Keepers of the Past and Pioneers of the Future

Artwork on Strike

Museums are a portal into the past. To create a sustainable future demands understanding and learning from this past. From Art Strikes to Biomimicry, Sandro Debono explains how many modern museums are taking a more active role in shaping the way our future unfolds.

My museum and curatorial practice have always been informed by theory and hands-on practice. Thinking through problems to find appropriate solutions informs my practice throughout, and recent circumstances have made me aware that this has become a highly sought-after skill. The COVID-19 pandemic can be seen as a negative disruptor. I prefer, instead, to consider the silver lining whereby the pandemic becomes an accelerator for change. The silver lining is for that potential for change to happen in significant and tangible ways — which is where museums come into the picture. 

We rarely think about museums as public spaces where collections become resources that inform discussions and rethinks of long-established narratives and perspectives oftentimes considered by many as cast in stone. The museum is often understood as a tangible metaphor or a stereotypical idea rather than a response to the needs of a particular ecology to which it relates and responds to. 

At the other end of the spectrum, climate action has been on the national agenda in fits and starts, with the country now unveiling an ambitious climate action plan to achieve net-zero emissions over three decades. Perhaps the most symbolic action is the unanimous declaration of a climate emergency by Malta’s national parliament in 2019. The reduction of greenhouse gases and extensive use of renewable energy resources has been on the national agenda for close to a decade or so. There is no question that Malta will be impacted in one way or another through rising sea levels and other effects. There is much that needs to be done, and the willingness to address this ever-pressing challenge requires increased awareness and outreach. Museums and climate action are far from being dissonant, disconnected voices. Indeed, one can become the voice of the other in meaningful ways. 

Climate Action Advocacy

Museums have a voice. They also have things to say that are equally relevant to the present as much as they are to the past. One of these pressing matters, temporarily displaced to the shade of the COVID-19 pandemic, is climate change and the ever-more-pressing need for action. The obvious choice of institutions to take action would be science and natural history museums. Indeed, the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Natural History (part of the International Council of Museums), has been exploring ways and means to stimulate conversations about climate change. The international museum landscape has welcomed new museums dedicated to climate change in Hong Kong (Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change), Germany (Klimahaus 8°), China (Low-Carbon Science and Technology Museum) and Oslo (Klimahuset) since 2013. The entire international museum landscape has been active on this issue for quite some time. An ever-increasing number of museums have featured climate change in their public programming, and some are joining forces more than ever before. One example is the Coalition of Museums for Climate Justice, mobilising Canadian museum workers and their organisations to develop public awareness, mitigation, and resilience in the face of climate change. 

Material culture created by Extinction Rebellion on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum (London). The museum has recently acquired these items for collection comparing the impact of this movement to that of the Suffragettes in the early 20th century.

Last year, the Museums for Future movement was launched. It is a global collection of museum workers, cultural heritage professionals, and many others in support of Greta Thunberg’s Fridays For Future Movement.  

Museums can be both advocates and activists. One particular action hitting the headlines, also promoted by Museums for Future, is the art strike. This works by museums covering artworks on environmental subjects or themes for a day.  The platform has a toolkit to guide and support institutions interested in calling art strikes. The Victoria and Albert Museum took things one step further. It partnered with Extinction Rebellion, the activist group calling for urgent climate action, to present exhibitions featuring material culture created for the purpose of protest. Since then, the museum has acquired artefacts produced for the purpose of protest, comparing the visual impact of the group’s campaigns to that of the suffragettes. 

The Environment as Mentor

Protests have a flipside. Museums can become more aligned to natural processes. Museums can reduce their carbon footprint. Another step is to recycle and use eco-friendly materials in exhibition displays. Aligning museum institutions and their role in contemporary societies as public spaces is where biomimicry thinking comes into the picture. 

Biomimicry is an approach to innovation informed by adopting strategies found in nature for the purpose of developing sustainable solutions to human challenges. Janine Benyus’ book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature (1997) popularised this thinking. For biomimicry, innovation is informed by the natural world, leading to rethinking workings, management models, programming, and outreach. It is about the willingness to shift from ‘how might we’ to ‘how would nature’ do it in order to understand the underlying principles of nature for museums to create symbiotic relationships with their neighbours. 

