English - Sovereign Order of Malta

Haiti

Kenya

France

Americas...............................................84

Asia Pacific ...........................................96

Heritage ............................................106

Over 900 years of history....................108

A special anniversary: 1113-2013 ......112

Sanctuaries of the Order....................114

Order of Malta Heritage Exhibitions:Kremlin Museums, Moscow, and theRoyal Castle, Warsaw ..........................117

Order of Malta entities worldwide ....118

Grand Priories, Sub-Priories andNational Associations ..........................118

Relief Corps..........................................119

Bilateral Relations ...............................120

Multilateral Relations ..........................121

Spotlight..............................................26

Syria: Aid in crisis situations.................28

Treating the violence: the Order inDemocratic Republic of Congo ............32

An oasis of calm in a chaotic world: The Holy Family Hospital,Bethlehem ..............................................36

Pioneering trends in dementia care:Innovative work in the Order’s care homes in Britain, Germany and France ...............................................40

In the words of our volunteers:motivations and experiences fromRomania, Albania, Lithuania and France............................................44

Worldwide focus on care.....................50

Europe ..................................................52

Middle East ...........................................68

Africa .....................................................72

Messages ..............................................4

Message from the Grand Master ...........4

Message from the Grand Chancellor and the Grand Hospitaller......................5

Government ..........................................6

The Government of the OrderComposition and operation....................8

Sovereign Counciland government bodies..........................9

Official visits of the Grand Master ......10

Working with nations: Cooperationagreements for healthcare andhumanitarian initiatives .......................18

A UN perspective:Diplomacy in the Sovereign Order of Malta ......................................20

Conferences..........................................22

Contents

ear after year we are faced withconstant reminders of the frailty of the human condition. The causes are limitless, and frequently unpredictable. The results, however, are all too

familiar. Whether through sudden catastrophe,such as flood, famine or earthquake, througheconomic or social crises, or simply through thenatural process of aging and ill health, there arealways many millions of our fellow human beingswho are in need of help, care and compassion.

The motives which drove the founding of the Orderin Jerusalem almost a thousand years ago – tohelp those in need - remain the motives which stilldrive us today. As members of a religious layOrder, we commit ourselves to the never-endingtask of being not only on the side, but also at theside, of all those who need a helping hand and acaring friend in times of crisis in their lives.

Just some examples of our recent interventions:in Haiti, three years after the earthquake, there is still much for us to do in rehabilitatingcommunities. In Emilia Romagna, the Order’sItalian Emergency Corps has been caring forhundreds of victims of the 2012 earthquake there.

In Africa the Order is focusing on support forvictims of civil conflict, of diseases such astuberculosis and malaria and on regions afflictedby drought and famine. In Lebanon and Syria ouremergency services are supporting many refugeefamilies who have fled the civil conflict.

Elsewhere around the world, volunteers havejoined with the professional staff of the Order’srelief organisations to offer their skills - andequally importantly, their compassion andunderstanding – to those suffering loss through major natural catastrophes such asflooding, earthquakes and famine.

This Activity Report includes many examples ofthe ways in which the Order’s members andvolunteers seek to fulfil their pledge ofcompassion, care and support to our fellowcitizens of the world, as active hospitallers with aChristian mission. We were there yesterday, wewill be there tomorrow, the day after, and for aslong as the need remains.

Y

Fra’ Matthew FestingPrince and 79th Grand Master

of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Orderof St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta

Message from the Grand Master

SOVEREIGN MILITARY HOSPITALLER ORDER OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM OF RHODES AND OF MALTA4

oday our members, staff andvolunteers in 120 countries areworking in our hospitals andhealthcare centres, in soup kitchensand shelters for homeless people, in care homes for the elderly,

in prisons and in schools, and for those sufferingfrom the aftermath of conflict or natural disasters. The impact of such events is often concentrated onvulnerable populations who lack access to theessentials of living peaceful, healthy lives. We stay after others have gone, working with themto introduce risk reduction measures andundertake disaster preparedness planning. Our diplomatic network enables our emergencyrelief teams to access stricken areas quickly, andensure that aid can be effected with minimal delay.The sovereign status of the Order is one of theadvantages which enables us to help those in need,whilst remaining independent and neutral,irrespective of political allegiances. This independence is maintained, and cooperationwith other countries is facilitated, through ourdiplomatic relations with more than 100 states andthe European Union, as well as through ourpermanent observer missions at the UnitedNations and with the principal internationalorganisations. It is fitting to note some of the activities carried outby our volunteers during 2011, the European Yearof Volunteering. The volunteer corps of the Order of Malta inRomania, Albania and Lithuania celebrated thetwentieth anniversaries of their foundationfollowing the fall of the Iron Curtain. In Hungary,our voluntary work has become a major

contributor to the welfare of its citizens. The Order’s relief corps there now has 5,000permanent and 15,000 ad hoc volunteers, runsalmost 200 social organisations and also works inthe area of civil protection.The Order’s Italian Relief Corps (CISOM) celebratedthe twentieth anniversary of its partnership withthe country’s civil protection system. The Order’sambulance service in Ireland saw a remarkablerise in the entirely voluntary membership – almost5,000 by the end of 2012.In Germany, over 47,000 volunteers worked with30,000 employees to provide medical, social andhumanitarian assistance to more than 12 millionpeople in Germany and many other countries.In France 4,200 permanent volunteers wereinvolved in a wide range of social interventions tohelp homeless people, the handicapped andAlzheimer’s sufferers.The Order of Malta continues to fight againstdiseases such as leprosy, HIV/AIDS, malaria andtuberculosis. It has established permanent healthcentres and clinics in many countries, providinglocal first-line medical and social care to remoteand regional communities. Our humanitarian works also include projects toimprove access to clean drinking water, and support to indigenous farmers to help themprovide a sustainable source of healthy food and aliving for their families.And recent initiatives have included the setting upof the Order of Malta’s Global Fund for theForgotten People to raise awareness and financialsupport for disadvantaged members of society whoare rarely in the public eye or high on nationalagendas.

T

Jean-Pierre Mazery Albrecht BoeselagerGrand Chancellor Grand Hospitaller

Message from the Grand Chancellorand the Grand Hospitaller

MESSAGES 5


GovernmentGovernment

The government of theSovereign Order of Maltais composed of a seniorbody of ministers andcouncillors who assist the Grand Master inoverseeing the Order’sactivities around theworld from hospitaller,diplomatic, religious andjuridical perspectives.

GOVERNMENT 7


State are drawn from representatives ofthe Grand Priories, the Sub-Priories, the National Associations and theOrder’s organisations establishedaround the world.

The Grand Master governs the Order,assisted by the Sovereign Council, whichhe chairs. It is made up of the GrandCommander (the religious superior ofthe Order’s religious members); GrandChancellor (Minister for Foreign Affairsand Minister of the Interior); GrandHospitaller (Minister for Health andSocial Affairs, Humanitarian Action andInternational Co-operation); Receiver ofthe Common Treasure (Minister forFinance and Budget), together with sixother members, all elected by theChapter General from among theProfessed members or members inObedience. The Sovereign Council iselected for a term of five years.

The Constitutional Charter and Codegoverns the life and activities of theOrder. The Chapter General of 1997instituted an Advisory Board to theOrder’s government – the GovernmentCouncil. The Board of Auditors isresponsible for economic and financialcontrol. Every five years, the membersof these two bodies are elected by theChapter General. The Order’s Courts areCourts of First Instance and of Appeal,with a President, Judges, JudicialAuditors and Auxiliaries. Legalquestions of extraordinary importanceare submitted for advice to a technicalbody, the Juridical Advisory Council.

The government of the OrderComposition and operation

overnment of the SovereignOrder of Malta is similar tothe structures for stategovernments. However, it also includes specificfeatures associated with its

nature as a religious lay order, as wellas particular terminology evolved fromnine centuries of history.

The Order’s system of governance isdivided into three powers: legislativepower, which resides with the ChapterGeneral, the representative body for theknights, and the Grand Master with theSovereign Council; executive power,which resides with the SovereignCouncil; and judicial power, which is in the hands of the Courts of the Order.The Grand Master is the Order’sSupreme Leader, elected for life by thefull Council of State. Members of theChapter General and the full Council of

GThe purpose of the SovereignOrder of Malta is “thepromotion of… the Christianvirtues of charity andbrotherhood.The Order carries out itscharitable works for the sick, the needy and refugeeswithout distinction ofreligion, race, origin or age. The Order fulfils itsinstitutional tasks especiallyby carrying out hospitallerworks, including health and social assistance, as well as aiding victims of exceptional disasters and war…”

(Extracts from Article 2 of theConstitutional Charter)

The eight-pointed cross symbolisingOrder works

GOVERNMENT 9

Government of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta

H.E. Bailiff Fra’ Carlod’Ippolito di Sant’IppolitoGrand Commander

H.E. Bailiff Jean-PierreMazery

Grand Chancellor

H.E. Bailiff Albrecht Boeselager

Grand Hospitaller

H.E. Bailiff Gian Luca Chiavari

Receiver of the CommonTreasure

H.E. Fra’ John T. DunlapH.E. Fra’ Duncan Gallie

H.E. Fra’ Emmanuel Rousseau

H.E. Gian Luigi Magliocco di BrugnetoH.E. Antonio Sanchez-CoreaH.E. Bailiff Winfried Henckel von Donnersmarck

GOVERNMENT COUNCILVice PresidentFausto Solaro del BorgoCouncillorsDaniel J. KellyRaphael DebbanéRuy do Valle Peixoto de Villas BoasJuan T. O’Naghten y ChacónSimon Grenfell

BOARD OF AUDITORSPresidentFranz Harnoncourt-UnverzagtCouncillorsBruno de Seguin Pazzis d’AubignanLancelot d’UrselFabrizio ColonnaDominik MentzingenAlternate CouncillorsStephen Diaz-GavinUberto Serlupi Crescenzi

BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONSPresidentUlrich von Glaunach zum KazenstainCouncillorsJulian AllasonNiccolò d’Aquino di CaramanicoOscar Rafael de Rojas y VillaAdriano Monti-BuzzettiAndré QuertonKlaus Schweinsberg

JURIDICAL COUNCIL PresidentProf. Av. Andrea CombaVice-PresidentProf. Avv. Leonardo PerroneSecretary GeneralProf. Av. Paolo PapantiPelletier de Berminy

MembersDr. Alberto Virgilio, Honorary Vice-PresidentProf. Damiano NocillaProf. Avv. Arturo Maresca

MAGISTRAL COURT OF APPEALPresidentProf. Avv. Cesare Maria MoschettiJudgesProf. Av. Giancarlo PeroneProf. Av. Leonardo PerroneProf. Av. Arturo MarescaAvv. Massimo Massella Ducci Teri

MAGISTRAL COURT OF FIRSTINSTANCE PresidentProf. Avv. Paolo Papanti Pelletier deBerminy

JudgesProf. Avv. Giovanni GiacobbeProf. Avv. Gianpiero MilanoDr. Arturo MartucciProf. Francesco d'Ayala ValvaChancellor of the Magistral CourtsCol. Alessandro Bianchi

COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NAMES AND EMBLEMS PresidentFra' John T. Dunlap

STRATEGY STEERING COMMITTEEPresidentThe Grand ChancellorDelegated PresidentWinfried Henckel von Donnersmarck

Prince and 79th Grand MasterH.M.E.H. Fra’ Matthew Festing

SOVEREIGN COUNCIL MEMBERS


Minister Beth Wambui Mugo, with whomhe discusses the numerous cooperationprogrammes the Order runs in Kenyathrough Malteser International.

17 MarchThe Minister of Foreign Affairs ofParaguay, Héctor Ricardo LacognataZaragoza, is received by the GrandMaster at the Magistral Palace in Rome.

27 April The Patriarch of the Catholic GreeksGregory III Laham is received at theMagistral Palace.

28 AprilDiana Štrofová, State Secretary of theMinistry of Foreign Affairs of the SlovakRepublic, is received in the MagistralPalace.

28 AprilThe Vice-Prime Minister of the Czech

20108-15 FebruaryIn Kinshasa, the capital of the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, the Grand Masteris received by Prime Minister AdolpheMuzito, the President of the Senate LéonKengo wa Dondo and the President of theNational Assembly Evariste Boshab. The Grand Master is also received by theArchbishop of Kinshasa, LaurentMonsengwo Pasinya, and meets LeilaZerrougui, Deputy Head of the UNMission in the DR Congo. The GrandMaster then visited the Order’s medicaland welfare projects in Eastern Congo.

15-18 FebruaryPresident Mwai Kibaki of Kenya receivesthe Grand Master of the Order, Fra’ Matthew Festing, at HarambeeHouse in Nairobi. The Grand Master hastalks with Foreign Minister MosesWetangula and meets the Health

Official Visitsof the Grand Master

As Head of State, the GrandMaster makes and receives a number of state visitsthroughout each year. He also makes and receivesofficial visits anddelegations, as do seniormembers of the SovereignCouncil.

15.2.10 President of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki 21.5.10 President of Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernández Reyna

21.5.10 President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso

GOVERNMENT 11

Republic Jan Kohout is received at theMagistral Palace in Rome.

20 MayThe Grand Master, Fra’ MatthewFesting, receives Hilarion Alfeev,Metropolitan of Volokolamsk andChairman of the Department of ExternalAffairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, in the Magistral Villa in Rome.

21 MayThe President of the DominicanRepublic, Leonel Fernández Reyna, is received by the Grand Master, Fra’Matthew Festing, in the Magistral Palace.

21 MayThe first visit of a EuropeanCommission president to the Ordertakes place at the Magistral Villa inRome. José Manuel Barroso is receivedby Fra’ Matthew Festing. The meeting isfollowed by an official dinner including

some hundred ambassadors and Italianand Vatican institutional personalities,including the Italian Minister forEuropean Politics Andrea Ronchi andCardinal Jean Louis Tauran, Presidentof the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

22 MayThe Premier of Bulgaria, BoykoBorissov, accompanied by a delegationincluding Vice-Premier and HomeMinister Tzvetan Tzvetanov, ForeignMinister Nickolay Mladenov, CultureMinister Vejdi Rachidov andrepresentatives of the Orthodox Churchis received by the Grand Master in theOrder’s Magistral Villa in Rome.

7 JuneFra’ Matthew Festing, receives RoselyneBachelot-Narquin, the Minister ofHealth and Sport of France, in theMagistral Palace.

25 JuneHis Holiness Pope Benedict XVI receivesin audience at the Vatican, Fra’ MatthewFesting, Grand Master of the Order ofMalta, accompanied by the members ofthe Sovereign Council.

26-29 JuneAt the invitation of the Honourable NoëlA. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate ofCanada, the Grand Master Fra’ MatthewFesting attends the International FleetReview hosted by Canada’s Navy inHalifax, Nova Scotia, as part of theCanadian Naval Centennial (1910-2010)in the presence of Her Majesty QueenElizabeth II.

15 SeptemberThe Minister for Foreign Affairs ofLatvia, Aivis Ronis, is received at theMagistral Palace.

25.6.10 Pope Benedict XVI receives the Grand Master

25.10.10 President of Seychelles, James Michel9.10.10 President of Croatia, Ivo Josipovic

2010 recorded visits from heads of state from as far afield as theDominican Republic and theSeychelles, to Croatia, the Democratic Republic of Congoand Kenya


23.11.11 President of Portugal, Anibal Cavaco Silva 8.6.11 President of Romania, Traian Basescu 31.7.11 Prince Albert II of Monaco

2 JuneFollowing the invitation of the Presidentof Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, the GrandMaster takes part in the officialcelebration of the 150th anniversary ofthe Italian unification.

7-12 JuneOn a state visit to Romania Fra’ MatthewFesting is received by President TraianBasescu, and also by Emil Boc, PrimeMinister of the Romanian government.He also has talks with Roberta AnastaseAlma, Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives.

17 JuneIn Geneva, the Director General of theUnited Nations Office Kassym-JomartTokayev receives the Grand Master Fra’Matthew Festing.

201128 FebruaryThe President of the EuropeanParliament Jerzy Buzek is received bythe Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festingin the Magistral Villa in Rome.

8 MarchGrand Master Fra’ Matthew Festingreceives the Deputy Prime Minister ofthe Hungarian Republic Zsolt Semjén inthe Magistral Palace in Rome. Duringthe meeting the ratification instrumentsfor the international cooperationagreement signed in Budapest on 3 November 2010 are exchanged.

9 OctoberThe President of the Republic of Croatia,Ivo Josipovic, is received by the GrandMaster at the Magistral Villa in Rome.

25 OctoberGrand Master Fra’ Matthew Festingreceives the President of SeychellesJames Michel in the Magistral Villa.

27 OctoberKing Simeon II of Bulgaria, togetherwith Queen Margarita, Prince Kubratand Princess Carla, are received by theGrand Master in the Magistral Palace.

17 NovemberThe Speaker of the Parliament of theCzech Republic, Miroslava Nemcova, isreceived at the Magistral Palace in Rome.

21 NovemberIrina Bokova, Director General ofUNESCO, is received at the Order ofMalta’s Magistral Villa in Rome.

10-11 DecemberOn a state visit to Portugal, Fra’ Matthew Festing is received by thePresident of the Republic Anibal CavacoSilva, and by the Prime Minister JoséSócrates, and meets the nation’spolitical and religious authorities.

150 years of Italian unification, 75 yearsof the Order’s diplomatic relations withSan Marino, visits to Liechtenstein,Monaco, Romania and Portugal

GOVERNMENT 13

12.9.11 President of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaite1.9.11 Prince Regent Alois of Liechtenstein

25 JuneHis Holiness Pope Benedict XVIreceives in audience at the Vatican, Fra’ Matthew Festing, Grand Master ofthe Order of Malta, accompanied by themembers of the Sovereign Council.

30-31 JulyPrince Albert II of Monaco receives theGrand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing inan official visit to the Principality. A fundraising concert for the Order’sactivities is held in the courtyard of thePrince’s Palace.

1-2 SeptemberPrince Regent Alois of Liechtensteinreceives the Grand Master in thetwelfth-century Vaduz castle in theprincipality’s capital.

9-13 SeptemberDalia Grybauskaite, President ofLithuania, receives the Grand MasterFra’ Matthew Festing in Vilnius. The Grand Master also participated inthe celebrations for the 20th anniversaryof the Lithuanian Volunteer Corps ofthe Order.

24 SeptemberThe 100th anniversary of the Order ofMalta’s Netherlands Association iscelebrated in the presence of the GrandMaster Fra’ Matthew Festing with aHigh Mass in St. Catherine’s Cathedral,Utrecht, historically linked to the Orderof St. John and now seat of thearchdiocese of Utrecht.

30 SeptemberMinister of State of the Principality ofMonaco, Michel Roger, is received by

the Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festingin the Magistral Villa.

