[WATCH] FAA calls for environmental and social justice in open letter to the government

FAA calls for environmental and social justice • Video Chris Mangion

Flimkien Ghal Ambjet Ahjar (FAA) this morning presented an open letter to the Office of the Prime Minister calling for environmental and social justice.

FAA Coordinator, Astrid Vella said that they were presenting the letter not as environmentalists, but as representatives of every sector of Maltese society.

“We represent those who believe that there can be both development and care for the environment,” said Vella.

She insisted that even from an economic perspective it is important to preserve out tourism industry, which is threatened by over-development.

FAA has collected a number of signatures from members of the public however the aim, they said was “quality over quantity.” Vella said that it would have been possible to collect many more signatures however the NGO’s aim was to get signatures from a number of people “who count.” She said that the response to the letter had exceeded expectations and that it had received support from individuals from many sectors of society.

The open letter was signed by a number of prominent academics and professionals from a variety of fields such as Henry Frendo, Richard England, Kevin Aquilina and Maria Attard, Vella said.

Chairman Paul Cardona said that since the NGO’s conception, it has fought against no matter who was in government.

The letter states that, “the recent permits approved to build high-rise towers will accelerate the degradation of our communities, as we further intensify urban densities in congested centres where our transport and infrastructure is already not coping with the present situation, let alone with the addition of massive speculative projects. These immediate changes to our urban landscape are being pushed through without the essential studied and holistic vision that provides comprehensive planning solutions taking into account the developments’ cumulative social impact and the limitations of our island.”

Complete list of FAA open letter signatories