Biomimicry is the emulation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems
The symbiotic relationships found in the forest ecosystem can help to inspire the next level of museums

Biomimicry thinking can inspire museums to adapt, rethink, and reinvent themselves. Biomimicry can help museums understand the ecosystem they exist in and how it differs from nature. The institution would also need to translate science-driven and nature-informed biological data into design principles. Impact and sustainability would need to shift from the yardstick of efficiency and numbers, to the extent of systemic innovation introduced and the impactful change it has on the museum.

By looking closely at natural ecosystems, we can reinvigorate and reimagine the way museums operate, expanding their outreach and engagement in sustainable and innovative ways.

Further Reading

Museums & Climate Change Network. Museums & Climate Change Network. Retrieved 1 November 2020, from https://mccnetwork.org.

Museums For Future – Culture in Support of Climate Action. Museumsforfuture.org. Retrieved 1 November 2020, from https://museumsforfuture.org.
The Biomimicry Institute. Biomimicry.org. Retrieved 1 November 2020, from https://biomimicry.org.

I’m dreaming of a Green Christmas

Cultivating a healthy planet requires us to shift from a consumerist mindset towards sustainability. Eco-sustainable gifts are a great way to spread Christmas cheer while promoting sustainability.

Celebrating a ‘Green’ Christmas

Covid has taught us many valuable lessons. One of the most important is the need to live on a healthy planet with a healthy ecosystem. Climate change is real and caused by human action, as is biodiversity loss and air and sea pollution. All of these contribute to unsustainability. Everyone needs to be accountable for their own actions and habits. Christmas and New Year are traditionally the most ideal times to bring about change; that change could be living sustainably. 

Conscious consumption

To be sustainable means to be able to maintain a balanced level of give and take. Right now, the planet is in an unsustainable state. We are currently using around 1.7 times what planet Earth can give. Overconsumption is a big player in this unsustainability and one of the forces driving the climate crisis. Many items are bought and consumed without thinking about a real need, especially during Christmas time. We are relentlessly driven into an over-consumption race with the excuse of gifting and celebrating.

Becoming a conscious consumer means that you put in thought and care before purchasing anything. Asking yourself questions such as: Where was this made? How did it arrive here? Who made it? Who or what suffered so that this product could be created? Celebrating a ‘green’ Christmas is possible when you choose eco-sustainable products. It means that the products were sourced, manufactured, produced, packaged, and transported with respect to the environment. An eco-friendly product is a product that was made with sustainability as a priority. 

What is good for the planet is also good for people

Eco-sustainable products are those products which provide environmental, social, and economic benefits while protecting public health and the environment over their whole life cycle. If you care about what you put in — and on — your body and want to live a healthy lifestyle, choosing sustainable products is the way forward. 

Choosing eco-sustainable options 

This year can end on a good note. Let us start taking responsibility for our actions and choose ethical and sustainable gifts for our loved ones, taking inspiration from Malta’s Top Eco-friendly Gift Ideas, a list created and curated by Eco Market Malta, a Social Enterprise advocating for UN Sustainable Development Goal #12; ‘Responsible Production and Consumption’. 

The list contains a beautiful and well-curated collection of gift ideas from local green start-ups, artisans, and small to medium enterprises. Shopping local is a huge factor for sustainability, as it reduces the product’s carbon footprint. Many items are elegantly boxed but reduce plastic use, while others help people grow their own food, herbs, and flowers. 

There are also several gift options for sustainable home appliances, such as jewellery, clothing, beauty, décor, wellness, children’s toys, gifts for new parents, and unique original ideas such as ‘adopt a dolphin’.

Be the change 

Whether you are buying for an eco-conscious person or someone who is not yet environmentally aware, this list offers amazing gift ideas for everyone. As consumers, we can make a conscious choice to bring positive change into our lives, and since actions speak louder than words, your eco gift will also be a message inviting others to make their own positive impact. A meaningful and thoughtful gift can be more appreciated than a high-priced item. This year, let’s choose to shop sustainably and responsibly, avoid waste, be kind to the planet, and enjoy a simple and ‘green’ Christmas.

To view Malta’s top Eco-friendly Gift Guide please visit: ecomarketmalta.com.

This article is sponsored by EcoMarket Malta.

In Sickness and in Health, in Poverty and in Wealth.

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Sammy has had a steady job for the past 6 months. Despite being a hard-worker, if an unexpected expense comes up, such as a surprise medical bill or if her fridge breaks, she will be unable to cope. Poverty isn’t limited to starvation and homelessness. Many in well-developed countries are at risk of poverty.  