19 OctoberTo celebrate the 75th anniversary of theestablishment of diplomatic relationswith the world’s oldest republic, Fra’Matthew Festing is received in San Marino by the Most ExcellentCaptains Regent, Gabriele Gatti andMatteo Fiorini.

6-9 NovemberThe Grand Master of the Order of Maltamakes an official visit to the Republicof Chile and is received by PresidentSebastián Piñera at La Moneda Palace.

23 NovemberMinister of the Interior of the SlovakRepublic, Daniel Lipsic, is received atthe Magistral Palace in Rome.

25.6.11 Sovereign Council with Pope Benedict XVI

201230 JanuaryThe Grand Master receives KingMichael of Romania in the MagistralPalace in Rome.

21 FebruaryFra’ Matthew Festing receives the Kingof Tonga George Tupou V at theMagistral Palace.

21 FebruaryThe Vice President of the Republic ofLiberia, Joseph Nyumah Boakai, is received by the Grand Master in theMagistral Palace in Rome.

27 February - 1 MarchOn a state visit to Austria, GrandMaster Fra’ Matthew Festing isreceived by the Federal President Heinz

Fischer in the Hofburg Palace inVienna. The Grand Master also hastalks with the Federal ChancellorWerner Faymann, with the Vice-Chancellor and Foreign MinisterMichael Spindelegger and the Mayor ofVienna Michael Häupl. The GrandMaster is then received by the DirectorGeneral of the United NationsOffice, Yury Fedotov and the DirectorGeneral of the International AtomicEnergy Agency, Yukiya Amano.

20 MarchThe Grand Master inaugurates anexhibition on the Order of Malta’sactivities in the European Parliament inBrussels in the presence of thePresident of the Parliament, Martin Schulz.

12 AprilDidier Reynders, Deputy Prime Ministerand Minister of Foreign Affairs andForeign Trade of Belgium, is receivedat the Magistral Villa in Rome.

6 JuneIn a bilateral meeting between theRepublic of Cyprus and the SovereignOrder of Malta the protocol thatestablishes the opening of diplomaticrelations was signed in the Order’sMagistral Villa in Rome.

25 June His Holiness Pope Benedict XVIreceives in audience at the Vatican, Fra’ Matthew Festing, Grand Master ofthe Order of Malta, accompanied by theHigh Officers of the Sovereign Council.

In 2012, visits to Austria, Russia, the European Parliament in Brussels, and a welcome to many governmentalrepresentatives, from Belgium toSlovenia, from Liberia to Cyprus


19.10.11 Captains Regent of the Republic of SanMarino, Gabriele Gatti and Matteo Fiorini

8.11.11 President of Chile, Sebastian Piñera 21.2.12 King of Tonga, George Tupou V

GOVERNMENT 15

25.10.12 President of Cyprus, Demetris Christofias27.2.12 President of Austria, Heinz Fischer

6.7.12 Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all the Russias, receives the Grand Master

5 JulyThe Grand Master, together with theMinister of Culture of the RussianFederation Vladimir Medinskiy,inaugurates the exhibition Treasures ofthe Order of Malta: nine centuries atthe service of faith and charity in theKremlin Museums in Moscow.

6 July His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscowand all the Russias, Kirill, receives inaudience Grand Master Fra’ MatthewFesting at the patriarchal residence inthe Monastery of St. Daniel in Moscow,Russia.

25 JulyThe Deputy Prime Minister and Ministerfor Foreign Affairs of Belgium, DidierReynders, signs – on behalf of theFederal Public Service Foreign Affairs,Foreign Trade and Development

Cooperation of Belgium – a CooperationAgreement with the Sovereign Order ofMalta, represented by the GrandChancellor Jean-Pierre Mazery inEgmont Palace, Brussels.

9-14 SeptemberA delegation of the Sovereign Order ofMalta, headed by the Grand ChancellorJean-Pierre Mazery, and the GrandHospitaller Albrecht Boeselager, visitsTaiwan at the invitation of the Minister ofForeign Affairs of Taiwan to discuss thepossibilities of mutual collaboration inthe humanitarian and social sectors.The delegation has an audience with Ma Ying-jeou, President of Taiwan, andis received by Timothy Chin-Tien Yang,Minister of Foreign Affairs.

18 October In Poland for a two-day visit, GrandMaster Fra’ Matthew Festing is received

by the President of the Polish RepublicBronislaw Komorowski in BelwederPalace, Warsaw.

25 OctoberThe President of the Republic of Cyprus,Demetris Christofias, and currentPresident of the Council of the EuropeanUnion, is received at the Magistral Villaby the Grand Master, Fra’ MatthewFesting, on the occasion of hisState visit to the Sovereign Order, thefirst by a Head of State of Cyprus.

14 November The Minister of Foreign Affairs ofSlovenia, Karl Erjavec, is received at theMagistral Palace in Rome.


THE ORDER OF MALTA HAS PERMANENT OBSERVER MISSIONS TO THE UNITED NATIONS AND ITS SPECIALISED AGENCIES:

United Nations - New YorkUnited Nations - GenevaUnited Nations - ViennaESCAP - United Nations Economic and SocialCommission for Asia and the Pacific (Bangkok)FAO - Food and Agricultural Organization ofthe United Nations (Rome)IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency

(Vienna)IFAD - International Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment (Rome)UNEP - United Nations EnvironmentProgramme (Nairobi)UNESCO - United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization (Paris)UNHCHR - United Nations High

Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)UNHCR - United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees (Geneva)UNIDO - United Nations IndustrialDevelopment Organization (Vienna)WFP - World Food Programme of theUnited Nations (Rome)WHO - World Health Organization (Geneva)

THE ORDER OF MALTA HAS DELEGATIONS OR REPRESENTATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS:

CTBTO - Preparatory Commission for thecomprehensive nuclear test-ban TreatyOrganization (Vienna)ICCROM - International Centre for the studyof the preservation and restoration ofcultural property (Rome)ICMM - International Committee of MilitaryMedicine (Brussels)

ICRC - International Committee of the RedCross (Geneva)IDB - Inter-American Development Bank(Washington D.C.)IIHL - International Institute of HumanitarianLaw (Sanremo, Geneva)IFRC - International Federation of Red Crossand Red Crescent Societies (Geneva)

IOM - International Organization forMigration (Geneva)UNIDROIT - International Institute for theUnification of Private Law (Rome)UNILAT - Latin Union (Santo Domingo, Paris)Council of Europe (Strasbourg)

• Palestinian Authority

• Belgium • Canada • France • Germany • Luxembourg • Switzerland

• European Union

Multilateral relations

EUROPEAlbania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus,Czech Republic, Holy See, Hungary, Italy,Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro,Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia(Federation of)*, San Marino, Serbia,Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine.

THE AMERICASAntigua and Barbuda, Argentina,Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile,Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, DominicanRepublic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana,Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama,Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia,Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela.

ASIAAfghanistan, Armenia, Cambodia, Georgia,Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Philippines,Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste,Turkmenistan.

AFRICAAngola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon,Cape Verde, Central Africa, Chad, Comoros,Congo (Democratic Republic of the),Congo (Republic of the), Côte d’Ivoire,Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia,Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya,Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania,Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique,Namibia, Niger, Sao Tome and Principe,Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,Somalia, Sudan, Togo.

OCEANIAMicronesia, Marshall Islands, Kiribati.

THE ORDER OF MALTA HAS DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH 104 COUNTRIES:

THE ORDER OF MALTA HAS OFFICIAL RELATIONS WITH:

THE ORDER OF MALTA HAS RELATIONS AT AMBASSADOR LEVEL WITH:

THE ORDER OF MALTA HAS RELATIONS AT AMBASSADOR LEVEL WITH:

* Relations with the Russian Federation are maintained through a diplomatic special mission.

GOVERNMENT 17

The Order of Malta and the European Commission collaborate on joint projects

OPENING OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THEREPUBLIC OF CYPRUS

The protocol that establishes the opening of diplomaticrelations between the Republic of Cyprus and theSovereign Order of Malta is signed on 6 June 2012. MrsErato Kozakou-Marcoullis, Minister of Foreign Affairs ofthe Republic of Cyprus, and Jean-Pierre Mazery, Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Order of Malta, signthe agreement in the Magistral Villa, institutional seat ofthe Order of Malta in Rome.

REAFFIRMATION OF BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH ITALY

In Rome on 17 May 2012, the Italian Foreign MinisterGiulio Terzi di Sant’Agata receives the Grand Chancellorof the Sovereign Order of Malta, Jean-Pierre Mazery andthe Order’s Ambassador to Italy Giulio di Lorenzo Badia.The excellent state of bilateral relations is reaffirmedduring the meeting and an agreement defining the stateof bilateral relations and the presence of the Order ofMalta’s government seat in Italy is signed.


Czech Republic(28 April 2010)An agreement protocol for humanitariancooperation in Haiti between the CzechRepublic and the Order of Malta wassigned by Jan Kohout, Czech Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister, and theOrder’s Grand Chancellor Jean-PierreMazery. The Czech Republic will providetechnical cooperation and funds forhealth training, disaster preparednessand reconstruction projects the Order isimplementing in Haiti after theearthquake in 2010.

Hungary(3 November 2010)An international cooperation agreementbetween the Republic of Hungary andthe Sovereign Order of Malta was signedin Budapest. This agreement, ratifiedwith a large majority by the HungarianParliament on 29 November, strength-ens the Order’s healthcare, welfare andhumanitarian services in Hungary.

Portugal(24 November 2010)An international cooperation agreementwas signed in Lisbon between theSovereign Order of Malta and theCommunity of Portuguese-languageCountries, which includes Angola,Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau,Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome’ andPrincipe and Timor L’Este. The agreement will supply the operativeframework for joint actions goingforward, and further develop thehumanitarian aid programmes theOrder already has in place in themember states of the Community.

Russian Federation(27 November 2010)A memorandum of understanding forcooperation in dealing with emergenciescaused by nature or by man was signedby the Russian deputy Minister PavelPlat and the Grand Chancellor Jean-Pierre Mazery in Rome. The agreementbetween the Order of Malta’s ItalianRelief Corps and EMERCOM – theRussian Federation’s Ministry ofEmergency Situations – specifies thedevelopment of cooperationprogrammes, coordination of emergencysituations, and management of civildefence volunteers.

Liberia(1 February 2011)In Monrovia the Government of Liberiaand the Embassy of the Order of Maltasigned a Cooperation Agreement tofacilitate and foster humanitarian worksand projects of the Order in the country.It also grants customs and taxexemption for importing goods, as well

The Order of Malta entersinto cooperation agreementswith other states with thepurpose of establishing orstrengthening thehealthcare, welfare orhumanitarian services in thecountry or to agree anoperative framework for jointactions going forward.

as freedom of movement inside theLiberian territory.

Dominican Republic(12 April 2011)In Santo Domingo the Minister of ForeignRelations of the Dominican Republic andthe Ambassador of the Order of Maltasigned a Cooperation Agreement topromote health and social developmentin the country through the works of theDominican Association of the Order.

Morocco(30 May 2011)Ordre de Malte France and the Ministryof Health of Morocco have drawn up anew agreement under which the existinghealthcare initiatives are extended totraining health practitioners.

Kenya(14 September 2011)A cooperation agreement was signed byThe Hon. Mosé Wetang’ula, ForeignMinister of Kenya, and by AmbassadorGianfranco Cicogna Mozzoni for theOrder of Malta. The agreement todevelop cooperation in the healthcareand humanitarian field also extendscustoms and fiscal exemptions forimporting equipment - already grantedto the embassy - to MalteserInternational. The accord also facilitatesfreedom of movement inside the countryfor all the Order of Malta’s personnel.

Chile(8 November 2011)A memorandum of understanding wassigned with the Chilean government foran international humanitarian networkto coordinate activities during natural

Working with nationsCooperation agreements for healthcare andhumanitarian initiatives

GOVERNMENT 19

disasters. The agreement defines thecoordination between the Order, the Chilean Foreign Ministry andNational Office for Emergencies. The need for this coordination washighlighted by the UN AssessmentReport on disaster Risk Reduction inChile after the earthquake of 2010.

Mali(5 December 2011)The Order of Malta and the World HealthOrganization have signed a cooperationand partnership agreement at the WHOin Bamako. In the agreement bothparties have undertaken to define andimplement joint projects in hospitals andhealthcare. The aim of the agreement isto provide patients in need with the bestcare, as part of the national healthpolicy of the Government of Mali and inaccordance with the guidelines of theWorld Health Organisation.

United Nations Office on Drugs andCrime (UNODC)(28 February 2012)The Director General of the UnitedNations Office in Vienna, Yury Fedotov,and the Grand Chancellor, Jean-PierreMazery, signed a joint statementbetween the United Nations Office onDrugs and Crime, and the Order ofMalta. This agreement aims to focus onpreventing human trafficking, drugabuse and corruption.

International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA)(28 February 2012)An agreement was signed between theOrder of Malta and the InternationalAtomic Energy Agency, with the aim ofsupporting the Programme of Action forCancer Therapy. This programme hasbeen launched to help developingcountries improve their capacities incancer care tasks and create regionalradiotherapy centres.

France(4 April 2012)In the Quai d’Orsay, Alain Juppé,Minister of Foreign Affairs, signed aprotocol of cooperation between Franceand the Sovereign Order of Malta,represented by the Grand Chancellor,Jean-Pierre Mazery, and the Presidentof the Ordre de Malte France, Thierry deBeaumont-Beynac. This cooperationprotocol, based on the OeuvresHospitalières Françaises de l’Ordre deMalte experience in emergency medicalservices, renews and strengthens thealready firm bonds that have existedsince 1928 between France and theOrder. The protocol is a concretedemonstration of France’s interest inthe Order’s humanitarian activities andin developing cooperation in this sector.

Guinea(11 April 2012)Ordre de Malte France signed acooperation agreement with the Ministryof Health of Guinea. The Order has beenoperating in Guinea since 1986, when

the first agreement was signed with thecountry for a national leprosyprogramme. The Order’s surgery in Pitaoperates as a logistics base for nationalleprosy, tuberculosis and Buruli ulcerprogrammes.

Belgium(25 July 2012)A Cooperation Agreement was signedbetween the Kingdom of Belgium andthe Sovereign Order of Malta. The signing ceremony, which took placein the Egmont Palace in Brussels,reinforces cooperation in humanitarianand charitable projects in third-worldcountries.

Monaco(31 August 2012)A Cooperation Agreement between theOrder of Malta and the Principality ofMonaco was signed at the Residence ofthe Minister of State, Mr Michel Roger.The agreement will facilitate the activecooperation and exchange of informationin the field of humanitarian assistanceworldwide between the government ofMonaco and the Order of Malta.

Republic of Congo(14 December 2012)A Cooperation Agreement to set up thegeneral framework and guidelines forhealth care activities, is signed inBrazzaville by the Secretary General ofthe Foreign Affairs Ministry and theOrder of Malta's Ambassador in theCongo.

2010

2011

2011

2012

2013


The Sovereign Military Order of Maltawas admitted by General AssemblyResolution as a Permanent Observer tothe United Nations on August 24, 1994.The Permanent Observer Missionsupports and extends cordial relations toState and non-State Actors. In New Yorkit is headed by Ambassador RobertShafer and an eight-member delegation.They ensure that the Sovereign Order ofMalta’s work is highly visible on theinternational stage. Members of thedelegation attend daily meetings of theSecurity Council, the General Assembly,the Economic and Social Council, and thenumerous committees and commissionsthat comprise the UN system. Views ofthe Order on issues at the core of itscommitment are presented byaddressing these meetings: on publichealth, maternal and child health,HIV/AIDS eradication, malaria, leprosyand tuberculosis; rights of women andchildren; disaster relief; protection ofcivilians in armed conflict; rights ofrefugees and migrants; economicdevelopment and the MillenniumDevelopment Goals; poverty reduction;safety of humanitarian field personnel.The Order of Malta makes interventionswhen appropriate, with the exception ofthe Security Council, where statementsmay be made only by invitation of theCouncil President. In November 2009 theGrand Hospitaller of the Order, Albrechtvon Boeselager, at the President’srequest, addressed the Council onProtection of Civilians in Armed Conflict.

Interventions and attendance aregrowing exponentially; the Mission hasbroadened its scope of participation toinclude those issues that gainprominence as the world changes, suchas climate change, the global financialcrisis, food security. The Order of Maltahas no voting privileges in the decision

making bodies of the UN in New York.The Mission also produces InformationNotes on its humanitarian relief anddevelopment projects worldwide. These are distributed to all PermanentMissions to the UN in New York.

More information can be found at the Mission’s website:www.un.int/orderofmalta

A UN perspectiveDiplomacy in the Sovereign Order of Malta

The Sovereign Order ofMalta has permanentobserver missions at theUnited Nations (New York,Geneva, Paris, Vienna,Rome, Nairobi, Bangkok) andwith its specialised agencies.

Permanent Observermission to the UnitedNations in New York

The Mission hasbroadened its scope ofparticipation to includethose issues that gainprominence as the worldchanges

21GOVERNMENT

In 2012, an information conference fornew Ambassadors of the Order inEurope and Africa initiated by the GrandChancellor of the Order and organisedby the Order’s Mission in Geneva at thePalais des Nations, centred on the roleof the Order’s Diplomatic Service and itsinternational humanitarian activities.

The Order’s Permanent Mission to theUN in Geneva carries out multilateraldiplomatic activities: participation in theannual World Health Assembly andExecutive Board meetings of the WorldHealth Organization, the Executive andStanding Committee sessions of the UNHigh Commissioner for Refugees, theSubstantive Session of the UN Economic

and Social Council, the UN HumanRights Council sessions, regularbriefings on crisis situations by the UN Office for the Coordination ofHumanitarian Affairs, the Councilmeetings of the InternationalOrganization for Migration, and theInternational Conference of the RedCross and Red Crescent. AmbassadorMarie-Thérèse Pictet-Althann and herteam address the issues raised throughstatements and participation in debates,inter-active dialogues and informalconsultations. On 17th June 2011 GrandMaster Fra’ Matthew Festing paid anofficial visit to the United Nations, wherehe was received by the Director-Generalof the United Nations Office at Geneva,Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Discussionsfocused on the work of the Order inhumanitarian emergencies and publichealth.

