The Concept of Greater MaltaOnce upon a Dream
as reported in the Sunday TimesCONSENSUS between political parties in matters concerning the Maltese people living abroad. Maltese living in Australia, Canada, the UK, the US and elsewhere were worried for many years. The complex problem was citizenship. This consensus reached in Parliament is wonderful news indeed: unanimous approval for dual nationality to be the rule, not the exception. Maltese communities living abroad requested that persons born of a Maltese mother and foreign father between 1964 and 1989 acquire Maltese citizenship as of right. All Maltese who had lost their Maltese citizenship to acquire that of their domicile abroad will be reinstated in their Maltese citizenship without losing their foreign ones. The full agreement on this issue between Government and Opposition is an achievement of note and worthy of praise. The acceptance of the principle of the sense of belonging to one's country of origin through Maltese citizenship is an innovative concept: that of Greater Malta. Paramount to this concept is the common bond that links all Maltese scattered throughout the globe. This has been described in a paper by Lawrence Dimech who has lived in Sydney for the last 37 years. He described this concept as one of national pride, sense of belonging and inclusiveness. He called this citizenship as being-based on portable patriotism. His argument is "Malta is a nation built on courage, determination, faith and with much help from emigration." He points out the successes achieved by descendants of migrants in many spheres of human endeavour, the sciences, the arts, business, politics, religion and sports. So Mr Dimech pleads that "it makes sense, economic and otherwise, for Malta to claim these persons with Maltese blood in their veins as its citizens." Source: 'Malta-Maltese Culture Movement' Winter/Spring Issue No 4 & 5, p 5
  
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