Blessed is he who considers the human rights paradigm : Maltese aid between charity and human rights and between Catholicism and Secularism

Abstract

Malta formally became an aid donor with European Union membership in 2004, a rather sudden change for a country that had long been a recipient of development aid. Although Malta as a state is thus a new actor in the world of official development assistance (ODA), Maltese voluntary organizations have been active in humanitarian aid and overseas development projects for much longer. In fact, Malta was at the heart of the creation of what has sometimes been considered one of the world’s first humanitarian organizations, the Sov- ereign Order of Malta. The Sovereign Order was—and still is—strongly Christian and Catholic, and many of today’s prominent nongovernmental development organizations (NGDOs) based in Malta are likewise linked toMalta formally became an aid donor with European Union membership in 2004, a rather sudden change for a country that had long been a recipient of development aid. Although Malta as a state is thus a new actor in the world of official development assistance (ODA), Maltese voluntary organizations have been active in humanitarian aid and overseas development projects for much longer. In fact, Malta was at the heart of the creation of what has sometimes been considered one of the world’s first humanitarian organizations, the Sov- ereign Order of Malta. The Sovereign Order was—and still is—strongly Christian and Catholic, and many of today’s prominent nongovernmental development organizations (NGDOs) based in Malta are likewise linked to the Catholic Church. However, there is also a notable growth in the number of secular NGDOs.