Further information on the Mission’swork is available atwww.ungeneva.orderofmalta.int

The Order of MaltaPermanent Observer missionin Geneva develops relationswith international and intergovernmentalhumanitarian organisationsto inform them about theactivities of the Order of Malta and to definepossible fields of cooperation.The work focuses on:• Refugees - UNHCR• Health - WHO• Relief - OCHA• Human rights - UNHCHRand HRC

• Migration - IOM• Social matters - ECOSOC

Permanent Observermission to the UnitedNations in Geneva

…multilateral diplomaticactivities include …regular briefings oncrisis situations by theUN Office for theCoordination ofHumanitarian Affairs

The Grand Hospitaller of the Order of Malta gives a speech at the

United Nations Security Council on thesafety of civilians in conflict


• 1st Asia-Pacific Regional Conferenceof the Order, Singapore17-18 September 2010

• Conference: ‘Humanitarianchallenges in crisis-driven regions,’Rome, Italy27 October 2010

• Humanitarian Diplomacy andInternational Crisis Management.Jointly: Order of Malta and theFrench Navy, UNESCO Paris, France 27-28 January 2011

• 18th European Hospitallers’Conference, Cambridge, England1-3 April 2011

• National Associations Presidents’Meeting, Einsiedeln, Switzerland6-8 May 2011

• 40th INTERPOL European RegionalConference. Addressed by the Orderof Malta Grand Chancellor Jean-Pierre Mazery: ‘The Order of Malta -Subject of International Law,’ La Valletta, Malta15 May 2011

• 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Conferenceof the Order, Makati City,Philippines14-16 October 2011

• Eighth Conference of the Americas,Lima, Peru 3-7 November 2011

• Grand Master in conference at thePontifical Catholic University ofChile: ‘The Sovereign Order of Maltain the World,’ Santiago, Chile7 November 2011

• Seminar: ‘Protecting the SacredPlaces of the Mediterranean, a contribution to interculturaldialogue’. Jointly promoted by the European Commission and the Sovereign Order of Malta in cooperation with BEPA (Bureau of European Policy Advisers),Brussels, Belgium 6 March 2012

• 19th European Hospitallers’Conference, Prague, Czech Republic16-18 March 2012

• Conference on the Order’sInternational humanitarianactivities, and photographicexhibition, European Parliament,Brussels, Belgium23 March 2012

• 3rd Asia-Pacific Regional Conferenceof the Order, Sydney, Australia12-14 October 2012

• Conference on the Protection andConservation of Cultural Heritage inthe Mediterranean, hosted inLimassol by the Republic of Cyprusand Order of Malta, with theEuropean Commission and UNESCO 22-23 November 2012

Conferences

Every year the Order ofMalta engages in meetingsand conferences, at nationaland international level.These are specialopportunities to bringtogether the latest thinkingand experience that theOrder’s members have tooffer. The encounters provideinspiration for thedevelopment of programmesand activities as well asexamination of past projects.

GOVERNMENT 23

A keynote meeting discussesways forward with actors onthe ground in themanagement of disasters and crises.

Paris: over 400 diplomats, members of the military and humanitarian leaders met for two days

Humanitarian diplomacy and international crisis management:A conference organised by the Sovereign Order of Malta and the French Navy at the UNESCO Paris headquarters

and civil society in general. Since the large humanitarian operationswhich have taken place in Iraq,Afghanistan, Darfur, Sahel and recentlyHaiti, crisis resolution has beenconstantly evolving and now largelyaffects the relationship between militaryforces, diplomats and humanitarianorganisations.

The question of relations among militaryservicemen, diplomats, both civil andhumanitarian within the framework of international crises, armed conflictsor natural catastrophes, as well asinvolvement of mass-media, of largemultinational enterprises, privatesecurity companies, non-state actorsand the multiplication of NGOs, oftenwith different objectives, has raised theissue of having the various actorscohabitate, co-operate and whenpossible, integrate on the ground. A newapproach is therefore necessary: while

The Sovereign Order of Malta and theFrench Navy organised a Conference onHumanitarian Diplomacy andInternational Crisis Management atUNESCO’s headquarters in Paris inJanuary 2011.The aim of the conference was to helpdefine the practices and courses ofaction which should be implemented by the various actors on the ground. Over 400 diplomats, members of themilitary and humanitarian leaders metfor two days of intense discussion. The conference highlighted the urgentneed to define guiding ethical principlesin crisis areas, not only of the largehumanitarian agencies, but also of thearmed forces, politicians, religiousleaders, entrepreneurs, opinion leaders

the change of relationships betweenhumanitarian organisations, diplomats,civilians and military forces is not new,the recent concepts of ‘duty to interfere’and ‘responsibility to protect’ havepaved the way for what is now called‘humanitarian diplomacy’.Among the important recommendations,the European Commissioner forHumanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Mme Kristalina Georgieva noted:- The need for more global financial

resources for humanitarian aid,especially from the private sector, andthrough public-private partnerships;

- The need to improve aid effectivenessby strengthening the performance anddelivery capacity of the humanitariansystem, which means to collectively bebetter prepared to address large scaledisasters, to improve on-the-spotleadership and coordination, andespecially the roles of UNHumanitarian coordinators and of UN-led systems of clusters;

- The need to ‘de-compartmentalise’policy areas in the management ofdisasters and crises.

An urgent need to defineguiding ethical principlesin crisis areas


Conference participants with José Manuel Barroso, President of the European CommissionAndroulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner

Protecting the Sacred Places of the Mediterranean, a contribution to intercultural dialogueA seminar jointly organised by the European Commission and the Sovereign Order of Malta in Brussels, chaired by President José Manuel Barroso

The seminar focuses on howto strengthen interculturaldialogue through thepreservation of sacred places,with a view to contributing tosocial and political stability.

In March 2012, the EuropeanCommission and the Sovereign Order ofMalta jointly organised a seminar on‘Protecting the Sacred Places of theMediterranean – a contribution tointercultural dialogue’ at the EuropeanCommission headquarters in Brussels,under the chairmanship of PresidentJosé Manuel Barroso.

declared that “Europe is determined tofoster intercultural dialogue, and theEuropean Commission is prepared toendorse any concrete proposal in thisdirection.”

Jean-Pierre Mazery, Grand Chancellorof the Sovereign Order of Malta replied:“We are convinced that the sacredplaces play an important role infostering intercultural dialogue and aneffective system for protecting themcould significantly contribute to socialand political stability in theMediterranean region. The Order ofMalta is confident that, with the supportof the European Union, the Statesinvolved, UNESCO and otherinternational organisations, it will bepossible to establish principles andpolicies in agreement with the religiouscommunities and local authorities in theregion.”

Fifty academics, experts, religious anddiplomatic representatives discussedhow to define principles for a commondeclaration on the access to and legalprotection of the sacred places aroundthe Mediterranean.

They agreed that the majority of thesebelong to the three monotheisticreligions, Christianity, Judaism andIslam, which share fundamentalprinciples. Thus, identification of aprotection framework, taking intoaccount the similarities shared by thesacred places of the Mediterranean, but distinguished from sacred siteselsewhere, is possible.

President Barroso thanked the Order ofMalta for “its longstanding anddetermined efforts with regard to such acomplex topic as that of access to andprotection of sacred places” and

GOVERNMENT 25

Bishop of Karpasia Christoforos, Church of Cyprus; Jean-Pierre Mazery; George Iacovou,Cyprus Presidential Commissioner

Prof. Silvio Ferrari, University of Milan

Christian Manhart, UNESCO

Protection and Conservation of Cultural Heritage in theMediterranean: A Common ResponsibilityA conference hosted in Limassol by the Republic of Cyprus and the Sovereign Order of Malta, with the European Commission and UNESCO

The conference emphasisesthe importance of protectingour universal heritage, tomaintain the multi-culturaland multi-religious characterof the Mediterranean, andpromote peace.

A conference on the ‘Protection andConservation of Cultural Heritage in theMediterranean’ hosted by the Republicof Cyprus and the Sovereign Order ofMalta with the European Commissionand UNESCO, took place in Limassol,Cyprus, 22-23 November 2012. It followed from the resolutions taken atthe March 2012 seminar in Brussels onthis important topic. Participantsrepresenting the European Commission,European States, major internationalorganisations and religious institutions,examined the latest developments in theprotection and promotion of universalSacred Places in the Mediterranean area.The Grand Chancellor of the SovereignOrder of Malta addressed the need tothink of new forms of action tosafeguard the religious heritage of theMediterranean region. “Today, inaddition to its original mission,”explained Jean Pierre Mazery,

“the Sovereign Order of Malta hasendeavoured to help to protect suchuniversal heritage with a view tomaintaining the multi-cultural andmulti-religious character of theMediterranean while promoting peaceand stability in the region.” The key conclusions stated a desire tostrengthen UNESCO’s efforts.


SpotlightSpotlight

Care with compassion is part of the Order’s mission. In Europe, in Africa, in theMiddle East, the spotlight fallson the stories of inspiredvolunteer involvement, on howinnovative care is helping the elderly, on work for thesufferers of gender-basedviolence and on a firsthand,joyous account of giving birth at the Order’s hospital in Bethlehem.

SPOTLIGHT 27

Syriaaid in crisis situations

SPOTLIGHT 29

he dramatic scenes ofterrified fleeing citizenshave spread out from Syriato the world. Refugees arepouring into theneighbouring countries.

The humanitarian demand is great.

In Lebanon, the Lebanese Associationof the Order of Malta, together withMalteser International, the Order’sinternational relief agency, areassisting victims of the conflict. The refugees come with heart-wrenching stories. The LebaneseAssociation has set up a special clinicat its health centre in Khaldieh, 40 kilometres from Tripoli. Refugeeshave flocked there – up to a hundred aday. In Syria, Malteser Internationaland its long-time partner theInternational Blue Crescent (IBC),coordinates donations of basicnecessities and hygiene kits forinternally displaced persons (IDPs).

Roland Hansen, Head of the Asia Deskfor Malteser International, at the heartof the project in Autumn 2012

What humanitarian issues stand out inthis kind of crisis?First, the velocity of the civil conflictwhich is like a real war. It means thatmany people will need psycho-socialcare, on top of the other basic needs.And then, uncertainty about the future.No-one knows what will happen ifPresident Bashar al-Assad falls.

What is the greatest concern of the aidworkers?They concentrate on assisting thepoorest and most vulnerable, whoeverthey are. So the relief goods are onlydistributed on demand. Because of theconflict, the observation ofhumanitarian principles – especiallyimpartiality – is of absolute priority.And naturally the safety and security oftheir beneficiaries and themselves.

How do refugees learn about theKhaldieh clinic in Lebanon and itssupport?Many Syrian refugees or familymembers have been living in the regionfor a long time so they know about theKhaldieh clinic. They tell the newarrivals about its services as they havealready experienced the quality of the

treatment and the support the clinicgives refugees. In public clinics theyhave to pay, but the Order of Maltatreats poor refugees gratis. Hundredshave already received treatment, but the number seeking help grows allthe time.

T

The LebaneseAssociation of theOrder of Malta andMalteser Internationalare assisting victims of the conflict

The observation ofhumanitarian principles – especially impartiality –is of absolute priority

TOTAL AREA:185,180 sq km

POPULATION:22.5 million

LIFE EXPECTANCY

AT BIRTH:74 years

Syria: refugees at an Order/Blue Crescent distribution centre

Syria: working in partnerships is effective in the conflict-stricken land


warehouses. But this time home visitsare needed to identify and distributerelief goods to the very poorestfamilies.

How do communications work?Communications with the ‘field’ arequite difficult. Phone and internetconnections are not stable and oftendown. And because we are working inSyria through IBC, our partnerorganisation based in Turkey, allcommunications to and from Damascusgo via the IBC head office in Istanbul.

Can Malteser International continue to operate in Syria? Are there restrictions?Yes, we will continue. And we will evenextend our help there, as our partnerIBC has been registered in Syria since2007 when we first cooperated, and has

What is a typical refugee experience at Khaldieh?Mayada (name changed), 35, is a typicalexample. She arrived in Lebanon sixmonths ago with her four children. She is five months pregnant. As her husband has been working as aseasonal harvester in Lebanon shecould get a permit for her children toattend a Lebanese school. Mayada isvery grateful for the pre-natal care shereceives in the Khaldieh clinic, as thefamily cannot afford medical treatment.Her husband’s earnings are not evenenough to ensure their basic needs, as prices in Lebanon are much higherthan in Syria. Come winter he will beunemployed and even more in need ofhelp. Mayada’s story is representativeof many.

As coordinator of relief projects, is ithard to get information from MalteserInternational s partners on the groundin Syria?Information comes through our Turkishpartner, International Blue Crescent(IBC), working on the ground. They areextremely busy because the team isvisiting every family in Damascus andgoing to Aleppo, Homs and Hama too.For our last joint distribution, in 2007,the relief kits to Iraqi refugees inDamascus left from central

strong relations with the national RedCrescent Society. Right now we arepreparing winter emergency relief for15,500 people in Damascus, Hama,Homs and Aleppo. Hama and Homs areamong the coldest cities in Syria.Thousands of people there are living inunheated school buildings and sleepingon the floor without blankets.

You have set up an appeal. How willthe funds raised be used?We have set up an appeal and theGerman government has supported ouractivities in Syria with 300,000 euros sofar. We have received donations, butsadly need more. We are using thedonations to provide the Khaldiehcentre with medicines and laboratoryequipment.

What happens next to the refugeesand internally displaced persons(IDPs) and can Malteser Internationaladdress that problem?Currently, we can only care for a limitednumber of refugees – at the momentthere are about 3,100 internallydisplaced families in Syria and 500 refugees in Lebanon. We give themhygiene kits, clothing and stoves for thewinter. However, we need a lot morefunding. If the crisis in Syria ends andwe can return, we will support thereintegration of IDPs and refugees andthe reconstruction of their homes andsocial infrastructure, based on theexperience gained by our MalteserInternational teams in Asia. We haveprovided this kind of support inCambodia, Afghanistan and Pakistan,and now we are preparing for thereturn of the refugees toBurma/Myanmar.

In May 2012: 70,000 Syrian refugees registered or awaiting registration inJordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq. By December 2012: over 500,000. Egyptregistered almost 9,000 in 2012. In Lebanon and in Egypt, refugees are scattered(in 500 municipalities in Lebanon). In Iraq, refugees are divided between campsand host communities; in Jordan, over 70 per cent live amongst hostcommunities, the rest in three camps. Turkey: assists refugees in 14 camps,while tens of thousands are thought to have sought refuge in various cities.

statistics: UNHCR Regional overview December 2012

Emergency winter relief provided for 15,500 people in Syria

Stoves are provided for refugee families fleeing the conflict


Treating the violence the Order in Democratic Republic of Congo

And it is here, under these conditions,that Malteser International, theinternational relief agency of the Orderof Malta, has been working. Its strategicproject has two focii: 1) medical andhealth care in the Faradje and Abaregions; 2) emergency medicalinterventions to support internallydisplaced persons (IDPs).

Niccolo’ d’Aquino di Caramanicointerviews Dr. Alfred Kinzelbach,Malteser International’s senior deskofficer DR Congo, expert on thehumanitarian situation in the country.

When did Malteser International firststart its work here?We began in 1994, in South Kivu,supplying clean water and medicalassistance to civil war refugees. Wehave been taking part in medico-socialdevelopment programmes with the localMinistry of Health since 2006. And withfinancial support from ECHO, theHumanitarian Aid and Civil Protectiondepartment of the EuropeanCommission and Europe Aid inBrussels, we have launched a three year

Its natural resources shouldmake the Democratic Republicof Congo a rich country:minerals, diamonds, gold,tropical forests, which shouldguarantee a good standard of

living. But this is one of the poorestcountries on the planet, listed last in the180 nations surveyed in the WorldOutlook Database of the InternationalMonetary Fund. Life expectancy is 55years, infant mortality is 125,8 perthousand, over 54 per cent of thepopulation live on a dollar a day. Afterlong years of war and guerilla attacksamong rival factions and governmentforces, terrible civilian genocide whichhas destroyed the social fabric, leaving5.4 million dead in what has been calledthe African World War, makingthousands of orphans and widows andleaving millions homeless, a fragileagreement has finally been reached.Tension remains high, although keptunder control by the government andthe UN peacekeeping forces. But in theeast of the country, various minorarmed groups are reigniting hostilitiesagainst the government.

Despite numerous efforts tostabilise and bring peace inthe East part of theDemocratic Republic of Congothe situation worsenedduring 2012. Over the years, MalteserInternational has set up andexpanded its multi-sector aidprogramme, responding tothe most pressing needs ofthe population.

TOTAL AREA:2.34 million

sq km


LIFE EXPECTANCY

AT BIRTH:55 years

I

Keeping communications lines open: road building in DR Congo

SPOTLIGHT 33

programme in the Aru region, on theborder with Uganda. We are carrying outprojects in 13 areas, with 125 centres,hospitals and pharmaceuticaldispensaries.

Will the projects be developedprogressively?Yes. In the first phase, when the generalsituation provoked by the war and thecontinuing attacks was still at its peak,we distributed medical kits to thecentres around Faradje. Then addedAba, encouraging the paramedics,especially nurses, to open thehealthcare centres again, allocatingmonthly financial support to the centres,so healthcare was available to everyone.We were especially involved withrefugees: registering, giving freemedical assistance, aiming to reducemortality and disease among the veryvulnerable. So far we have been able tooffer free care to over 85,000 people. A significant result. But there is still

much to do. Most of the infrastructurehas collapsed, but even when theinstitutions were still working, therewere many elements lacking, left overfrom the colonial era but furtherimpoverished because of the braindrain: many professionals went abroad.So, either the public social services donot exist any more or they are in a stateof terminal decline.

Is this true in the medico-health sector too?Sure. The public health system operatesits medical centres for profit. Everycentre is autonomous and demandspayment for its services.

How does Malteser International fit in?An example of cooperation: since 2006we have had a regional warehouse forpharmaceuticals, called Caamenihu. It is a joint venture between the localchurches, Malteser International, thehealth districts and civil society. It distributes medicines and equipmentworth a million euros each year to theparticipating centres. The warehousewas originally a pharmacy of MalteserInternational and the diocese of Mahagi.

How many staff does MalteserInternational employ in DRC?'Our’ areas are North Kivu and SouthKivu. In South Kivu we have a team of 68(64 are local employees). In North Kivu,near the Sudan border, we have threeexperts and 29 locals. The morecomplex situation is in the south - thequestion is: are we at war or are we atpeace? Difficult to say, given the attackswhich go on all the time.

Projects in 13 areas, with125 centres, hospitalsand pharmaceuticaldispensaries

Support for victims of sexual violence is a priority in the Order’s activities in DR Congo


What do you consider the most difficultproblems to overcome?The worst is sexual violence. It hasbecome an instrument of war, neverseen at this level in any other part of theworld. It brings real psychologicalsyndromes of post traumatic disorder: it is one of the main priorities where wemust help, together with the ‘normal’medico-pharmaceutical help. Sexualviolence, following in the wake of warand massacres, has exploded in every

part of the society: it is no longer aphenomenon linked only to conflicts. To use sexual violence as a strategic ploycreates shame and humiliation in thevictims. But it has strong repercussionsthroughout the community too. The men

see the rape of their wives anddaughters as the definitive failure oftheir capacity to protect them. But forthe women, it is worse still, the damageis doubled, because the consequence ofhaving been blamelessly violated oftenleads to their social exclusion.

