Society Archives – Page 16 of 35

Tourism in Valletta: have we gone too far?

Residents are generally willing to put up with the inconveniences caused by tourism because of its financial and reputational benefits. But is there a tipping point when tourism and leisure become unbearable? Having focused on Valletta as an urban planner, activist, and researcher, Dr John Ebejer warns against the risks of overtourism.

Why do we eat?

From feasts to body image issues, eating is more than just staying alive. It makes us feel good and holds communities together. Nutrition and health blogger Marisabelle Bonnici interviews researcher Dr Analisse Cassar and delves into the science of our attachment to food.

Analisse Cassar behaviour binge eating body cerebrum december 2019 eating eating disorder hunger Marisabelle Bonnici nutrition pleasure think 30

Can passion alone sustain our teachers?

With a teachers’ union slamming pervasive overtime and salary injustice, while some policymakers are contemplating recruitment of teachers from overseas, it’s about time we stop and reassess: what keeps teachers going? Lara Calleja asks experienced teachers about the sense of purpose in their work.

Angele Deguara december 2019 diversity Lara Calleja passion for work purpose salary Sandro Caruana schooling system schools teachers think 30

They are the champions

Parathletes challenge expectations and break boundaries. Some of them reach their peak performance relatively late in life. Strong-willed individuals also defy diagnoses and social norms, as members of Malta’s paralympic movement and para-sport experts tell Daiva Repeckaite and Shruti Sundaresan.

Antonio Flores breaking boundaries competition Daiva Repeckaite december 2019 disability inclusion inspire Joseph Grima Julian Bajada Malta Paralympic Committee paralympic games parathlete Shruti Sundaresan sport think 30 Vladyslava Kravchenko

You look just fine – when pain is invisible

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disability which manifests with aches all over the body and profound fatigue, including headaches, sleeping problems, and difficulty concentrating. Miriam Calleja talks to people who try to make the most of their lives while being held back by this condition.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability december 2019 disability Fibromyalgia Miriam Calleja myalgic encephalomyelitis think 30

We see you

What we see on TV, in film, adverts, and music videos frames the ways we think about romance, coupledom, and the world. Isabelle Cassar Fiott talks to Prof. Brenda Murphy about how non-mainstream couples find an unexpectedly welcoming space in sitcoms.

Brenda Murphy comedy couple december 2019 disability inclusion inclusive Isabelle Cassar Fiott sexuality sitcoms television think 30

Tying loose knots

‘Where there’s a will there’s a way’ is a principle that sparked the idea of a business aiming to bring peace of mind to wedding preparations. Get Hitched co-founders tell Marija Camilleri how they have been growing their start up, how they decided to ‘brexit’ after a brief experiment in the UK market, and what further expansion they have in the pipeline.

Benjamin Vincenti Business Malta december 2019 Get Hitched Jonathan Azzopardi Frantz Marija Camilleri startup takeoff think 30 wedding wedding planner

Living in Maltese

A new European Commission tool facilitates easy and accurate translation between English and Maltese. Author and translator Mark Vella is tirelessly promoting this translation product. He speaks to Teodor Reljic about how the Maltese language and its literary heritage has defined his life and career from graduation onwards.

bilingualism december 2019 european commission Klabb Kotba Maltin literature maltese language maltese literature Mark Vella teachers Teodor Reljić think 30 translation writer

In 2019, hardly anyone personifies activism more conspicuously than Greta Thunberg. Since August 2018, the teenager’s solitary calls for climate action have inspired millions of people to follow her example and take to the streets. The resulting wave of climate strikes is every activist’s dream come true: inspiring a mass movement to support a cause, passing on the flame of resistance, stirring the power of a democratic collective. What can we learn from this phenomenon?

activism cleanup climate change december 2019 Greta Thunberg Moviment Graffitti Raisa Galea sustainability think 30 waste

Designing success

Author: Daniela Quacinella

Picture the following. You are a museum director or curator who wants more locals in your space. You are confident that your next art event will attract them: a prestigious artist from London, a series of exciting talks… You are certain it will be a success, because your passion and knowledge are behind this activity. On the day, as you stand near the entrance with excitement tingling across your fingertips, you slowly begin to despair. Despite a great marketing campaign, the local residents congregate anywhere but the museum. What went wrong?

Daniela Quacinella december 2019 design design thinking prototype success testing think 30