Friends of the Earth (Malta)
Encyclopedia
History
Moviment ghall-Ambjent, Friends of the Earth MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, formerly ‘Zghazagh ghall-Ambjent’, has been active in the environmental
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
field since 1985. The group was first set up as an umbrella organization
Umbrella organization
An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations...
for various youth and environmental groups, but soon developed into a committee
Committee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...
of activists. Popularity and media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
coverage were first gained in November 1985, when members of the group were attacked during a protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
against developments on beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es and in the countryside. Since then activities have focused mainly on issues of land use, threats posed by tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
, pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
, waste and sustainable
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
livelihoods.
In 1991 Moviment ghall-Ambjent became part of Friends of the Earth International, a network of groups from 71 countries. FoE Malta is an independent organization, distinct from any political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. It is not directly affiliated with any other environmental group in Malta, however, it has worked with a number of other NGOs on particular issues of common concern.
FoE Malta received the Julian Manduca
Julian Manduca
Julian Manduca was one of the foremost environmentalists in Malta. He was part of the management team of an ethical trade organisation and consultant editor with liberal and pro-environment newspaper MaltaToday...
Award for their significant contribution to environmentalism in Malta and the Golden Star Award from the European Commission for their project ”New European Citizens! Televised Debate and International Workshop”.
FoE Malta is part of the 30 national organisations that Friends of the Earth Europe
Friends of the Earth Europe
Friends of the Earth Europe is the European branch of the world's largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International . It includes 30 national organisations and thousands of local groups....
represents and unites at the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an level.
Mission and Aims
Friends of the Earth's mission is to be the human voice of the earthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
to bring about a peaceful, just, equitable and sustainable society, respectful of present and future generations by inspiring change and promoting solutions.
According to the organization's mission statement
Mission statement
A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making...
, "We strive to promote sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
and to ensure that human activities do not harm other living creatures. Engage in vibrant campaigns, raise awareness, and mobilise people to participate in public decision making. Develop creative solutions based on sound knowledge and information, promoting alternatives to environmentally harmful behaviours. Lobby
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
, mobilise and influence the policy community towards a more just and sustainable society. Strengthen FoE Malta through capacity building and to cooperate with other like-minded local and international organisations."
Campaigns
The major campaign issues of Friends of the Earth Malta are:- Climate ChangeClimate changeClimate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
- Land Issues
- GMOGMOA GMO is a genetically modified organism.GMO may also refer to:* Gell-Mann–Okubo mass formula in particle physics* General Medical Officer, a designation for United States Army soldiers* Generalised molecular orbital theory, in chemistry...
s - WaterWater pollutionWater pollution is the contamination of water bodies . Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds....
- WasteWasteWaste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly...
- Safer Chemicals
- SocialSocial justiceSocial justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
and Environmental JusticeEnvironmental justiceEnvironmental justice is "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies." In the words of Bunyan Bryant,...