Does Malteser International havespecial support programmes for thesevictims of sexual violence?Yes. For women who become pregnantas a result of the violence, we providehelp and support at the birth and for thenext three months. But support in thecountry’s centres is very limited, so wesend the women to the best equippedhospitals, and those needing specialtreatment to Patiz Hospital in Bukavu.Where transport is a problem, we try toimprove the medical provisions at thesmall local centres. There is also theeconomic aspect. The social isolation ofthe victims of sexual violence leavesthem in extreme poverty. We seek tooffer them the means to supportthemselves, giving them seeds to

cultivate or small animals to raise formarket so they regain self respect.

Has the violence diminished recently?We are working on it. In addition topractical support for the victims, wehave organised education programmesfor the military, and with a state agency,the PHI (Provincial Health Inspection), toreduce the pull of public opinion, and soto help the social reintegration of thevictims. There are two key messages: it is certainly not the woman’s fault, and many of diseases resulting from theviolence can be diagnosed and cured.

How would you describe the aims ofMalteser International’s work in theDRC?Here, as everywhere we operate, ourwork is based on the humanitarianprinciples of neutrality, impartiality andindependence. Only strict adherence tothese principles allows us to intervenein complex crisis situations withoutcompromise and without being accusedof taking sides in conflicts.

Sexual violence hasbecome an instrument ofwar, never seen at thislevel in any other part ofthe world

Malteser International runs a water, sanitation and hygiene programme in eastern DRC, where only a fraction of the population has accessto safe drinking water

Victims of sexual assault often face social exclusion

An oasis of calm in a chaotic worldThe Order’s Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem

SPOTLIGHT 37

I heard of the Holy Familyhospital in Bethlehem longbefore I ever saw it. Somethingabout its venerable history andbiblical associations capturedthe imagination of women here,

and my own interest was piqued by thestories I had heard.

There was the heavily-pregnantAmerican woman I knew who walkedthere from her home in East Jerusalemone Christmas morning in search of herown seasonal miracle. The baby stayedput, and she returned home by taxi.

And there was the English doctorreturning for a post-natal check-upfollowing the birth of her son whodescribed seeing a blackened and shot-up Virgin Mary overlooking thehospital’s serene gardens at the heightof the Second Intifada. An Israeli tankhad machine-gunned the 120-year-oldstatue just the night before.

I discovered I was pregnant at analtogether more peaceful juncture inIsraeli-Palestinian relations, and theHoly Family hospital, run by theromantic-sounding Knights of Malta,seemed an enticing option.

When I arrived for my first appointmentat the private clinic, the receptionistasked me which doctor I had come tosee. Seeing my blank expression, thereceptionist reeled off two names. WhenI still looked blank, he softened, andsaid, “So, the fat one or the thin one?”

One of the first questions my doctorasked me was for my thoughts on theIsraeli occupation, and prospects forpeace amid stagnating peace talks,which had recently ground to a halt.Optimism for an Israeli-Palestinianpeace deal appeared to be at an all-time low.

I gave him some initial thoughts, butmy mind was preoccupied with other

things, namely the tiny heartbeat that Icould hear on the ultrasound machine.

My husband, frantically filing a story forhis newspaper elsewhere in thehospital, missed it all.

The Holy Family hospital, a dedicatedmaternity facility, charmed us themoment we stepped into its coolcloistered surrounds, its peacefulhallways and beautiful gardens an oasisof calm just yards away from a chaotictraffic junction.

Our choice, nevertheless, raised someeyebrows. Israelis wondered aloud whywe would choose a hospital in thePalestinian territories when Israelboasted some of the most advancedmedical care in the world. Friends back

I

Something about itsvenerable history and biblicalassociations capturedthe imagination of women here

I could hear a tinyheartbeat on theultrasound machine

TOTAL AREA:6,220 sq km


LIFE EXPECTANCY

AT BIRTH:74 years

The mobile clinic from the Order’s Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem makes weekly visitsto desert communities

By Catrina StewartBritish journalist living in Jerusalem

The Holy Family Hospital has 18 IntensiveCare Unit beds for premature babies


have to navigate. Israel’s military mansevery entry point into the occupied WestBank, and these checkpoints can beshut down at a moment’s notice inresponse to a security threat. My mother worried that a long-runninghunger strike by Palestinian prisonersin Israeli jails could spill over intoviolence amid rising tensions, and thatwe would find our way to the hospitalblocked.

When I did go into labour in the middleof the night, the Israeli soldiers wavedus through the checkpoint with barely aglance. At the hospital, we weregreeted warmly and taken to a privateroom, where the nurses and midwivesencouraged me to walk, breathe deeplyand take hot showers to lessen the painof contractions. My husband, preppedby Israeli antenatal classes, diligentlyrubbed my back.

Labour progressed quickly. There was abrief heart-stopping moment when thebaby’s heartbeat dramatically slowed,resulting in the need for a vacuumdelivery.

Rosie was delivered safely just beforelunch, and as she was whisked away,my husband took the opportunity tocheck the cricket scores. A beamingpaediatrician presently brought us thebest of news, informing us that theenlarged brain ventricles that hadcaused us so much worry during thepregnancy had shrunk back to their

home generally greeted our choice withamusement, the jokes about no room atthe inn eventually wearing thin.

But the Holy Family hospital, just 30minutes’ drive from our home, was nota frivolous choice: it was famed for itsmaternity care, and had a more naturalapproach to birthing than its highlymedicalised Israeli counterparts.Moreover, the equipment was good,thanks to funding from USAID, the USgovernment’s development agency.

When at 28 weeks our doctor spottedenlarged brain ventricles during aroutine scan, we were referred toIsrael’s Hadassah hospital for a foetalMRI to obtain a more detaileddiagnosis. We were told that there wereno MRI machines in the whole of theWest Bank, a reminder of how fortunatewe were to have the choice to seektreatment in Israel.

As a result, we were able to experiencefirst-hand the Israeli healthcaresystem. The consultants were excellent,but they encouraged us to undergoexhaustive tests in the third trimesterthat left my husband and me stressedand frightened about the outcome ofthe pregnancy. Our doctor in Bethlehemwas critical in urging us to forgo thetests and helping us recover ourequilibrium.

As my due date neared, we wonderedabout the Israeli checkpoint we would

normal size, and that she appearedperfectly healthy.

We were reunited with our babydaughter a couple of hours later. She arrived in a bassinet accompaniedby a donated Father Christmas cuddlytoy – no matter that it was the month of May.

A stellar team of midwives showed ushow to nurse, bathe and change thenappy of our newborn. In the midwives’room, I exchanged a few words withother new mothers, all of themPalestinians – both Christian andMuslim. Through our sharedexperiences we were able to surmountany language barrier.

Meanwhile, I fear that our choices havenot been entirely fair on Rosie. Her shiny new British passport proudlyproclaims Bethlehem as her birthplace,a fact that will surely earn her alifetime of ribbing. As for visiting Syriaand Lebanon, we can only hope that bythe time she feels the itch to travel,peace will reign in the Middle East.

ESSENTIAL MATERNITY CARE FOR ALL WOMEN

Run by a highly qualified staff of 137 – 11 specialists, 10 resident doctors, 67nurses, 11 paramedics and 38 administration and support staff - the Order ofMalta’s Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem provides Palestinians with anindispensable service. It offers the only possible place for women of the regionto give birth in good medical conditions. Since 1990 more than 56,500 babieshave been delivered. Each year the hospital performs over 17,000 outpatientconsultations and examinations.With a gynecologist and a midwife on board, the ‘Holy Family Mobile Clinic’ensures that essential maternity and pediatric care reaches women and infantsin even the remotest corners of villages in the Judean Desert.The hospital comes under the operational responsibilities of the FrenchAssociation of the Order of Malta.

I exchanged a few wordswith other new mothers,all of them Palestinians– both Christian andMuslim - surmountingany language barrier

The dramatic, emotional moments after birth, Holy Family Hospital

Catrina Stewart at the Holy Family Hospital

Pioneering trends in dementia careInnovative work in the Order’s care homes in Britain, Germany and France

SPOTLIGHT 41

aim is to enable the resident to staywithin the care setting.

Much of the work in the Homes isaround looking at personalisation. It involves the themes: maintainingidentity; sharing decision-making; andcreating community; and looking at howto personalise residents’ doors androoms, along with how murals andtactile pictures can enhance the lives ofpeople with dementia. The new careapproach has led to a reduction inantipsychotic usage - currently 50% ofHomes have no antipsychoticmedication use at all, which is a verypositive achievement.

The Service has been very successful inits first year, the demand is increasingand the need for practical andemotional support for carers remains akey element of the service.

Angie Williams Admiral Nurse, Ordersof St John Care and Victoria Elliot CareQuality Director OSJCT

For more information: www.osjct.co.uk

British Association

In November 2010, a special post toenhance the quality of dementia care,through evidence-based andrelationship-centred care wasestablished at the Orders of St JohnCare Trust homes (OSJCT) in Britain,with an Admiral Nursing Service. Thetrust manages 71 care homes and fiveextra care schemes in four countriescaring for approximately 3,500residents and employing 4,000 staff.

One of the results has been thedevelopment of the Trust DementiaGood Practice Guidelines. Proposalsinclude that each resident in the homesnow has a Life Story interview - hugelyimportant when planning and deliveringperson-centred care. Following anotherproposal, memory cafes have been setup in many of the homes for residentsand their families. “We feel that comingto the café is the next step of ourjourney with my wife’s dementia,” afamily carer says.

In the Order’s care homes in Britain,Admiral Nurses work with wholefamilies, including the person withdementia and professional carers. It isa very powerful way of improving directcare to people living with dementia andallows exchange of knowledge,attitudes and skills so that staff, too,develop personally and professionally.

One of the most distressing andconfounding aspects of dementia carefor staff groups is an understanding ofand developing approaches tochallenging behaviours. The ultimate

German Association

For many years people with dementiaand their families have been supportedby different services and institutions ofthe Order of Malta in Germany. The Malteser residential homesestablished a programme ‘Living withdementia’, the Malteser Hilfsdienst(MHD) developed several trainingprograms for different target groupsthat live and work with people withdementia. ‘Café Malta’ for people withdementia and their relatives was builtup in different places, and specialcounselling services were established.

In 2000 the German Associationdeveloped cooperation with the RoyalSwedish Foundation, Silviahemmet. The work of Silviahemmet is based onthe palliative care philosophy. The goalis ‘to achieve the best quality of life forthe person with dementia and for their

TOTAL AREA:1.15 million

sq km


LIFE EXPECTANCY

AT BIRTH:80 years

Personalisation is the keyto enhancing the lives ofpeople with dementia

In Britain innovative dementia programmes bring relief to residents

Dementia care in France is agrowing area of attention


In 2011 as a consequence of this projecta unique care philosophy was developed,taking into account the philosophy ofSilviahemmet and the mission of theOrder. A competence centre fordementia was established to supportthe implementation of the strategy andto give advice to the management board.All employers of the different services ofthe German Association in contact withpeople with dementia, plus 80 % of the volunteers, will receive specialtraining within the next five years.Additionally all of the Order’s residentialhomes and hospitals will integrate thisspecialist care for people with dementiaas a special competence within theirdaily work.In March 2012, the first day care unit forpeople in the early phase of the disease,which encompasses the Silviahemmetconcept, was opened in Bottrop in thepresence of Queen Silvia of Sweden.

For more information: www.malteser-demenzkompetenz.de

French Association

Ordre de Malte France runs fourspecialised homes for sufferers ofAlzheimer’s disease and the dependentelderly. Care for the 400 residentscentres on giving them a dignified qualityof life in a respectful and stimulatingenvironment. Nurses provide specialist care thatresponds to patients’ needs, many ofwhom are extremely vulnerable and havedifficulty communicating.Socialising activities are regular fixtures,both in the homes and on excursionsoutside, often involving family membersand friends in the process.Each resident has a small apartment,furnished with his or her favourite itemsand mementoes. They are encouraged toelect their own representatives who workwith the home’s administration to ensurethat each single need is addressed. When the time is right, specialist end-of-life care is provided.Two homes are in St Etienne, one in Niceand one in Clamart, outside Paris.

For more information: www.ordredemaltefrance.org

relatives’. At the centre of theFoundation’s activities is the educationof the carers and the empowerment ofrelatives.

Since 2009, 24 health care practitioners(medical doctors, occupationaltherapists, nurses, instructors andvolunteers) from different institutionsand services of the Order of Malta havebeen trained as Silviahemmetinstructors, with 15 more currently intraining. In 2009 and 2010 more than1,900 staff members, volunteers andrelatives were trained in the basicconcept of Silviahemmet. A special careunit for patients with dementia whoneed acute medical intervention wasinaugurated in the presence of QueenSilvia of Sweden at the MalteserHospital St. Hildegardis in Cologne.

A unique care philosophy:to achieve the bestquality of life for thedementia patient, to educate carers andempower relatives

Ordre de Malte France runs four specialised homes for sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease

Exercise is a strong element in care programmes for the elderly


In the words of our volunteers Motivations and experiences from Romania, Albania, Lithuania and France

The inspiration to become a volunteer touches heartseverywhere. Teams ofvolunteers give their timeand energy caring for thoseless fortunate thanthemselves. The work of volunteers is avery important contributionto nearly all the Order’sactivities. Most of thevolunteers are organised inthe Order’s relieforganisations and ambulancecorps.Here, some of our Europeanvolunteers describe whatmoved them to participate.

“Why did I choose to join the Serviciul de Ajutor Maltez in România (S.A.M.R.) –the health and social service of theRomanian Association?I still do not know. Maybe because it wasthe first organisation where I foundyoung people sharing the same ideals...maybe the smiles and the drawings oforphan children were embedded in mymind and will stay there... or maybe itwas simply God’s plan for me. But I know for sure that a decisivemoment was the one in which, being inan exchange programme with otheryoung Order of Malta volunteers, I saw ina church the statue of Jesus withouthands and underneath a plaque that said"You are my hands."

Then I realised that for me not to remainindifferent to the needs of those aroundme is a must, and that my worksymbolised by the eight points of theMaltese Cross is under the protection ofHis divine shield.” Founded immediately after the fall of theIron Curtain, the volunteer corps todaynumbers 1,400 volunteers and 62

employees. It is involved in some 100welfare programmes benefitting over4,000 people including the homeless,abandoned children, disabled youngpeople and the elderly.

Mihaela Herciu volunteer since 1993,currently leader of Sibiu branch.

Romania: you are my hands

Winter in Romania: Order volunteers bring sustenance to the poor in snowbound villages

VOLUNTEERS IN THE WORLD:

80,000

RELIEF CORPS IN

33 COUNTRIES

…I found young peoplesharing the same ideals...

CLOSE-UP 45CLOSE-UP 45SPOTLIGHT 45


Team (mainly volunteers) was in actionduring Albania’s flood emergency inassisting victims, mainly Roma andgypsy families, in the damaged villages

and suburbs of Shkodra with food,materials and medical assistance. The MNSH Civil Protection teaminstalled a First Aid Tent whereevacuees were arriving by boat fromvillages, bringing them to the collectivecentres. In the winter of 2012, MNSHdelivered essential items to the familiesstill in the flooded villages.

Orjeta Fusha Manager of the Volunteersand Social Department Coordinator of Malteser Ndihmon ne Shqiperi since 2000.

”Some people may find the thought ofmaking the world a better place oversweet, but for me it has been very

My first experience with MalteserNdihmon në Shqipëri (Volunteer Corpsof the Order of Malta in Albania - MNSH)was in 1999 during the Kosovo crisis,when I volunteered at the MNSH refugeecamp. I remember the smiles withwhich the people rewarded me for thelittle things I could do for them. It washard - I met so many traumatisedchildren and young people, all comingfrom the wild war. Since 2000, I havebeen Manager of the Volunteers andSocial Department Coordinator ofMalteser Ndihmon ne Shqiperi. My role is to plan, organise, implementand supervise social activities targettingmany disadvantaged groups. The volunteers run all the activities. I train them in interacting with differentgroups and individuals, and especiallythe vulnerable. For the last 10 years a very importantactivity is the summer school camp, onthe beach. 200 Roma and gypsychildren, and children from remoteareas (who have socio-economicdifficulties) participate. Our goal is tointegrate them and give them thechance of active holidays – treats theynever have. During the year we organise social andeducational activities with Roma andgypsy communities twice a week. And we run socio-educational activitieswith disabled children and girls living atthe ‘Mother Teresa’ missionary centre. In January 2010, Malteser Ndihmon nëShqipëri” started a kindergarten forneedy children not integrated in ourcommunities, and for those whosefamilies cannot afford privatekindergartens - state kindergartens donot exist. Our kindergarten is fortunateto have the financial support of MalteserHospitaldienst Austria, and AmbassadorGranser and the offer of the roomsgratis by the Municipality of Shkodra.The kindergarten welcomes 50 children. In 2011, the Malteser Rapid Intervention

fulfilling. It has given me thedetermination to keep volunteeringwherever I go, improving the lives of theless privileged and making mycommunity a better place. Volunteering challenges others aroundyou and encourages them to volunteertoo. Eventually the spirit of volunteeringspreads far and wide! That’s my guidingmotto, and I am honoured and proud tobe part of the Volunteers of the Order ofMalta in Albania. I was fourteen when I came acrossMalteser Ndihmon në Shqipëri. A teamfrom MNSH were organising a First Aidtraining course for the pupils of myschool. I was impressed by theprogramme of their activities and themotto Tuitio fidei et obsequiumpauperum. At first I asked to be part ofthis vital organisation. Now I am anactive volunteer member, participatingin all activities and proud to be part ofthe humanitarian work of the Order ofMalta.”

Miledi Kukaj is a young volunteer: ‘I asked to be part of this vitalorganisation’.

Albania: the spirit of volunteeringspreads far and wide

Warming soup on a freezing winter’s day in rural Albania: the Order’s volunteer corps at work

Volunteering challengesothers around you andencourages them tovolunteer too

SPOTLIGHT 47

Malta: he had been lost in the junglesof Africa… and he had resolved that ifhe survived, he had to care for people…His reactions made a strongimpression on me… And so, with all ofthose volunteer friends who hadworked with me on the nature projectand after we had discussed the articleand what action to take, we decided tojoin the Lithuanian Auxiliary Service ofthe Order of Malta (MOPT).We began to carry out the tasks whichthis organisation needed most: helpingwith arranging different events.

