https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/16813 2026-10-07T05:03:22Z 2026-10-07T05:03:22Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149696 2026-10-05T13:00:10Z 2025-08-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Planning reforms, environmental democracy and the rule of law Abstract: There have been several reforms to the Maltese planning system since its inception in the 1990s but the recent reforms published via Bills 143 and 144 raise several concerns for environmental governance.; There are four main concerns: 1) the tabling of the Bills in Parliament without public consultation; 2) the proposal to dismantle Malta’s plan-led system by allowing ministerial appointees on the various planning boards and committees to override agreed plans on a case-by-case basis; 3) the proposals to restrict public access to environmental justice, by making it more difficult (and potentially costly) to appeal to the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal, reducing grounds for appeals, and removing the powers of the Court of Appeal to revoke planning permits; and 4) removing the environment as a material consideration on which planning decisions are to be based.

2025-08-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/149692 2026-10-05T12:53:05Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Paceville and the price of progress Abstract: Marguerite Camilleri discusses the newly launched book ‘The Future of Paceville’, highlighting how the development pattern emerging in the town is of concern.; The Future of Paceville, Co-edited by Elise Billiard Pisani and Reuben Grima Malta University Press, 2026.; The Future of Paceville is an important and timely book, written by authors from anthropology, law, planning, architecture and cultural heritage management, and spanning academia and practice. The story of today’s Paceville begins in the early decades of the 20th century,when Giuseppe Pace began to build residences there for British service families. Previously a fortified promontory, Paceville lies north of the fishing village of St Julian’s.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Thake, Anne Marie Cutajar, JosAnn https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148995 2026-09-09T10:45:19Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: From policy to practice : human resource development and diversity, equality and inclusion in a small island state Authors: Thake, Anne Marie; Cutajar, JosAnn Abstract: Problem: Organisations in Malta face growing pressure to implement diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) aligned with global and European standards. However, translating these norms into meaningful, context-sensitive practices within a small island state presents challenges. Tensions arise between formal compliance requirements and genuine inclusion when addressing intersectional inequalities related to gender, disability, nationality, and LGBTIQ + identities.; Solution: Using a qualitative approach based on interviews with HRD practitioners and black-letter analysis, this study shows how HRD actors include DEI into organisational development. Beyond formal policies on recruitment and pay equity, practitioners advance inclusive leadership development, mentoring, employee networks, and culture-building initiatives. Guided by institutional and paradox perspectives, these strategies balance regulatory compliance with transformative inclusion.; Stakeholders: Key stakeholders include HRD practitioners, organisational leaders, employees from diverse backgrounds, and policymakers shaping national and European equality frameworks.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Buhagiar, Luke Joseph https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148426 2026-08-07T06:20:32Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Idiography in cultural political psychology : two routes to research Authors: Buhagiar, Luke Joseph Abstract: Specific cases of intercultural relations are precisely where the idiographic nature of such phenomena can be appreciated. By most accounts, what characterizes the idiographic is the emphasis on the individual case (Zedeck, 2014). This emphasis materialises itself as a focus on specific intercultural relations scenarios (the context in question, the people involved, etc.), specific intercultural relations disputes (objects of public debate, conflicting cultural practices, projects in common or otherwise, etc.), unique historic global events, and so on. The key word remains specificity. This specificity carries a range of implications with major consequences for how research is conducted in different cultural political psychologies and in psychology more broadly. [extract]

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z