In Malta in 2018 over 82,000 people were at-risk-of-poverty (ARP). Their income was below €9,212. Poverty is an important social issue highlighting economic inequalities and issues with social care and employment. Once people fall below the poverty line it is immensely difficult for them to climb back out of it. It also leads to the “cycle of poverty,” a vicious spiral of poverty passing from one generation to the next. Poverty very often prevents children from gaining a proper education, which makes it harder for them to find well-paid employment in the future. This perpetuates the cycle of poverty. However, poverty is not only a financial concern, it also leads to a host of other issues.

Health is currently the world’s hottest topic. Poverty is both a cause and a consequence of poor health. Poverty can lead to health risks for many reasons. People might be unable to afford healthcare while others might choose work which puts their health at risk. A healthy diet and lifestyle can be difficult to maintain when people work multiple jobs to make ends meet or if it is out of their budget. Poor health can make it difficult for individuals to find employment, which only serves to maintain the cycle of poverty. 

Health practitioners dedicate themselves to safeguarding the health of their patients. The World Health Organization defines health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’. This definition emphasises a patient’s social context, their psychological well-being (including their thoughts, beliefs and emotions), as well as the biological and physiological processes of an illness.  Social support services and policies also need to address all these parts to help.

The above attitude to healthcare needs to start from the beginning of one’s medical career, that is why the Standing Committee of Human Rights and Peace (SCORP), within the Malta Medical Students’ Association, strongly believes in instilling these values in its student members. 

SCORP actively promotes human rights and peace through advocacy, capacity building, awareness, and education, with the aim of empowering others to advocate for justice and equity in our health system and society. In order to ensure that human rights, especially the right to health, apply to all humans and not just the majority.


At THINK we believe in this vision, and want to do our part to bring it one step closer to reality. Poverty and health collide together every day, changing the world for the better, which means disentangling the two — one issue at a time.

References

Constitution. Who.int. (2020). Retrieved 16 October 2020, from https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/constitution#:~:text=Health%20is%20a%20state%20of,belief%2C%20economic%20or%20social%20condition.

cycle of poverty. Oxford Reference. Retrieved 16 October 2020, from https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095655738.National Statistics Office. (2019). EU-SILC 2018: Salient Indicators. Valletta.

Let’s not panic about our teens just yet

The benefits of research can be lost if we amplify only one argument in a nuanced, complex topic. How youth interact with social media is as complex as it gets. Dr Velislava Hillman, director and senior researcher at Data, Media, and Society Research Centre, Malta, writes. 

The COVID-19 pandemic kept many children and teenagers at home, with parents struggling to recreate routine. Yet with or without public health risks, teenagers’ social media use was shrouded in moral panic and gloom. Mainstream media headlines do not help; take ‘Social Media Creates ‘Instant Loneliness’ for teenagers’ and ‘Loneliness: An Epidemic In The Making?’. All too often research and policy looks at risks separately from opportunities. 

In Malta, this division happens often. Run-of-the-mill surveys bring out numbers without context. Left in the hands of hungry news writers, these numbers can lead to uncontrolled and wild interpretations that raise unnecessary fear in readers. The truth is that there is no clear evidence of any causal relationship between loneliness and social media use. Young people – and many adults too – do feel social or emotional loneliness, but the real reasons remain elusive. To give a more balanced approach to social-media-induced loneliness among teenagers, here are five questions to ask before allowing any concern to seep in.

The truth is that there is no clear evidence of any causal relationship between loneliness and social media use. Young people – and many adults too – do feel social or emotional loneliness, but the real reasons remain elusive.

Firstly, what’s the evidence? Comparing the findings of a quantitative study on loneliness carried out by the faculty of Social Wellbeing at University of Malta and its coverage in the mainstream media, the gap is striking. There is no solid proof that teenagers suffer ‘instant’ loneliness, let alone that social media causes it. The study found that loneliness tends to particularly affect older people with lower education, unemployed and retired individuals, and those living alone (a bit of a giveaway), among other factors. A person’s risk of loneliness, the study summarises, ‘is reduced if they: form part of a younger age group; are highly educated; are in employment; are of a single marital status; live with their parent(s) or guardian(s)…’ etc.