Every month, together with four of myfriends who are volunteers too, wesupport very poor old people withmedicines, hygienic care goods - by justsimply buying the goods and bringingthem to the Order of Malta AuxiliaryService for distribution.I am also responsible for the Christmassoup campaign. It is now an annualevent, and it starts with a competition:the pupils in Lithuania’s 430 schoolsmust come up with the best charityfundraising idea. Then, throughout

Volunteering? It means… a high level ofsatisfaction in this wonderful world.Result… shining eyes and a big smile onmy face most of the time… Do you wantto try, too? I can say what inspired me.Beautiful Lithuania with its manyforests, 5000 lakes and wonderful fieldswith flowers and natural nature wassuffering very much from rubbish lyingon the ground. After the Soviet Unioncollapse, a tradition to clean nature waslost among local people.Accompanied by several friends, westarted to work on this problem in 2007– literally clearing rubbish away. But wecould only do it during the warm periodof the year. How did this relate to the work I nowvolunteer for the Order? A year afterthe start of our ‘clean nature’ project,I was reading a business newspaperabout the Ambassador of the Order ofMalta to Lithuania, Douglas Saurma-Jeltsch, in December 2008. The articledescribed how he was inspired tobecome a volunteer in the Order of

December in the main squares ofLithuania’s 21 large cities, volunteers ofthe Lithuanian Auxiliary Service of theOrder of Malta give a plate of soup toeveryone who is hungry. On 6thJanuaryeach year we have the final of ourcampaign with a big concert for 600 inthe town hall of Vilnius, with VIPLithuanian guests, Order of Maltavolunteers and friends, and with directtransmission on television. Televisionviewers have the opportunity of sendingan SMS with a donation for lonely oldpeople. In the spring of 2011, a new financialcontrol commission of the LithuanianAuxiliary Service of the Order of Maltawas elected, where my name wasincluded. My duty was to organise theOfficial Visit of the Grand Master of theOrder to Lithuania and the 20-yearanniversary celebration of the Order ofMalta Auxiliary Service at the start ofSeptember 2011.It was the biggest challenge I had everhad in my life. No extra funds, no localadministration, 100 German partnerscoming to the 20 year anniversarycelebration - and the Europeanbasketball championship on the samedates in Lithuania! Thank God I havebeen working in an internationalcompany for more than 10 years, as managing director….

After many hours and days of work,crazy negotiations to get the bestpossible arrangements, together withvolunteers and a few employees of thisorganisation we managed to make 400volunteers happy, together with theGrand Master and the GrandHospitaller…a marvel happened… andwe were happy too.Somehow the volunteer life keeps meattached to the Order of Malta.

Ruta Voveryte Financial ControlCommission, Lithuanian Auxiliary Serviceof the Order of Malta (MOPT) since 2009.

Lithuania: shining eyes and a big smile

Volunteering means… ahigh level of satisfactionin this wonderful world

It was the biggestchallenge I had ever hadin my life

Grand Master Festing in Lithuania with Ruta Voveryte who organised his official visit of 2011


thanks in large part to the diffusion ofinformation via social media such asFacebook, the creation of a specialspace for the young on the Ordre deMalte France’s website, and publicationstargetted at the 18-35 year old agegroup.

Ordre de Malte France’s Youth Group is made up volunteers aged between 18 and 35, students and professionals, and they carry out charitable activitiesproposed by Ordre de Malte France.Returning from a pilgrimage to Lourdesin 2005, the young pilgrims founded theYouth Group to create a specialorganisation where people their own agecould get involved in charitable projectscaring for the poor and the sick, andalso strengthening their faith through

spiritual activities relevant to their ownstages as students or youngprofessionals.Seven years on, the Youth Group nowextends to a number of cities in France.In the last three years especially therehas been a great increase in numbers -

Today, there are almost 700 membersworking in Paris, Strasbourg, Nancy,Reims, Bordeaux, Châlons-en-Champagne, Angers, Blois andToulouse.On a daily basis, these young volunteersare involved in a variety of activities forthose in need, distributing breakfastsand warming soup to the homeless,working with the urgent medical aidservice (SAMU)for social and medical

assistance, visiting the sick, andorganising outings for the handicapped. A recent highly popular event at theMontlhéry car racing circuit wasorganised by Ordre de Malte France,where 130 handicapped had the time oftheir lives, accompanied round thecircuit in vintage cars. That day, theYouth Group greeted and accompaniedtheir charges, helping them into thecockpits and taking them around thecircuit. A great occasion to help, but above all to forge friendships.

France: a real force for good

a special organisationwhere … their own agecan get involved incharitable projects caringfor the poor and the sick

A great occasion to help,but above all to forgefriendships

And in France, smiles all around as Youth Volunteers pose with guests at the endof another joyful outing

Young Albanians having fun during the 2012 Summer Camp

The homeless often suffer painful feet: in Paris, a volunteer distributes welcome packs of thick socks


Worldwide focus on careWorldwide focus on care

Across five continents,the Order of Malta worksto alleviate suffering. Thebrief is simple: care forall those in great need,whoever they are, fromwherever they come. TheOrder has been doing thisfor over 900 years.

WORLDWIDE FOCUS ON CARE 51

EuropeThe Order’s Associations in Europe look after the elderly,the lonely, the homeless, andthose who are disadvantaged orhandicapped. They run carehomes and transport schemes,hospices, hospitals and soupkitchens and provide medicalcare for displaced persons andimmigrants, summer camps fordisabled youngsters. And they provide first aid atmajor events, and inemergencies, as well as trainingsessions for a coming generationof first-aiders. The Order hasvolunteers corps in 23 countriesin the continent.

n Albania, volunteers in MalteserNdihmon në Shqipëri (MNSH)continue to expand their aid workin three main sectors: civilprotection, social care andmedical care.

In parts of northern Albania with nopublic healthcare facilities, MNSHvolunteers aid patients, take them tohospital or to treatments – in 2011 over1,500 patients were treated. Each year, a summer camp and summer school isorganised for 200 Roma children fromthe north. Recent interventions: floods December2009 - provision of automatic waterchlorination equipment for Shkodraafter flooding contaminated the water;provision of food and hygiene items tomore than 100 families in the village ofDajç; rescue by the MNSH AmbulanceService of several hundred peopletrapped in their homes; at governmentrequest, MNSH took over the medicaland psychosocial support for 200 Romaat a transitional centre at Rrenc. MNSHwas supported by Malteser Hilfsdienst

Germany (MHD) and MalteserHospitaldienst Austria (MHDA). Forfuture disaster prevention, the MNSHorganised training in schools and healthcentres.

During the severe winter of 2012,declared a national disaster, the MNSHdonated emergency medicines to cut offrural communities, and provided hotmeals for 250 Roma. The Order’s ItalianEmergency Corps (CISOM) also sentvolunteers who distributed goods andhygiene packages to those in need.

The Order’s emergency relieforganisation in Austria, the MHDA(Malteser-Hospitaldienst Austria) offers

its services at public events andprovides general ambulance services inVienna, Tyrol, Salzburg and Styria. In Tyrol the MHDA has had a permanentambulance service since October 2011.The MHDA has 1,200 volunteers. In 2011they offered 100,000 hours of service. Ongoing services for young handicappedinclude organising a winter sports weekfor young handicapped in March 2010,four days of white water rafting usingspecially adapted craft in August 2011.Medical services are provided at anumber of major events. A recentexample was the 18th World AIDSConference in Vienna, 2010, when 20paramedics and emergency doctorsprovided 438 interventions and 12hospitalisations among the 19,000participants.Overseas aid: The MHDA participated ina donation of €1.2 million to providesupport following natural disasters inPakistan and Haiti. The donation,provided in conjunction with MalteserInternational and ‘Nachbar in Not’, paidfor water treatment and construction of

I


The homeless: a widespread social concern. In a Paris street, Order volunteers work with a ‘sans abri’

Focus on civil protection,health care and disasterreduction in Albania, andin Austria a range ofservices including firstaid at public events

Italy: providing shelter after the earthquake in Emilia Romagna


wells in the areas of Pakistan mostaffected by monsoon flooding, July 2010.

For over ten years in Belarus the Order,through its Malteser Hilfsdienstorganisation in Germany, has beenactive: support for the nursing schooland orphanage for handicapped childrenin Voronowo, construction of workshopsfor the handicapped in Slonim,rehabilitation of the Caritas holidayplaces in Niecicz near Lida, andfinancial help to foster families in theMinsk region. These initiatives benefitChernobyl victims, in some casessecond generation sufferers.

The Institute Albert I and QueenElizabeth in Belgium provides a caringhome for chronically ill patients.Volunteers from the Order’s BelgianAssociation have been trained forspecialised roles in palliative care at theInstitute, which is part of the CliniquesUniversitaires Saint-Luc, near Brussels.Meanwhile, 130 volunteers from theBelgian Association, together with thehelp of two nurses and two socialworkers continue to care for homelesspeople in the La Fontaine hospices,established in Brussels 15 years ago,

then in Liège. The hospices registered17,000 visitors in 2011 who were givenfood, showers, clean clothing andmedical checkups. A third, in Ghent, will be opened soon.

In addition, five annual summer campsin different countryside locations areorganised for children who are victimsof neglect or deprivation, and there areweekends for handicapped young andtheir families and regular Sundayoutings during the year. Around thecountry, 570 volunteers pay home visitsto the lonely and elderly, organise tripsfor orphans, visit the sick. The Association’s international aidorganisation, Malta InternationalBelgium (MIB) sends largeconsignments of medical supplies todeveloping countries. MIB is active inthe Democratic Republic of Congo,

where it supports the work of a hospitaland two orphanages. In Lebanon, youngvolunteers are also involved in theCaravan project for disabled youngsters,run under the auspices of the GermanAssociation.

Together with a partner, the Order ofMalta’s Embassy in Bosnia andHerzegovina operates four dentalambulances in Doboj, Medjugorje, NoviTravnik and Sarajevo for the poor anduninsured local population. Anotherfocus is supplying medical equipment,medicines and special foods forhandicapped and orphaned children inthe convent of the Child Jesus of theEgipat, Sarajevo. In 2011 and 2012, the Order’s Embassyorganised participation in constitutionallaw and EU law courses in Bucerius LawSchool, Hamburg, Germany, forstudents from Bosnia and Herzegovina,to improve the professional lives ofstudents in a country with 40%unemployment. The Embassy has alsoorganised to supply the Nova BilaHospital with desperately neededmedical equipment.

The Order’s Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria

The homeless: the Order’s hospices in Brussels and Liège helped 17,000 in 2012

Handicapped young andold cared for in Belarus,Belgium, BosniaHerzegovina; specialisedhospices for thehomeless in Belgium

Weekends for disabled guests and their families are a feature in Belgium


has since 2005 made more than 200humanitarian and social interventions in80 locations. Examples includedonations of equipment and medicinesto hospitals in eight towns and cities,four ambulances to the Children’sHospital in Vidin and the QueenEleonora Hospital in Avren, a 20-seaterminibus with a lift for two wheeled-stretchers donated to the parish ofPerchevich and food and basicnecessities delivered to hospitals, socialand educational establishments tosupport projects for children and theelderly.

In 2012 the Order provided a newheating system for the Hospital “KingFerdinand I” in Iskrets, specialised inpneumophysiatric diseases.The latest initiative is a hot mealsservice for the poor in three differentareas of the capital city: organised bythe Embassy, the Order’s volunteers inBulgaria distribute 300 meals a day tothe poor in Sofia.

For 65 handicapped children in ruralareas of Southern Bohemia in the CzechRepublic, the daily journey to and fromtheir special school in the regionalcapital would be impossible without thehelp of volunteers from MaltézskáPomoc (Malteser Aid), the auxiliarycorps of the Grand Priory of Bohemia,which has over 50 staff and 350volunteers. Their daily transport servicehas been running since 1996, andcurrently carries out more than 12,000transfers a year. The volunteersarranged more than 125 extracurricularactivities for the youngsters between2009 and 2011.Other activities include providingsupport for the regional emergencyservices, while a recently-introduced‘Adopt a Senior’ programme is growing

strongly with volunteers caring for thelonely, sick and disabled on a one-to-one basis.From headquarters in Prague, MalteserAid coordinates activities in 10 centres.Services include school transport fordisabled children and homecare for theelderly. Volunteers have donated morethan 36,000 hours over the past threeyears.

In another scheme, members of theOrder lead a group of volunteers inSlovakia helping homeless people, the Roma minority, prisoners andpatients in a local hospice.

Services run by the Order’s Associationin France are extensive and longestablished. They are structured aroundthree operational directions: first aid;

AT THE HEART OF THE ACTIONFirst aid challenges during the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Germany

As Pope Benedict XVI concluded his visit to Freiburg in his home country inSeptember 2011, 947 members of Malteser Hilfsdienst, the Order’s first aidcorps in Germany, from 13 dioceses plus 153 support personnel, stood at ease.Everything had gone according to the plans developed twelve monthsbeforehand by the planning team.The challenge: for MHD to supervise the over a hundred thousand participantsat the papal Mass and Vigil in Freiburg, undertake the personal securityservices of the Holy Father, and transport and care for disabled participants.This was to be carried out under extreme time pressure with volunteer leaderssupported by full-time staff.The conditions: unpredictable number of participants in the events; severalvenues; difficult transportation conditions; high security requirements; MHDpersonnel from several dioceses; extreme time pressure; definitive missionstatement issued only shortly before the event. The planning: the assumed number of participants at the Mass was 100,000,with 20,000 expected at the Vigil. A 100% safety margin was included in thecalculations for both events. The number of vehicles was doubled to ensurestandard rescue services in compliance with response times. Adequate fuel supplies were arranged. Accommodation and meals for all personnel was set up. The service: the MHD provided onsite first aid, onsite medical care,transportation to treatment centres, psychological care (crisis intervention,emergency counselling, emergency personnel care), organisation oftransport for the disabled from train and bus stations. And specific rescueand medical care of the Holy Father and other VIPs if necessary. At Emergency HQ, established by the Federal Agency of Technical Relief,MHD staff and volunteers worked with the Office of Fire and Civil Protection,manning the post in shifts around the clock from 8am on 23rd September to7pm on 25th. There were also units from the Red Cross, St.John’s AmbulanceService and Black Forest Mountain Rescue. 7 field kitchens served 7900meals and 262 vehicles stood in readiness, including 72 ambulances, 3emergency doctors’ cars and 3 all-terrain vehicles. The implementation: 387 people were treated, 1520 disabled weretransported. No incidents reported, all logistics were covered, deploymentpreparations and operations effective. The programme goal was achieved,with professionalism and with joy.

Christoph Klausmann Chief of Staff, Sophie Henckel von Donnersmarck Executive Manager, Malteser Freiburg.Translation Gregory Tutton.

In Bulgaria, humanitarianand social interventionsfor young and old, inCzech Republic ‘Adopt aSenior’ project


solidarity; training and medico-socialestablishments. The organisation has4,200 regular volunteers and 1,510professional staff (in France andabroad). At home,‘Ordre de Malte France’services offer 15 health centresproviding socio-medical care for around900 needy people of all ages. The rangeincludes a home for children andadolescents;five homes for the elderlyand those with Alzheimer’s; four for theseverely physically handicapped; fourcentres for autism or mental handicap;two centres for patients withbehavioural problems. Autism was declared the Great NationalCause for 2012 and from 1 January,Ordre de Malte France took over afacility near Chartres for 32 autisticadults where the average age is 31 andwhere there is always a long waiting list.This is in addition to the four institutionsit already runs for patients with autismor mental handicap. A unique work centres around twobarges on the Seine in Paris which carefor homeless men – counting 16,000nightly stays per annum – supervised by

10 staff and 150 volunteers whoencourage their guests to return tosociety and avoid handouts. In addition, Ordre de Malte Franceoperates an ambulance serviceconsisting of 26 response units, 21teams of rescuers and 393 voluntarymedical staff. In 2010 they staffed 1,850aid stations at sporting and culturalevents throughout the country. In 2011,

430 first aid workers offered 33,000hours for first aid missions. The Order isalso a major provider of specialisedtraining programmes for paramedics,running courses in Brest, Bordeaux,Paris and Toulon.Actions to help migrants repatriate havebeen operating since 2002 at therequest of the government.

The ‘Plateforme Famille’ projectorganises housing and provides socialsupport and the construction of ‘lifeprojects’ to help the families move backto their homeland. In Paris, 1,800migrants were assisted in 2011; in Lille,Metz and Geispolsheim, human rightsand legal support is offered – to almost2,000 in 2011.In April 2012, a cooperation agreementwas signed between the Republic ofFrance and the Sovereign Order ofMalta, based on the FrenchAssociation’s experience in emergencymedical services. The agreementstrengthened the already firm bondsexisting since 1928 between France andthe Order, underpinned by joint venturesinvolving the protection of individuals,public health, and medical and socialassistance and training.Overseas, Ordre de Malte France isactive in 27 countries in South America,the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle Eastand South Asia. It operates 13 healhcentres and hospitals in Africa and theMiddle East, and supports 166 centresin Africa, the Americas, Asia and theMiddle East. It offers healthcare

In France, a range ofservices – specialisedcare homes, hospicesfor homeless men, anambulance service,migrant repatriation

Bulgaria: The Order’s Embassy provides 300 meals a day to the poor in Sofia


programmes for leprosy, AIDs,tuberculosis, malaria and Buruli ulcerdisease. Ordre de Malte France alsosupports research into leprosy, withMALTALEP, which finances a clinicalresearch programme for the disease;and it supports an internationalscientific research programme whichhas run since 2006.

With almost a million members andsupporters, plus 47,000 activevolunteers, the German Association isone of the busiest in the Order, knownthough its relief corps MalteserHilfsdienst (MHD) for its work in civilprotection - first aid and training, rescueservices, catastrophe relief and amedical repatriation service. There arealso almost 8,000 members of theMalteser Youth Organisation, a schoolambulance service comprises another6,000 people, and behind them all stand22,536 employees at 700 locationsthroughout the country. In 2011,volunteers performed 5,000,000 hours ofwork all over Germany.

More than 72,000 patients were caredfor in the Order’s 7 hospitals and in day-care centres during 2011, emergencytransport was provided for 688,000patients and regular transport for morethan 22,000 disabled; and a meals-on-wheels service delivered 3.9 millionmeals to the housebound. The organisation also operates 21homes for elderly people, 11 carefacilities for asylum seekers, 32residential homes specialised in youthwork and drug addiction treatment. Over 4,000 volunteers visited more than10,000 elderly sick or lonely. In addition, 347,000 people attendedtraining courses and 72,000 people usedthe Order’s home emergency callservice. A recent responsibility is a secondaryschool with 1,200 pupils in Willich, withtwo more in Westphalia and theRhineland, taken over from religiouscongregations.The organisation has developed aspeciality in dementia care through itsSilviahemmet programme, where

patients are cared for in distinctiveenvironments set out to help themrecognise their surroundings and feelprotected in them.

The MHD also responded to a number ofemergencies and disasters during 2010and 2011. One of the most demandingoccurred at the 2010 Love Parade musicfestival in Duisburg, where 400 membersof MHD were among 1,000 reliefvolunteers under the overallmanagement of Malteser Hilfsdienst.Tragically, more than 500 people werehurt in a mass stampede towards theend of the event. MHD helpers were ableto save many of the injured, but 21 youngpeople lost their lives that evening.

