Leadership Summit: 'those who do not serve well, cannot lead well' - Marie Louise Coleiro

President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said today that those who do not serve well, cannot hope to lead well.

She was addressing the Mediterranean Leadership Summit and delivered the opening speech, where she highlighted the ties between unrest and economic problems.

"Unless our plans for the sustainable economy transformation are rooted in respect for human dignity and oriented towards the resilience of the most vulnerable, then they are doomed to fail".

"Unless we serve others with the greater good in mindm then we have no business making decisions on their behalf".

The Summit launched today, at the Hilton, Malta. It will take place today and tomorrow. The Summit aims to explore the vision for growth and competitiveness in the Mediterranean and has the support of the government of Malta.

Among the speakers are Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, UN Special representative of the Secretary General for International Migration Peter Sutherland, Group Chairman for Henley and Partners Christian Kalin, Former US assistant secretary of state for public affairs James Rubin, former Italian Prime Minister Mario Monto and many more

The Economist together with Hazlis & Rivas and are the lead organisers of the Mediterranean Leadership Summit which is taking place here in Malta on 28^th and 29^thApril. The co-organiser is CountryProfiler. The Malta Independent is a media partner

President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said that radicalisation is a growing threat for everyone, adding that economies must be built simultaneously with the wellbeing od society.

"We must recognise that we cannot improve local economies unless we invest in strategies to reduce precariousness regionally and globally".

We cannot neglect rising levels of poverty, she said, adding that their effects are borne by everyone.

"In lower income countries, economic instability is not just a matter of high unemployment, but also the breakdown of community and societies".

"War increases poverty and destroys infrastructure, institutions and stability of entire regions. Poverty leads people to become excluded from the economy".

It should be everyone's business to work with vulnerable communities, she said, stressing the need to work together and listen in order to achieve economic prosperity

She spoke of the need to ensure new entrants to the labour force are attributed equal opportunities.

The President mentioned child benefits in Malta, "which was oriented towards the participation of the child in education and healthcare", mentioning that this resulted in a  decline of poverty rates.

She also addressed the rise of female participation in the workforce, attributing this to free childcare and in-work benefits introduced on the island.

Photos by Jonathan Borg

from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/1pIJzc1
via IFTTT