin Formosa, Head of Gerontology at the University of Malta who delivered the keynote speech; Mr. Carmel Mallia, President of the Alliance of Pensioners Organisations who spoke about the Sustainability and Adequacy of State Pensions; Mr. Etienne Caruana, Director General NSO, who spoke about the elderly and statistics;. and Mr. Anthony Gatt, Director of Caritas Malta, who spoke about the risk of exclusion for the elderly. This was followed by an open floor discussion about the subject.

The President of the Council delivered the concluding speech whereby he expressed his satisfaction for the huge success of the conference and thanked all those who had participated to make it so. He also invited the attendees to contact the Council and forward further comments. He also advised the audience to refer to the report about the conference on the Council’s website at www.kna.org.mt.