Programmes inGermany - first aidtraining, ambulanceservice, hospitals, carehomes, centres forasylum seekers, schools

Dementia care is a focus of the Order of Malta in many European countries


In 2011, for the visit of Pope BenedictXVI, the MHD provided medical servicesat the events and Masses in Berlin,Erfurt, Eichsfeld and Freiburg. 2,000volunteers lent their assistance. MHD also has a Malteser Migrationdepartment to provide help, medicalcare and support with integration forasylum seekers, refugees andimmigrants. Since 1998, more than 1.6million people from 100 nationalitieshave been supported as they seek tobecome assimilated into German life. 2011 also saw the 20-year anniversaryof the Malteser-Johanniter-Johanneshaeuser (MJJ) institution,Bonn, a collaboration between the Orderand the Johanniterorden to care formentally ill people. Every year in Germany, the Orderprovides medical, social andhumanitarian care to over 12,000,000people and, through the Germanforeign-aid department, to numerouscountries, especially in central andeastern Europe.

The British Association (BASMOM)includes a fundraising Foreign AidService (FAS), a hospitaller organisation,and volunteer groups. It is a partner in the Orders of St John Care Trust(OSJCT), the second largest provider ofnot-for-profit care for the elderly in theUK. It operates 71 care homes, employsover 4,000 staff and cares for some3,300 residents. In Scotland, the Orderof Malta Dial-a-Journey service providesa door-to-door transport service for the disabled, and currently operates 24buses.The Order of Malta Volunteers (OMV) is a lively group of young volunteerswhose activities include pilgrimages,working in summer camps with theLebanese Association in Lebanon, and participation in the Order’s annualinternational summer camp for youngdisabled.The Companions of the Order of Malta is the British Association’s auxiliaryorganisation, made up of volunteers,members and former OMV. Its range of activities covers regular visits to theresidents of the OSJCT Homes, activityweekends for those with special needs,

and a project working volunteer weeksin the slums of Nairobi.

The Hungarian Order of Malta CharityService (MMSZ) celebrated its 20th

Anniversary in 2009 - founded the sameyear that the country achievedindependence. The turbulent economicand political events of that period sawMMSZ grow rapidly into a large scalerelief and rescue organisation, workingin partnership with new governmentaland social bodies to handle the crisiscaused by the influx of East Germanrefugees, the revolution in Romania andwar in Yugoslavia.

MMSZ is now one of the country’slargest charitable organisations, with5,000 regularly active volunteers, a further 15,000 volunteers on stand-by,and 850 permanent employees ready torespond to those in need.In addition to a wide range of careservices which support more than10,000 people every day, MMSZ has

responded to more than 35,000emergencies both nationally andinternationally. New in the service is afree Smartphone application, or ‘App’,providing vital information to help non-professional people give first-aid in anemergency.MMSZ micro economic programmes tohelp those in need have included anelectronic waste disassembly plantfounded six years ago. It achieved ISO9001 (quality) and ISO 14001(environment) management standardsin 2010 and provides employment for 30people. The MMSZ also provides trainingin basketry and garden furniture makingfor 25 disadvantaged people in Tokaj.in 2010, the red sludge disaster whichflooded villages in and around Devecserin early October left hundreds homeless.MMSZ developed 27 assistanceprogrammes to support victims of thecatastrophe. Before Christmas, 35,600families received food donations fromthe Service and on national Children’sDay, 31 May, the Service also gave20,000 toys to needy families. In a busy 2011, MMSZ extended its ‘Hostvillage programme’ (rehousing familieswho have lost their homes, andintegrating them into local communities)to include a school in Tarnabod, where

Extensive relief andemergency service inHungary, focus on elderlycare in Great Britain

The Order’s Volunteer Corps in Ireland has a fleet of 180 vehicles

The 10th pilgrimage of the German Association to Rome since 1981: the 1000 pilgrimsincluded 300 disabled


all the children are Roma,disadvantaged, and living in deepestpoverty. New programmes aided heavilyindebted families with debtmanagement, and the first mobileplayground of the MMSZ wasestablished in Southern Hungary,servicing 35 communities (in many partsof the country there are no events forchildren, nor community centres). A special service (computer basics and internet use) to combat digitalilliteracy among primary schoolers was launched.

Over the last two years, the Order’sAssociation in Ireland has seen a rise in

the number of Dublin homeless, drugaddicts or those involved in the on-street sex industry. In response, the Order’s AmbulanceCorps – every member of which is avolunteer - joined with three othervoluntary agencies to develop servicesfor those who fall through the net ofconventional primary healthcareservices. They are working with theDublin Simon Community, who care forhomeless people, the ChrysalisCommunity Drug Project, which caresfor street workers, and PrimarycareSafetynet, a voluntary GeneralPractitioner care group.The service started with an adapted

ambulance and now has a purposedesigned mobile clinic. In its first year,the service saw 207 referrals to theHomeless Person Unit, and 442 harmreduction interventions for topics suchas safer drug use, health promotionadvice, and an exchange service forneedles and syringes.

The Order’s Ambulance Corps alsoprovides emergency personnel to assistthe duty doctor with wound dressings,immunisation and the treatment ofinjuries. In 2011, membership of the Corps roseto more than 4,500 – 5,000 by end 2012.The Corps provides services throughoutIreland, is organised in 85 unit areasacross 11 regions, and has a fleet of 180 vehicles including ambulances,minibuses for community care work and4x4 vehicles for travelling over roughterrain. It is managed on an entirelyvoluntary basis, with experiencedmembers assigned specific roles infinance, transport, training, CPD(continuous professional development),IT, administration, operations andcommunity care at both national andregional level. The Cadet Corps, foryoung people aged between 10 and 16,holds an annual camp in Limerick –attended by over 600 cadets in 2011. Inthe same year, the Ambulance Corpslaunched a new Mobile Medical Facilityto service point-to-point equestrianevents.The Irish Association continues to fund amidwifery training programme atBethlehem University and the Order’sHoly Family Hospital in Bethlehem, witha planned post graduate course fornurses to train as midwives.

In Italy, the Order is active through itsthree Grand Priories and its Association(ACISMOM). In 2011, the Order in Italyhosted the 28th International SummerCamp for young disabled, at Lignano

Ambulance corps inIreland, made upentirely of volunteers,now numbers 5000


Sabbiadoro, with the participation of 500guests, helpers and volunteers fromOrder organisations all over Europe,from Australia and from the UnitedStates. The Grand Priory of Rome organisesweekly support evenings for homelesspeople in Rome, and a specialcelebration lunch each Christmas. Its Delegation of Florence also runs asummer camp for a month forBelarusian children who have beenexposed to second-generation radiation,due to the 1986 Chernobyl reactorexplosion. In 2011, 38 children werehosted in Tarquinia, aided by thevolunteers of the Italian EmergencyCorps of the Order of Malta (CISOM).Members of the Order’s Delegation ofPisa continue to support the ‘ProjectAbruzzo’ they established following thedisastrous earthquake in the region in2009. Other activities include care forelderly people either in their own homesor at two care homes in Lucca andLivorno.

The Grand Priory of Lombardy andVenice, through its Delegation of Genoa,has been running a day care clinic in thehistoric centre since 1993. A new dentalclinic was opened at a retirement homein Voghera, similar to the free servicealready provided in Pavia. A medicalclinic for those without medical

insurance recently opened in San Remo.In addition, volunteers distributed morethan 400 packs of food supplies toelderly people in hospitals and nursinghomes in the region. The youth groupalso made regular visits to people withdisabilities at the Fondazione Don CarloGnocchi in Palazzolo, while an outreachprogramme continued to providesupport to families in need of help.Between 2009 and 2011, the Grand

Priory of Naples and Sicily hascontinued to provide homes and supportfor the families of children sufferingfrom cancer. The scheme has beenrunning since 2007, with one of thefamily homes being completely restoredand re-equipped in 2010.Many members and volunteers continueto provide hot meals for impoverishedand homeless people, and additionalfunding has been provided for thehomeless canteens at the shrine of OurLady of Pompeii and in the parish ofSanta Lucia.Other recent initiatives have includedthe opening of a clinic to treat thethousands of migrants arriving by boatfrom North Africa and Central Asia inSicily and on the island of Lampedusa,and the inauguration of ‘Casa di Malta’to provide free accommodation topatients and family members at theToraldo medical oncology hospital inTropea.The Italian Emergency Corps of theOrder of Malta (CISOM), headquartered

Emilia Romagna, Italy: emergency campsite for the homeless after the 2012 earthquake

Italian Emergency Corpsdisaster response onland and sea aidsthousands


in Rome, has 3,500 volunteerscountrywide and operates in the fieldsof civil protection and emergencies onItalian territory. A special focus is thework with the Italian Coastguard and theGuardia di Finanza to provide a rescueservice at sea for migrants coming tothe southern coast of Italy and theisland of Lampedusa, 24/7, 365 days ayear. During 2011, 30,000 boat peoplearrived, including almost 3,000 minorswho landed on the island, most withoutan accompanying adult, alone andabandoned. In May 2011, CISOM and the ItalianAssociation Military Corps ran 5 medicalposts around St.Peter’s Square, on theoccasion of the Beatification of PopeJohn Paul II – a continuous service of 72hours. CISOM has also been supportingvictims of the earthquakes in theAbruzzo (2009) and in Emilia Romagna(2012), setting up camps for thehomeless and providing food and basicnecessities. In Rome, the Italian Association runsthe 220-bed San Giovanni BattistaHospital, with specialised treatment inneuro rehabilitation, particularly of

post-stroke and post-trauma patients(the Reawakening Unit). Its day centretreats 350 patients a day. The Order alsoruns 12 day-care and diabetic centres inRome and other Italian cities, caring for45,000 patients annually.

The Order’s relief organisation inLithuania, Maltos Ordino PagalbosTarnyba (MOPT), celebrated its 20thanniversary in 2011, marked by the visitof the Grand Master in September.MOPT has developed from anorganisation providing the urgentmedical and social help desperatelyneeded in the country following thecollapse of the Soviet Unit, into ahumanitarian organisation with 26groups nationwide, plus youth groups,and a long-term strategy of care for theneedy of all ages.

MOPT works closely with social servicesorganisations at both regional andnational government levels. The localgroups include youth sections whosemembers play an active role in thehumanitarian and social work, as wellas running their own events and camps.

Meals on wheels projects run in 15cities feeding 400 beneficiaries. Care for the elderly has been one of theorganisation’s primary activities formany years. Several hundred volunteershave been trained in specialised patientcare, which is provided in four cities for220 elderly. The volunteers also providehot meals every day to hundreds of sickand lonely old people in 23 cities andtowns in Lithuania – as they have donesince 1993, including care for 750elderly in Vilnius.

There are eight day care centres forchildren which assist 140 youngstersfrom socially vulnerable and poorfamilies, and other centres which havebeen established in schools.With help from the Order’s Embassy inLithuania, the Order’s volunteers have

Lithuania’s 26enthusiastic groups runactivities and care forthe elderly and childrenacross the country

Lithuania’s Volunteer Corps sell soup to fundraise for the urban poor


raised more than €400,000 in the pasttwo years – a figure which would beequivalent to €13 million whencompared to the average income andpopulation of wealthier nations. In 2006they organised five regional events, by2010 they had expanded to 20. Aninnovative approach is the recent ‘BestCharity’ competition which attractedentries from 20,000 children in 75schools and has laid the foundations forcreating more youth groups andintroducing first-aid response units inLithuanian schools.

A team of assistance dogs and handlersis being trained with funding from theOrder’s volunteer corps in Luxembourg(Premier Secours de la Croix de Malte),with eight dogs having passing theirinitial tests. The volunteers of the Orderof Malta continue their long-establishedmeals on wheels service to elderly andsick people – every Saturday since 1974- and in 2011 delivering 1000 meals. Aprogramme of visits to the elderlyhousebound has been under way since2010. The Service now offers twoambulances, also used for sport and

cultural events, and accompanieshandicapped guests to the annual eventorganised by Rotary Luxembourg.

Activities of the Order’s Association inMalta (MASMOM) include members andvolunteers providing daily help andcomfort to patients at the Sir Paul BoffaOncology Hospital. They also prepareChristmas hampers every year for needyfamilies and support the meals-on-wheels project of the Maltese CrossCorps, providing over 85,000 mealsannually to the elderly housebound. A recent picnic for 500 elderly people washeld in the grounds of Verdala Palace,the President of Malta’s country seat. Other initiatives: A prison ministryproject since 2011 provides guidanceand companionship to young foreigninmates who have no contact with theirfamilies; organisation of annualpilgrimages to Lourdes and Ta’Pinu forelderly and wheelchair-bound pilgrims.The Association also runs a number offirst aid courses. A special venture is aprogramme for Guide Dogs for theBlind, launched 2012. Together with theMalta Guide Dogs Foundation, the

Maltese Association manages theproject to train dogs for the blind. The foundation trains ten dogs a year tohelp the blind. There are 1,800 visually-impaired people in Malta.

The Order’s Embassy in Moldovasupports a soup kitchen programme inChisinau and the charitable centre CasaProvidentei for elderly people and needychildren which distributes hot meals inthe capital.

An example of the very effectivecooperation among Order organisations:the Order’s Association in Monaco,together with the Order’s Embassies inMonaco and Kenya, coordinated a life-saving operation for Njuki, a smallKenyan baby born with a serious cardiacmalformation in early 2011. Togetherwith his mother, he was flown to thePrincipality of Monaco’s Cardiac SurgeryCentre for a complex operationunavailable in Kenya, which has givenhim the chance to live a normal life.

In the Netherlands, the Order’sAssociation celebrated its centenary inSeptember 2011, attended by the GrandMaster, Grand Chancellor and GrandHospitaller who came to mark thespecial occasion. The Order of Malta and the Order of StJohn work in partnership to run theHospice ‘Johannes Hospitium’ whichoffers terminal care in the towns ofVleuten and Wilnis. The same twoorganisations also cooperate in theKruispost Foundation in Amsterdam,

In Romania, half the population is elderly and poor

Guide dogs are trainedin Luxembourg andMalta, food for the pooris the Moldovan focus,Monaco offers supportat its cardiac centre, inthe Netherlandshospices and summercamps for disabledyoung are central


which provides primary medical care touninsured people and those in mentaldistress.The Association runs a week-longsummer camp for young people 20-32years old with physical disabilities, anannual event since 1995. They areaccompanied by Order volunteers -students or young working people in thesame age groups. Two camps (12-13age group and 14-15 year olds) also runfor a week each summer. For the firsttime in July 2011 a group of Dutchstudents and young professonalsparticipated in the Lebanon Caravanproject of the German Association.

The Order’s Association in Poland has arange of activities around the country:care for dependent children in Katowiceand Myslenice, for hospital patients inKrakow and Tarnow, and for elderly andlonely people in Krakow. In Poznan,three centres care for those with mental

handicaps and psychic disorders as amajor focus. In Warsaw, St.NicholasHouse, a social assistance facility foradults with mild mental handicaps, hasoperated since 2007. June 2012 saw theOrder’s Blessed Gerard Hospital housedin new buildings in Barczewo, extendingits specialist treatment centre for

patients with coma and linking in to themedical department of OlszytnUniversity. In five Order centres –Katowice, Warsaw, Poznan, Radom andOlsztyn, 589 people with significantmotor disabilities are cared for underthe programme ‘Support in the job

market for people with motordisabilities’.The ambulance service provided by theOrder of Malta Medical Service inPoland attends sporting, religious andcultural events throughout the country.And when serious floods inundatedparts of the country in 2010, membersof the Service focused their support onthe district of Wola Rogowski Tarnów,where more than 500 residents had losteverything - homes, food, crops.Emergency and non-emergencytransportation is also provided, whilefirst-aid courses and an Honorary BloodDonor Club are other facets of theservice.The Order’s Centre of Assistance forHandicapped Children and their familiesin Cracow celebrates its 6th anniversaryin 2012, and, as every year, summercamps are organised for younghandicapped. The Centre has alreadyassisted over 1,400 families withhandicapped children, with 400remaining under continuing care.

In Portugal, volunteers from the Order’sAssociation help the elderly in twohomes in Lisbon (Carnide and Meninode Deus), and others in Crato andGaviao; they undertake prison visits(Caxias and Carregueira), and supportprimary healthcare initiatives for thepoorest in Evora and Porto. ThePortugese Association also runs anoutpatients’ clinic for the poor in theSan Francisco da Cicade hospital,Lisbon, inaugurated by the GrandMaster during his State Visit in 2010. For over 36 years the Order of Malta’svoluntary corps in Portugal (CVOM) hasbeen offering medical assistance topilgrims who make the long pilgrimageon foot to the sanctuary of Fatima. Theyadded in 2011 a further post along theway, for which they obtained thedonation of an ambulance andequipment. In 2012, 4,000 pilgrims werehelped by the assistance provided freeby the Association, which also donatedessential equipment to six social andhealthcare clinics.

The Order’s Relief Service in Romania,Serviciul de Ajutor Maltez in România

Poland runs centres forhandicapped childrenand adults, Portugaloffers a medical serviceto Fatima pilgrims

Over 500 people attend the International Holiday Camp for the disabled


(SAMR), celebrated its 20th anniversaryin 2011, with a special recognition fromthe President of Romania who awardedSAMR the national Order of Merit, rankof Commander. The service hasdeveloped from small beginnings to 23active branches 1,500 volunteers,hundreds of supporters and over ahundred social projects. After Bulgaria,Romania is the poorest country inEurope, with a population that has moreretired people than those employed andwhere the average income is very low. Programmes for elderly people in fivetowns include meals on wheels for the

housebound, and social canteensproviding daily hot meals and companyfor those without mobility problems,with a new ‘meals on wheels’ branchestablished in 2011 in Bucharest. At theSAMR home in Timisoara, running since1992, 20 elderly people with no familyand low incomes are given freeaccommodation and medical care. Programmes for children include theSpecial Order of Malta kindergarten inCluj Napoca which is helping to preventmarginalisation and abandonment forchildren with disabilities, many of themfrom families with social problems.SAMR runs a maternity programme inSfântu Gheorghe; and other daytimecentres, weekend schools and summercamps include provision for streetchildren and Gypsy children. Socialprogrammes for marginalised childrenand young people are organised at theMultifunctional Youth Centre, atMicfalău, including the 2012 summerEurocamp for 150 young people, and the17th national youth camp. InTransylvania, a regional project ‘Createnew chances through education’ focuseson disadvantaged children, providingthem with their first opportunity toexperience life outside difficult homesurroundings. The Relief Service also supports theworks of many hospitals, medicalcentres, surgeries and clinicsthroughout Romania, providing freemedical assistance to people who might

otherwise be left with their conditionsuntreated. Among the pioneers of first aid trainingat a national level in Romania, SAMRcontinues to train not only its owncadets, but also many thousands ofcitizens each year. In July 2011, SAMRset a new world record by training 7,402people in basic resuscitation techniquesat the Dynamo Stadium in Bucharest.SAMR also provides emergency relieffollowing natural disasters: in the bittersnows of winter 2012 in the south east,SAMR distributed emergency kits for theneediest families. The Relief Servicealso offers support after natural

disasters in neighbouring countries aswell as providing transport to and fromhospital for elderly and homeless peoplewith disabilities.

