https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/474 2026-04-19T05:16:32Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/143460 Title: Malta’s cultural diplomacy Abstract: Cultural diplomacy deals with the promotion of one’s culture and the understanding of that of others. This dissertation will address what constitutes Malta’s Cultural Diplomacy by looking at the work done by the Maltese government to engage in cultural diplomacy. This includes analysing cultural agreements, policies and measures that help sustain directly or indirectly this kind of diplomacy. Cultural diplomacy is more than just agreements and documents: it is about their implementation and cultural activities are in fact a living proof of cultural diplomacy. Thus, this dissertation will work to address the number of activities Malta organised abroad. Since in cultural diplomacy, every citizen can be an actor or recipient, this research will show how anyone, from artists to local band clubs, can help sustain Malta’s cultural relations with other countries. Another essential part of cultural diplomacy is the mutual understanding of other cultures. Thus, this research will attempt to portray Malta’s ability to act as a cultural hub for other cultures while offering a platform to foreign artists. It will illustrate how foreign embassies and cultural centres work to promote their culture within the Maltese islands. This research will then analyse the positive measures taken by Malta to help sustain and develop its cultural diplomacy and it will also suggest other possible measures and methods to be taken in order to help develop further Malta’s cultural diplomacy. Cultural diplomacy allows countries to communicate through culture. It is a method that helps not only a country strengthen its relations and presence in the international field but it iv also encourages its people to appreciate more other cultures and be more open to cultural diversity. Description: M.A. (Dip. St.)(Melit.) 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/143047 Title: Mediterranean migration after WW II : bridge or barrier? Authors: Lutterbeck, Derek Abstract: The Mediterranean has always been viewed as either a bridge or a barrier, depending on the spheres of human interaction or the time periods concerned. Thus, since times immemorial the Mediterranean Sea has been an important trading highway allowing for the circulation not only of goods but also of technologies, such as navigation techniques, as well as ideas, including the alphabet, religions and philosophical concepts among its riparian peoples. It has also been a space of shared cultural practices as manifest in common diets, architecture, agriculture, music and even social customs. On the other hand, the Mediterranean has been characterised by important divisions. For example, since the advance of Islam along its southern and eastern shores, it has come to be seen as a major fault line between Christian Europe and the Muslim world. In economic terms, the Mediterranean is nowadays also an important dividing line between a rich and prosperous north and a much less developed south. Finally, as an area of intense conflict, it has seen numerous wars and conquests, between empires, states and other political entities located along its shores. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/135635 Title: Tunisia and Libya Authors: Lutterbeck, Derek Abstract: Even though Tunisia and Libya-apart from being immediate neighbours-share similar historical experiences as Ottoman provinces since the sixteenth century and, in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, European (i.e. French and Italian) colonies, their armed forces have developed in radically different ways. Indeed, among North African or Arab militaries, they can be said to occupy opposite sides on a spectrum in several respects. Whereas the Armed Forces of Tunisia have been a comparatively small and under-equipped but cohesive and, at least according to regional standards, very professional and meritocratic force, their Libyan counterparts have been rather large and awash with weaponry, but also highly fragmented and pervaded by clientelism. Moreover, while the Tunisian military has since its inception adopted a purely defensive posture, Libya's armed forces have been involved in a number of foreign military 'adventures'. Several factors account for these divergent trajectories, including the vastly different policies-both internal and external pursued by the two countries' post-independence leaders, the relative homogeneity of Tunisian society, which contrasts with Libya's tribalism, as well as the latter's abundance of fossil fuel deposits, which have funded Libya's at times massive military build-up. The aim of this chapter is to analyse and compare the evolution and characteristics of the armed forces of Tunisia and Libya focusing on several key aspects. While both militaries as well as those of other Arab states-have received considerable scholarly attention in the aftermath of the popular uprisings of 2010/2011 which have gripped many countries of the region, the Tunisian and Libyan armed forces have rarely been subject to systematic comparison, arguably also because of their vast differences. The chapter begins with a consideration of the historical origins of the militaries of the two countries, followed by a discussion of their security and defence policies. It then turns to the organizational structure of military forces and civil-military relations in Tunisia and Libya. This is followed by an examination of trends in military spending, arms transfers as well as weaponry of land, sea, and air forces. The final sections focus on the main military operations and deployments of the two armed forces, while the conclusion contains some brief reflections on their responses to the popular uprisings of 2010/2011, which in both countries led to the downfall of their long-standing leaders. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/123338 Title: The diplomatic role of Malta in Euro-Maghreb relations Abstract: This study will concentrate in the diplomatic role of Malta in the Euro Maghreb relations. In one of Profs. Stephen Calleya book, Evaluating Euro Mediterranean Relations, he talks about two international regions that emerge around the Mediterranean a quasi-comprehensive European region and an intergovernmental dominant Middle East region with limited transnational ties. This Middle East region is further divided into two sub regions, the Mashreq and the Maghreb. These different sub regions are characterized by different levels of development. The success of any partnership would have to be based on the stability in this geostrategic region I will look at Malta and its relations with the Maghreb countries and how its geographical position and its integration in the EU have helped shape its foreign policy and improve Euro Maghreb relations. I will also try to examine if the Maghreb countries are of any importance to Europe and its union. The thesis will first look at a geopolitical overview as its introduction. The first chapter will examine a historical overview of the Arab Maghreb Countries, while the second will focus on developments . in Euro Maghreb Relations. It will tackle all the major relations and dialogue that occurred between Europe and the Maghreb. The third chapter will than look at Malta's Foreign Policy both prior its European union membership and integration and as well after. The fourth chapter will analyse Malta 's bilateral relations with two specific Maghreb countries, which are Libya and Tunisia. Unfortunately, only two countries can be analyzed due to limited time. The final chapter will be the conclusion. Description: M.A.DIPLOMATIC STUD. 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z