L-inkluzjoni Socjali – kull pajjiz irid isib mezzi biex kull cittadin ikollu l-opportunita’ li juza l-potenzjal kullu tieghu jew taghha fis-socjeta’. Kemm jekk tfal, nisa fis-suq tax-xoghol, il-persuni qeghda, iz-zghazagh, l-anzjani, nies li ghaddew minn zminijiet difficli; kollha ghandhom id-dritt ghall-ghajnuna. Nistghu inhossuna kunfidenti li hadd m’hu qed jaqa’ lura fis-socjeta’ taghna? X’nistennew mir-rapprezentanti taghna fil-Parlament Ewropew fuq din il-kwistjoni? Dan huwa x’kellhom xi jghidu l-opinjonisti taghna. Inti tista’ tghid tieghek ukoll…..

SOCIAL OPEN METHOD OF CO-ORDINATION
from Carmel Mallia

This is a process in which Member States agree to co-ordinate their policies through exchanges and mutual learning. It is applied in policy areas where the EU has limited competences according to the EU Treaties but where Member States feel that there is an added value in working together at EU level.

The new streamlined OMC on Social Inclusion and Social Protection is aimed at helping member states achieve the overarching objectives and agreed to extend OMC in the field of Health and Health Care. The aim was twofold: to create a stronger process and to integrate it better with the EU growth and jobs objectives (the so-called – revised Lisbon Strategy.
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Poverty and Social Exclusion: A Concern of Malta's MEP
from Dr. Frances Camilleri-Cassar, Senior Researcher, SOS Malta

Social exclusion matters to Malta because it denies some people the same rights and opportunities as are afforded to others in society. Indeed, excluded people are often denied opportunities to increase their income and escape from poverty by their own efforts. For instance, people in disadvantaged groups who may be talented and endowed with good ideas may not be able to fulfill their potential, nor can they participate equally in society. Consequently, social exclusion hurts the socially vulnerable materially by making them poor in terms of income, health or education, and it can also hurt them emotionally, by shutting them out of the life of their community. Moreover, poverty reduction policies often fail to reach the socially excluded unless they are specifically designed to do so. Consequently, even though the economy may grow and general income levels may rise, excluded people are likely to be left behind, and increase the proportion of those who remain in poverty.
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Social Inclusion
from Zghazagh Haddiema Nsara

In today’s modern society the words ‘social inclusion’ is used in several contexts but it is still ambiguous of what really consist of. Sometimes we act out of pity rather than empathy and we tend to call it an inclusive attitude. It is also questionable how much it is being practiced in our daily lives. Regardless of how modern and affluent we consider our society to be, social inequalities persist to exist. In truth, by taking on this attitude we are not moving any forward. For social inclusion to truly happen we need to first acknowledge that we are all different from each other in different ways. We must truly believe that in being different we are simply completing each other in our strengths and weaknesses. It is not just a right to be integrated but it’s also a duty of every human being to participate constructively in building our society. After all no man is an island!
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