In Russia, the Maltese Aid Service of St Petersburg (SMRO) provides aid tothe elderly. A mobile health and socialcentre provides medical care, food aidand clothing, while a soup kitchenserves weekly meals for over 400.Ttransport is provided to and fromhospital for elderly and homeless peoplewith disabilities.For the homeless, the service regularlyoffers 120 breakfasts in two locations.Each winter, SMRO erects large heatedtents to give 40 homeless a place tosurvive the bitingly cold nights with thehelp of a warm bed, a hot breakfast anddinner, and medical and social advice. SMRO volunteers counsel and supportfamilies with disabled children and over1000 children were taken on 76excusions in 2011; they also support aday care centre for children frommigrant or disadvantaged backgrounds.A Social Centre of the Order of Maltahas been operating in Moscow since1996, with 26 staff and volunteers caringfor 7,000 elderly poor annually. 400

WORLD YOUTH DAY IN MADRID

More than 120 of the Order’svolunteers from many countriestook part in World Youth Day 2011in Madrid.Coordinated by the Order’s SpanishAssociation, they contributed to thesmooth running of the event andensured that more than 4,600disabled people were able toparticipate in the celebration ofmass by Pope Benedict XVI.They worked side-by-side withmedics and two teams of experts,one from the Order of Malta ItalianEmergency Corps (CISOM) and theother from Malteser Hilfsdienst(MHD) in Germany.

1500 volunteers providesocial programmes forchildren, seniors and thesocially marginalisedacross Romania

The German MHD ran all the first aid during the Pope’s 2011 visit to his homeland


participants are trained in first aid everyyear and children over 3 years benefitfrom pre-school education classes.Since its foundation, 260 million roublesof relief goods have been distributed to28,000 families. The Centre is an officialpartner of the Moscow SocialProgramme of the City of Moscow, for the years 2012-2016. Support is also offered to poor anddepressed children with visits to 30events for over 1,200 participants. Home visits to the elderly totalled 2,500in 2011 and food parcels are distributedto the needy. Elsewhere in Russia, the Order of Maltaprovides humanitarian aid, runs soupkitchens and social counselling inKaliningrad, Dubna and Smolensk. In addition, first aid courses areorganised in Kaliningrad and Smolensk.

The Order’s Scandinavian Association isactive in Denmark, Finland, Iceland andSweden. Volunteers organise a programme ofsummer camps for young people withhandicaps, and visits and days out forthose who are elderly, lonely and sick. In Stockholm, members regularly visitthe elderly in a home, reading andconversing with them, and taking them

on excursions. They also pay weeklyvisits to those in detention centres andthey support activities for disabledchildren (a favourite is horse riding). In Iceland, members visit the elderly andthe sick, in their own homes or inhospices, and provide transport to Mass,as do those in Finland. In Skane,temporary lodging and financial supporthelp those in need. The Association alsosupports a kindergarten in Tallinn,Estonia, which cares for the children ofvery young single mothers.

The youth section of Maltese ReliefOrganisation (MDOS) in Serbia collectsclothing and household articles to helplocal poor in 10 villages aroundZrenjanin; in summer they collect fruitsto give the elderly a more nourishingdiet. The youth group also attends theOrder of Malta’s summer camps for

young disabled in Romania and Germany.The Order of Malta’s Embassy inBelgrade has donated funds to updatethe ‘House for Parents’, a facility wherethe parents of children with cancer canstay together during the child’streatment in Belgrade.

In the Slovak Republic, the Order ofMalta Volunteer Corps carries outactivities in Bratislava, Nitra and Trencin,Kosice, Kezmarok and their surroundingareas. They distribute food packages andsoup to the needy in Bratislava, Nitra andKosice and nearby villages, make regularhouse calls to the lonely and sick; haverecently supported a new children’shome for the Roma population; donatedmedical equipment to hospitals inTrencin and Bratislava, and assist thehomeless in Nitra and Trencin. Strongsupport is provided by the Order’sEmbassy in Bratislava. The Corps’ main project is a Romachildren integration programme,operational in Kosice, Lunik IX, Olejnikovand Nitra. Additionally, they provideeducational support to 1,200 Romachildren in the Roma slum in Kosice.They also work for the terminally ill inthe Nitra hospice. During the emergencyof the December 2010 floods, the Corpsprovided meals and clothing for floodvictims.

In Slovenia Maltézská Pomoc Slovenijahas continued to provide transport andhelp for refugees, hospital patients, carehome residents and victims of naturaldisasters. The Order plans to introduce apermanent home-care service for thedisabled, elderly and sick. Volunteers also joined in the emergencyresponse efforts after the floods whichinundated some regions in September2010. Regular activities include Easter andChristmas lunches which are offered tothe poor in Lubljana; and donations ofgoods distributed to needy families in thepoorest areas of the country – the mostrecent in Bistrica ob Sotli and Vinica. The Order of Malta’s Embassy in Sloveniaorganises regular visits to children’shospitals including to the Children’sHospital in Ljubljana, to donate medical

Food for the poor inRussia and Serbia, socialintegration programmesin the Slovak Republic,and camps for handicap-ped young in Scandinavia

Care for the elderly: the touch that consoles


equipment, toys and foodstuffs.

The Order’s Association in Spain providesvitally-needed meals for immigrants andhomeless people. It operates two soupkitchens in Madrid. Another wasinaugurated in Seville in January 2012.The service provides over 140,000 mealsannually to the homeless. In Catalunaand Baleares members and volunteerscontinue collecting food and delivering itto several soup kitchens. Programmes for seniors are ongoing inCastilla, where the Order has a carehome for 84 residents, as well as othersin Valencia, and Catalonia. The Spanish Association also runs anumber of educational schemes andsummer camps for young disabled inValencia, Andalucía, Castile and theBalearic Islands. An imaginative newproject in Valencia teaches disabledyoung people how to grow garden plantsand aromatic herbs, providing them withmarketable skills.

New in 2012: in Baleares, members andvolunteers have taken over the runningof the ‘Hermanitas de los Pobres’ homein Palma de Mallorca; in Madrid, after-school support for poor and immigrantchildren aims to provide them with bettersocial integration.

The Order’s Association in Switzerlandprovides medical and educationalsupplies to countries in need, thanks todonations from a network theAssociation has built up with Swisshospitals, schools and pharmaceuticalcompanies. Ongoing projects: in Zurichvisiting the lonely, the dying, and thosesuffering from dementia; in Lausanne,Neuchatel and Basel, caring for thehomeless, refugees and disadvantagedfamilies; and in its 14 divisions,supporting disabled and sick people. In June 2011 the Swiss Association

celebrated its 50th anniversary at anAssembly in Geneva, attended by theGrand Master.In 2010, 30 semi-trailers and eightshipping containers of equipment wereshipped to countries including Poland,Slovakia, Lithuania, Lebanon, Hungary,Uruguay and Timor Leste. And in 2011, a similar project provided 11,000,000CHF for supplies for hospital andschools. Since its foundation in 1994, theSwiss Association has sent a total of 485semi-trailers and shipping containerswith a total weight of 18,000 tons.The work of collection, collation andpacking involves many volunteers,including 120 school children who helpto sort and pack clothes, and the SwissArmy who transport goods from thedonor to the Order’s warehouse inFreiburg.The Swiss Association was amongseveral of the Order’s nationalorganisations which continue to fund thefight against leprosy, through the work ofthe Order’s CIOMAL Foundation. In 2010,the Republic and Canton of Geneva’sInternational Solidarity Foundationprovided a two-year funding package toCIOMAL totalling 300,000 Swiss Francs

to support programmes in education,early detection, medical care, surgeryand social rehabilitation.

In Ukraine, more than 1,120,000 mealswere served in two soup kitchens in theLvov region, run by the Order’s UkrainianVolunteer Corps (MSD) in 2011. Regular projects run by the MSD inUkraine include educational summercamps for young people with physical ormental difficulties (100 in 2011),information programmes in naturalfamily planning and first aid; and ongoingsupport for four orphanages with over400 children. Every December, 8,000children receive Christmas parcels.

In Vatican City, the Order of Malta runs afirst aid post in St. Peter’s square whichis at the disposal of millions of pilgrimswho arrive constantly to participate inthe regular audiences and ceremoniesconducted by the Pope.Staffed by members and volunteers (85,including doctors, nurses and trainedfirst aiders), the post treats manyhundreds of pilgrims per annum. Theservice has been in operation since 1975.

In Britain, weather was ignored at the 2010 International Youth Summer Camp

Slovenia plans homecare services, Spainruns soup kitchens andeducation schemes foryoung disabled

MiddleEastIn the Middle East, thecradle of Christianity,the Order of Malta runsa range of outreach andhealth clinics inLebanon and amaternity hospital inPalestine. All who comeare cared for, whatevertheir creed orbackground.


n Iraq, Ordre de Malte Francesupports 2 health centres.

The Lebanese Association of theOrder runs and maintains 10Social and medical centres

around the country, near the borderswith Syria, at Kobayat and Barqa, toYaroun, in the south near Israel. The clinics, some with the financialsupport of Ordre de Malte France, Malte Liban Association and the Orderof Malta in Germany, care for manythousands of poor and disadvantaged,the majority of whom are Muslim. The Lebanese Association manages aSocio-Medical Center and a MobileClinic in the village of Siddikine, next toTyre, in partnership with the Imam Al Sadr Foundation, one of the largestMuslim Shia Foundation in the region,carrying out over 8,000 interventionsannually. In Bhannès, north east of Beirut, the Association cares for the disabled,through a Center specialized inCerebral-Motor deficiency and

Balneotherapy. A hosting Center inChabrouh, in the Lebanese mountains,offers holiday camps for the physicallyand/or mentally disabled. The LebaneseAssociation also cares for the elderly,through 3 Day Care Centers and 7 carehomes.The Order has a growing corps ofvolunteers in Lebanon, working with theneedy at both ends of the age spectrum.

Elderly residents of the Ain elRemmaneh region receive monthly visitsfrom volunteers- all of whom are part ofthe Lebanese Youth Groups. who providenot only much-needed social contact butalso donations of food and clothing. The Order organizes summer camps forphysically and mentally disabled young

people, 15 during the year with 200 and400 guests. The Centre of Chabrouh,60km north east of Beirut, is beingrenovated to accommodate campsthroughout the year, involving membersof the Lebanese youth group andvolunteers from the Order’s youthmovements in Germany, France, Great Britain, and the Netherlands.Hundreds of young people withdisabilities attend the camps as guests.Each guest is befriended by anindividual volunteer who also benefitsfrom relationships and experienceswhich extend well beyond the campsthemselves – truly an example of howthose who give also receive.Caravan: a joint Lebanese - Germanproject, brings ten to twelve youngpeople of different nationalities everyyear giving ten months to serve thedisabled in Lebanon. Back home, theyact as the young ambassadors of this“project of civilization”, solely based oncoexistence and human dignity. The project also includes programmesof academic, spiritual and practical

IParts of the Order's heating stoves become playthings for Syrian refugees in Turkey

In Lebanon, 10 healthcentres and summercamps for youngdisabled, special supportfor Syrian refugees

Serving medical needs in the Judean Desert

born there. In 2011 there were 10,347obstetrical consultations and 2,176pediatric consultations. The outreach

clinic, which covers outlying villages andremote hillside communities, totalled2,543 consultations. A diabetic clinicwas opened in the Hospital in 2010. 2011 saw the first work on the renovationof the 45-bed postnatal department withfunding from the US Agency forInternational Development (USAID) andimplementation by American Near EastRefugee Aid (ANERA).

In Syria, in response to the escalation ofviolence in mid 2012, MalteserInternational has been working inDamascus, distributing thousands ofstart-up kits – blankets, mattresses,towels, pillows kitchen utensils, and forthose most in need, special hygiene kitsof soap, diapers and wound careointment for babies – and operatingthrough its long-standing local partner,the International Blue Crescent (IBC). To ensure access to the areas fordistribution, where many displacedpersons have sought refuge withrelatives, IBC has been working with theSyrian Red Crescent, the only non-governmental organisation officiallyallowed to provide humanitarian aid inthe region. Alongside this project, Ordre de Malte France supports twoclinics in Damascus and Aleppo.


education. Participants are given anintensive course in Arabic beforestarting their Placement.

The Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem,Palestinian Territories, is a joint projectacross the Order of Malta, under theoperational responsibilities of theFrench Association of the Order. Thehospital, with a staff of 148 medical andparamedical staff, offers the populationof Bethlehem and its surrounding area –

estimated at 200,000 women - the onlypossible place for women of the regionto give birth under good medicalconditions. Since the Order has run theHospital (1990), 56,000 babies have been

SYRIA: FACING A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

The crisis in Syria has forced thousands to flee urban zones and crossborders. In Damascus, many hundreds of families (IDPs) were assisted inearly 2012 with startup and hygiene kits, distributed by MalteserInternational's long-time partner, the International Blue Crescent. InLebanon, throughout summer 2012 refugees arrived every day in increasingnumbers at the medical centre of the Order’s Lebanese Association atKahldieh, near Tripoli. Malteser International continues its work with refugees in the harsh winter.Its relief activities within Syria: more than 15,000 displaced people (IDPs) arereceiving aid packages; in Lebanon, emergency relief and medical supportcontinues for more than 500 Syrian refugees; in Turkey, MalteserInternational’s partners on the ground are distributing winter clothing for upto 2,000 children and blankets to 1,000 families in Kilis province, and winterrelief packages to 300 of the neediest families in Hatay province.Official figures (UNHCR, December 2012) currently estimate well over 1.5million IDPs inside Syria. More than 600,000 Syrians – half of them children -have fled to the neighbouring countries of Iraq, Turkey, Jordan and Lebanonand have been registered as refugees or assisted as such. In addition, asimilar number of Syrian refugees may not have yet been officially registered.

Bethlehem maternityhospital is a joint Orderproject. Syria: with localpartners the Orderdistributes food,medicines

The special care unit, Holy Family Hospital, is the only one of its type in the region

Where one-to-one therapy is key: Lebanon: Care Centre for the disabled, Bhannès

With activities in over 30countries, the Order’s projectshere concentrate on care forHIV positive mothers andinfants, on treatment formalaria, tuberculosis, onproviding clean water facilities and health and psycho-sociological care to womenvictims of violence, as well asbasic health care.The Order runs health centresand dispensaries in many ruralareas, treats leprosy sufferersand trains them in income-generating activities, and cares for internally displaced personsfleeing famine or civic conflict.

Africa

alaria, HIV, leprosy,tuberculosis. The Orderruns clinics andprogrammes in manyAfrican countries tocombat these diseases

which strike down hundreds ofthousands of victims each year. It alsoprovides general healthcare and waterand sanitation programmes and cares forinternally displaced persons fleeing civilunrest in many communities. In Benin, the 100-bed hospital run byOrdre de Malte France in Djougou carriedout more than 20,000 consultations in2011, the year which also saw theinstallation of a new scanner and thestart of construction on a new extension.From early 2012 a new tomographyservice is now offered. The hospital,inaugurated in 1974, is the sole providerof surgical procedures in a catchmentarea of 350,000 people. It also providesan outreach service to 20 villages. The Order is also involved in thecontinuing fight against tuberculosis,with programmes for the detection and

treatment of the disease in 11 clinics anddispensaries.

The Ordre de Malte France provides anextensive programme of healthcaresupport to the people of Burkina Faso.The dispensary in the capital city ofOuagadougou is open for 24 hours everyday, with the number of consultationsrising from 12,000 in 2009 to 17,000 in

2011. An expansion in 2012, includes amaternity unit and dental facility. The Order also supports a national AIDSprogramme, supplies and distributesmedicines to 13 health centres anddispensaries and offers first aid trainingprogrammes. The Order also provided emergency

response to the major floods which hitthe country in 2009 and again in 2010.Since mid 2012, some 55,000 refugeesfrom Mali have arrived in Burkina Faso,fleeing from civil war. Ordre de MalteFrance, present in the country for overten years and specialised in first-aid andtransport of the wounded, has providedhuman and logistic resources, withambulance corps and paramedics inBobo-Dioulasso in the south-west,mobilised to assist the refugees.

A new unit for out-patients’ receptionand medical examinations wasinaugurated in 2011 at the Order’sHospital in Njombé, Cameroon. The hospital has also been taking partin a national AIDS control programme,with 700 patients undergoing retroviraltreatment.A second mobile health unit was alsointroduced to assist road victims andstrengthen the health service in theHaut Penja region.Leprosy remains a continuing focus inCameroon, where patients and their

M


Bukavu, DR Congo: Lessons in basic healthcare: the Order’s local village clinic

AIDS programmesin Burkina Faso andCameroon; new tomography servicein Benin

Mandeni, South Africa: an AIDS sufferer in aremote village is provided with healthcare


families are cared for at the Roham-Chabot Centre in Mokolo, the principalcity in the far North of the country. This forms part of an extensive globalleprosy programme by the Ordre deMalte France, MALTALEP. The Orderalso runs programmes for the detectionand treatment of tuberculosis through15 clinics and dispensaries.

The Embassy of the Order of Malta inCape Verde gives support to the localpopulation affected by terminal diseasesso that they can obtain specialassistance from the Portuguese HealthService due to the difficulties of thelocal system.

The Central African Republic isundergoing a humanitarian crisis andhas the second lowest life expectancy inthe world. Ordre de Malte Francesupports 13 health centres in thecountry, including in the diocese ofBerbérati (St. Basil and St. Anne) andPygmy care centres in Mabondo,Manasao and Bélemboké. The Order assists with donations andgoods in kind – for example, May 2011saw the delivery of a containercontaining 423 parcels, 2 pallets ofmedicine and medical devices whichwere immediately distributed. For most

of the centres, the donations ofmedicines are essential, as the Order isoften the only donor. A request from theOrder has also resulted in the trainingof Pygmy nurses at the Polish hospitalin Manasao. Ordre de Malte France runs four healthcentres in Chad – one at Amtoukoui,serving a population of 90,000 people,another at Singako serving an isolatedarea where the nearest hospital is 24hours away by ox cart, a third atKouyako and the fourth at Wallia whichprovides maternity and paediatricservices for a population of 60,000people. In Comores, Ordre de MalteFrance aids three health centres.