A third of the teenagers (ages 11–19) who took part in this survey said they experienced some sort of loneliness (with no connection to social media whatsoever). The survey (a method that has its own limitations) included 115 teenagers in total.  While the research instrument has a unidimensional overall loneliness measure, it prevents researchers from understanding why the survey participants responded as they did – which may be a result of temporary bias (e.g. unique life events, having a stomach ache, or responding right after a fight with a friend).

The second question is: who is interpreting the results (researchers, journalists, parents, NGOs who need funding to carry out their work)? Mainstream media covered  similar studies in the past (e.g. studies on youth and online gaming), as they make a compelling read even when evidence is inconclusive. But while the intention may be to create awareness, inflicting moral panics will not provide the support that is necessary in these situations. 

The third question to consider: when does feeling lonely become problematic? A headline such as ‘Loneliness: An Epidemic in the Making?’ sounds as though feeling lonely is somehow wrong. The referenced study by the Faculty for Social Wellbeing highlights that it is OK to feel lonely. And while presenting the number of people who said they feel ‘moderately lonely’, the findings do not make claims about the cause or length of such a feeling. 

Fourthly, are social media users seen as passive consumers or as complex individuals? Scary headlines of media articles (as quoted above) or books (like Jean Twenge’s iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy or Adam Alter’s Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked) create a dangerous bandwagon. The media has been heavily criticised for construing children and young people as a passive audience of media messages, carried away by content that adults somehow seem immune to. However, children have their own moral compass; they detect liars like no other device can, and show resilience when faced with an adversary. Examples galore: from Pocahontas to Malala and Taylor Swift (with her support for LGTBQ rights and speaking up against sexual harassment). 

Of course, accepting youth as ‘tech savvy’ is another extreme to avoid. The point is to not segregate audiences, grouping them as ‘addicted’ or ‘digital natives’ or ‘lonely’, but to reveal all evidence with its accompanying limitations and drawbacks and to emphasise the nuances that exist among usage patterns, perspectives, and individuals. 

The media has been heavily criticised for construing children and young people as a passive audience of media messages, carried away by content that adults somehow seem immune to. However, children have their own moral compass; they detect liars like no other device can, and show resilience when faced with an adversary.

Finally, what’s the point of creating moral panics? NGOs and mainstream media make every effort to create awareness, to help raise awareness of existing problems, and to make improvements in society. This is great. However, such work also relies on external funding – for selling shrinking newspapers, running educational and support programs, for conducting further research. Amplifying complex issues that are far from being clear-cut builds upon that same dangerous bandwagon. Generalising and turning survey responses into sensationalised headlines is never productive. 

An average family will never spend a whole day reading academic work to understand what exactly has been discovered. All institutional actors, media, and stakeholders concerned about young people’s wellbeing should ensure a full display of the existing evidence and interpret it in a balanced way. And again, there is no causal relationship between loneliness and social media – the tool is not inherently harmful.

What should we do in these unprecedented times?

‘Isolation, physical distancing, the closure of schools and workplaces are challenges that affect us, and it is natural to feel stress, anxiety, fear and loneliness at this time,’ pointed out Hans Kluge, an important World Health Organisation expert. Instead of adding to the anxiety and fears about screen time, let’s use this COVID-19 pandemic to explore the beneficial use of social and digital media. Some tips: 

  • Enable discussions with young ones; learn together about the access to and spread of misinformation (misleading information) and disinformation (wrongfully given information with the intention to mislead and harm).
  • Find strategies for fact-checking and finding good quality information.
  • Connect with others and provide space for children and youths to enjoy their usual friendships, albeit digitally.
  • Listen to them with less judgement and critique. Instead, learn how they feel and what they use their digital technologies for.

Further Reading

Azzopardi, A. (2019). Loneliness: an epidemic in the making?. Malta Independent. 

Clark, M., Azzopardi, A., & Bonnici, J. (2019). The Prevalence of Loneliness in Malta: A nationally representative study of the Maltese population. The Faculty for Social Wellbeing, University of Malta. 

Conneely, V. (2020). Social media creating ‘instant loneliness’ for teenagers. Times Of Malta. 

Malala Fund | Working for a world where all girls can learn and lead. Malala.org. (2013). 

Pocahontas: Beyond the Myth. Smithsonian Channel. (2020). 

Zacharek, S., Dockterman, E., & Edwards, H. (2017). TIME Person of the Year 2017: The Silence Breakers. Time.com.