The standard of living remains very lowin Democratic Republic of Congo withprecarious socio-economic conditions.In 2011, the Embassy of the Orderimported goods and equipment to thevalue of 12.1 million euros - materialneeded for numerous health,educational, agricultural and socialprojects throughout the country. This service is rendered to religiouscongregations, dioceses and the Church,Protestant missions and all associationsand NGOs active in those fields. The Order supports the Houses of ‘Paixet de Repos dans le Seigneur’ and ‘Don

de Marie’ (200 beds) of the Sisters ofMother Teresa, in Kinshasa, where veryyoung orphans are abandoned by theirparents for witchcraft or because theyare infected by HIV and will not liveabove 5 or 6 years old. The Sistersprovide with exceptional dedicationpalliative care for those in their finalstage. They distribute food and medicineto the poorest families of the area,thanks to donations from the Embassy. In the General Hospital of Kinshasa,chaplain of the Order Abbé Paul Peetersestablished a Committee of Aid to thePoor in 2000. Supported by theEmbassy, it cares for the sick who areabandoned in front of the hospital. Malteser International, active in the eastof Democratic Republic of Congo since1996, has built, renovated or improved21 health facilities which serve healthzones in South Kivu, where the existinginfrastructure has been left in aseriously dilapidated condition following

years of armed conflict. A food securityprogramme - where 63% of thepopulation are chronically malnourished- has focused on internally-displacedfamilies returning to their villages.Malteser International has set upnutrition and health centres anddistributed seeds for the first harvest,supported the formation and training oflocal agricultural associations andhelped to open up new trade channelsand transport facilities for a sustainablefood supply. Further to the east, an existing healthcentre at Nzibira has been extended tocreate a referral clinic for a populationof more than 60,000 people.Access to health care and essentialmedicines in areas close to the Ugandanborder was seriously disrupted by rebelincursions which forced 30,000 people toflee their homes. Here, MalteserInternational distributed essentialmedical drug kits to 21 health centres inthe Faradje and Aba areas and

In Africa the Order runs over 300 dispensaries, most of them in rural communities

Heath care centres inremote areas in CentralAfrican Republic, Chadand DR Congo


continues to provide psychological andmedical treatment in 64 health centresfor some 49,000 women subjected torape and violence in the conflict-riddenprovince. Since early 2012 Malteser Internationalhas been monitoring the situation andregistering the Internally DisplacedPersons (IDPs) in the region. Incooperation with the World FoodProgramme, food distributions to 37,500IDPs have been especially aimed atfamilies with malnourished children.In addition, Malteser Internationalcontinues to support the region’s healthfacilities to combat malnutrition amongchildren under five. The project alsoincludes measures for the rehabilitationof agriculture, to strengthen the self-help capacity of people to ensure foodsecurity in South Kivu.The reconstruction of a 344km road –overseen and given financial support byMalteser International - between the

cities of Burhale and Shabunda in DRCongo has become a vital connectingroute for 300,000 people who can nowmore easily reach medical treatment inthe healthcare centre of Shabunda.

The Order of Malta Embassy in Egyptfocuses activities on the Abu ZaabalLeprosarium to improve the health andliving conditions of about 800 long-termpatients, in cooperation with the

Franciscan Sisters and the Director ofthe hospital. With the help of Ordre deMalte France a minibus, water,electricity, medicines, repairs of theinpatient departments, equipment andqualified medical assistance have been

donated.In 2011 the Embassy received €50,000from Ordre de Malte France and€50,000 from Fondation Française del’Ordre de Malte to improve the facilities,and support the medical personnel. There is a sponsorship programmeassisting 50 healthy children living inthe leprosarium, and plans for a familyday care centre in Shoubra El-Sahel inCairo, coordinated between theEmbassy, the Egyptian government andUNDP.

In Ethiopia, the Embassy of the Order ofMalta has set up a health centre -‘Minnie Health Post’ - in the Arsi region,Arba Gugu; a primary school in Pawi; a school in Meki; and a well for theFranciscan Missionary Sisters in GilgelBeles, a village devoid of water. It is alsocontributing to the building of a first-level Health Centre in Korke (Oromiaregion) to support the hospital in

Abandoned children inDR Congo, leprosy carein Egypt, rural healthcentre in Ethiopia

Staff are trained by the Order all over Africa: here, a group in eastern DR Congo


Wolisso managed by CUAMM – Doctorswith Africa (a Catholic organisationbased in Padua).

In Gabon, 65 people with leprosy arecared for in a hospital supported by theOrdre de Malte France, in Eberigné. The Order also aids three clinics in thecountry.

In Guinea Conakry, the Ordre de MalteFrance continues to implement anational fight against TB and leprosyunder an agreement with the stategovernment. Patients are diagnosed andtreated in public health centres.The Order also operates a dispensary inthe major city of Conakry which providesa free service covering malaria,

bronchitis, parasites, skin diseases,urinary infections and HIV, and supports13 dispensaries throughout the terrain. In 2012, the Ordre de Malte Francedistributed 12.5 tonnes of medicines andmedical equipment.

At the Marian sanctuary of Boffa, wheresome 20,000 pilgrims arrive every yearfrom west Africa, paramedics from Maliand Burkina Faso trained by the Ordrede Malte France offer first-aid services

to the pilgrims.The Order has been operating in Guineasince 1986, when the first agreementwas signed with the country for anational leprosy programme. Its Pitasurgery operates as a logistics base forits national leprosy, tuberculosis andBuruli Ulcer programmes.

The neglected tropic disease, BuruliUlcer, is also widespread in Ivory Coast.Here, clinics supported by Ordre deMalte France are involved in thetreatment of patients with the disease,most of whom are children under theage of 15. Ordre de Malte Francesupports 19 clinics and dispensaries inthe country, which include thosetreating leprosy patients.

Leprosy care in Gabon,and TB and leprosyprogrammes in GuineaConackry

Leprosy care and prevention has been an Order focus for centuries: campaigns and classes run regularly

Specially-trained staff are key to projects on the ground


In Kenya, almost half of Nairobi’s totalpopulation of 4.5 million people live inslums. In shanty towns, about 10% ofthe adult population is infected by theHIV virus. The Dandora Health Clinic inNairobi sees more than 210,000 patientseach year and provides access to TB diagnosis and treatment to 380,000people. It was presented by MalteserInternational to the Kenyan Governmentin 2010.

Benchmarks set by the World HealthOrganization (WHO) for the control oftuberculosis have been met or exceededas a result of a programme of testing,diagnosis and treatment which theOrder has maintained since 2002. Malteser International installedtuberculosis laboratories, each with a

qualified lab technician, at 10 Ministry ofHealth clinics in slum areas of Nairobi.Specialist training has been provided forhealth centre staff, and an educationprogramme has helped local residentsto minimise the risk of contracting TB,and to recognise early symptoms of thedisease.At the end of 2010, an agreement wasreached to hand over all the supportedhealth centres to the Kenyan Ministry ofHealth. Malteser International hascontinued to manage a team ofcommunity health workers to enhancethe prevention and cure of tuberculosis.Malteser International also continues tobuild the capacity of the Lamu DistrictHospital, particularly in the area ofmaterial health and child welfare whichare the greatest priorities in the localcommunity.Meanwhile, the Order’s Embassy hasbeen providing food, activities andeducation for 75 orphaned children atthe Terry Hope Centre in Nairobi since2008. Also in Nairobi, the Kangemi

Resource Centre supports 70community-based primary schools byproviding training for teachers and alsooffers internet access to the localcommunity.The ‘Mama Africa’ sewing projectcontinues to empower disadvantagedwomen in Nairobi’s Kangemi slum byenabling them to earn a living by sellingthe colourful cotton clothes they make. Malteser International has been fightingagainst AIDS and TB in eight Nairobislums for the past ten years by trainingand employing local specialised staffwho are qualified and able to provideintensive care to patients. Counsellingand blood tests for HIV/AIDS are alsoprovided for more than 24,000 peopleeach year.

With the signing of the HealthAgreement between the Embassy of theOrder of Malta in Liberia and theGovernment of Liberia in February 2011,the humanitarian activities of the Orderhave been facilitated. The first activity is

Knowing what to do, where to turn: help in assault cases

Leprosy treated in Ivory Coast, TB andHIV in Kenya


the shipment of a large container ofmedical equipment and materials tohealth centres and the hospital inMonrovia. From February 2012, a posthas been opened in the port of Salernofor the shipment to Liberia of medicinesand basic essentials, collected from allover Italy.

Ordre de Malte France runs the SainteFleur Pavilion in the AntananarivoUniversity Hospital Centre inMadagascar, delivering some 2,000births annually and with specialfacilities for premature babies.

The Order’s Embassy in Mali signed aCooperation Agreement between theSovereign Order and the Republic ofMali in 2009, and in 2011 anotherAgreement between the Sovereign Orderand the World Health Organization inMali. The Agreement recognises thevarious healthcare structures in Mali. It provides for: the training of first-aidersand ambulance personnel at the Ecolede Bamako; a programme to combatepidemic diseases; maintenance of thehealth structures; and participation inthe country’s Programme for Health andSocial Development.Ordre de Malte France also providesassistance for a variety of projects inMali, through 11 dispensaries andhealth centres in the regions of Kayes,Bamako, Sikasso, Segou and Mopti.

Services include treatment for malaria,maternity and infant care, basichealthcare education, laboratories,renal dialysis.

In 2011, Ordre de Malte France signednew framework agreements to extendexisting healthcare initiatives in Morocco- three dispensaries and clinics - to thetraining of health practitioners. The Order has continued its cooperationwith the country’s healthcareprogrammes for leprosy, diabetes andeye disease and has supported a cataractproject, providing 700 treatmentsannually, and provided financial supportfor the dispensary at Temara.

An innovative programme started by theEmbassy of the Order of Malta inMozambique aims to reintegrate

HIV/AIDs victims back into local society.The programme presents a monthlytraditional music and dance festival,using cultural heritage to reach out toisolated sufferers of the condition. Runat the Mumemo Reassessment Camp,north of Maputo, the programme’s twofoci are to train young people to becomemusicians and professionals, and tosearch and find isolated victims who livein silence to bring them to the festivaland involve them in local life. Two yearsinto the project, by 2012 over 15,000people have been screened and 10%new HIV positive cases have beendetected and treated. The initiativewhich has brought joy and a practicalsupport for the population.

The Order has been operating for morethan six years in the Kavango region innorthern Namibia where high incidenceof HIV/AIDS limits average lifeexpectancy to less than 40 years. In thecommunity of 200,000 people there aremany more children than adults, with anestimated 24,000 orphans.A coordinated assistance anddevelopment project is helping HIV-positive widows and young orphans tofind work through a tailoring project.Interventions include a food supportprogramme and the renovation of theMururani hostel, which houses 140 boysand girls aged between 7 and 12.The Order’s Embassy also provides 250

RESPONSE TO DROUGHTIn the Horn of Africa where theworst drought in 60 years hasbrought the world’s greatestongoing humanitarian disaster,the Order of Malta has providedaid to a population of over 20,000in Marsabit and Isiolo in northeastern Kenya – includingpregnant women andmalnourished children.Emergency aid included kits ofstaple foods - rice, beans, maize,oil - and medical kits includingvitamin A, iron, folic acid andantifungus drugs, and mosquitonets to protect against malaria.

Donations for Liberia, a maternity hospital inMadagascar,dispensaries and clinicsin Mali, Morocco treatsleprosy and diabetes, in Mozambique, HIVscreening, in Namibia,care for HIV orphans

Leprosy victims often suffer from foot problems and need special shoes


Emergency supplies in times of crisis, Horn of Africa

meals a day for orphans in the Kehemukindergarten, which is being enlarged toaccommodate dormitories andbathrooms for children who wouldotherwise sleep in the street at risk ofill-treatment and abuse.

The Embassy of the Order of Malta inNiger has distributed medical materialsand equipment to the hospitals ofNiamey, is currently planningconstruction of a dispensary at Maradi;and a dispensary is supported by Ordrede Malte France.

In Republic of Congo a seriousexplosion in a munitions depot on 4March 2012 in the eastern part of thecapital, Brazzaville, left over 200 dead,14,000 homeless and 2,300 injured.Ordre de Malte France, together withthe Order’s Embassy in Brazzaville,rapidly mobilised and allocated fundsfor emergency relief and alsodistributed 400 kilos of medical andfirst-aid supplies. Ordre de MalteFrance runs 13 clinics and

dispensaries in the republic.

In Senegal, the care and treatment ofleprosy sufferers continues at theCentral Hospital of the Order of Malta(CHOM), in Dakar. The hospital, which issupported and funded by Ordre de MalteFrance, recently broadened its field ofaction to include orthopaedic surgeryand functional rehabilitation, togetherwith a surgical training unit for medicalstaff. The International CooperationDepartment of the Principality ofMonaco provided Ordre de Malte France

with a contribution to set up ateletraining unit in the hospital for bothmedical students and surgeons. In 2011, Ordre de Malte France signed a

new agreement to provide a healthcareprogramme for street children in Dakar.Sick or injured children can now beadmitted to the new hospital centre.Ordre de Malte France supports 19clinics and dispensaries in Senegal.

Activities carried out by the Order’sEmbassy in the Seychelles coverdonations to very needy causes: toSeychelles Hospital; to needy familiesaffected by a serious fire in Takamakadistrict; financing and food productsoffered to very poor families in theaffected area; to Glacis primary school;clothing to the diocesan association“Les li Viv” to help single mothers; tothe Youth Centre in the district ofGrande Anse; a large donation ofteaching materials to the orphanagePresident’s Village; and support for aChristmas event for the orphanageFoyer of Nazareth.

In Sierra Leone, the Order of Malta,through its Embassy, is supporting thedevelopment project at the Southern Eye

In the drought-stricken Horn of Africa the Order’s relief team register families for assistance

Clinics and dispensariesin Republic of Congo,leprosy care in Senegal,needy Seychellesfamilies aided


The Order of Malta in South Africa assists hundreds of HIV/AIDS sufferers and their families every day


Clinic at Serabu, which specialises incataract surgery, the number one causeof blindness in third world countries.The project covers three clinical issues:expansion of public access to the clinic’sservices, increase in the availability ofbasic medicines and financial supportfor ongoing shipping expenses formedical and surgical supplies. Patients travel to Serabu from all overSierra Leone, and from nearby nations –Liberia, Senegal, Guinea, Ghana andNigeria. Every January and June, Ordermembers Dr Cathy Schanzer and TomLewis travel from Memphis, Tennessee,to carry out over 400 surgeries each year.

The Order’s relief organisation in SouthAfrica, known as the Brotherhood ofBlessed Gérard, provides acomprehensive range of community-based programmes including freecounselling, HIV testing and Highly ActiveAnti-Retroviral Treatment (HAART) forpoor AIDS patients in Mandeni. The scheme, which is at the forefront ofanti-retroviral therapy in South Africa,

includes a number of support groupswhere HAART patients can meet toencourage each other and avoid thesense of isolation which otherwise caninhibit recovery. The Order also runs acare centre, hospice and children’shome, and a pre-primary school andcrèche for 30 children in Whebede.

Other continuing activities include homecare and inpatient services, as well as anambulance and emergency responseorganisation.

Malteser International is helping to trainand qualify urgently-needed medicalstaff in South Sudan following thecountry’s recent independence aftermore than 20 years of civil war. By July2011, 55 students had successfully

completed the two-year programme atthe laboratory school in Rumbek, whichalso serves as a referral lab for morethan 330,000 people.In addition, local health authority staffare also being trained in family planningand health management.An internal evaluation in June 2010proved that the Order’s community-based TB and HIV/AIDS programmes inSouth Sudan were having a positiveimpact. The TB case detection rate wasabove target, and treatment successrates were also very high.

In Togo, Ordre de Malte France aids 10 clinics and dispensaries and isinvolved in the continuing fight againsttuberculosis, with ongoing programmesfor the detection and treatment of thedisease. It also runs the Order of Maltahospital at Elavagnon, which has beenoperating since 1980. The 54-bedhospital provides health services for apopulation of 70,000 and specialises inmalaria, diabetes, diahorrea, eye diseaseand infectious diseases.

A tuberculosis checkup: South Sudan

Eye surgery in SierraLeone, HIV care in SouthAfrica and South Sudan,TB programmes in Togo

AmericasThe Order’s activities in NorthAmerica embrace specialisedprogrammes in health care, homevisits to the sick, shelter for singlemothers and women who have suffereddomestic violence. It provides medicalcare for disadvantaged children andthe homeless, and runs soup kitchensand drug programmes. Active in 26 countries in SouthAmerica, medical services includescreening for diabetes, and care inhospitals and homes for the elderly.There are programmes for streetchildren, for HIV-positive mothers and infants, food aid centres for thehomeless and for people withhandicaps. The Order also runsspecialised dental clinics andpaediatric centres.

n Argentina, terminally ill cancersufferers receive the latestpalliative care treatment at theHostel de Malta, Buenos Aires.In operation since 2001, theHostel provides an imaginative

integrated programme of psychological,medical, social and spiritual care forpatients and their families. Care focuseson the individual with the aim ofcontrolling physical symptoms whileoffering activities ranging from paintingand music to reading, yoga andmassage – all designed to enhance eachpatient’s self-esteem. As the Hostel deMalta is a day care centre, it enablespatients to end their days in their ownhomes, surrounded by their families.Home visits are also undertaken by theteam of professional physicians andnurses, as well as by volunteers.For many years, the ArgentinianAssociation has also providedspecialised life-saving equipment forpremature babies at the Children’sHospital of San Justo, La Matanza,Buenos Aires. This has helped the

survival rate to rise to 97% among the350 babies who are born prematurely atthe hospital in an average year, as wellas for the 45 babies who are seen asoutpatients each day.

Meanwhile, Argentina Maltese Aid forthe Elimination of Leprosy (AMAPEL)has been relaunched to regain controland treatment of the disease following arise in the incidence of cases since theclosure of a number of clinics during theglobal economic downturn. Each year, the Association runs a firstaid post during the November YouthPilgrimage to the Basílica de Luján.

The Embassy of the Order in the

I


Mexico: Order medical teams provide primary health care

Bahamas in 2011 continued efforts tohelp the Haitian people following thedevastating earthquake, with acommitment of US$500,000. Haiti is lessthan 100 km from the Bahamas. The donation has supported the newCatholic orphanage on the outskirts ofPort-au-Prince and the Sacré CoeurHospital, Milot. The Bahamas is a developing country,hurricane-prone and directly in the pathof tropical storms. The Embassy hasconferred with Malteser International inthe event of a severe natural disaster. In2011 the Embassy donated US$500,000to Bahamian charities.

The Order´s Association in Bolivia has,with a number of other organisations,operated the hemodialysis unit in theSan Juan Bautista Centre for Renal Carein the City of El Alto since 2002. Kidneydisease and diabetes are chronicmedical problems in Bolivia and dialysisprovision is minimal (mortality rate fromchronic renal insufficiency is 15 %). The centre has 11 donated dialysis

In Argentina, focus on palliative care andleprosy, in Bahamas,disaster risk reduction,kidney dialysis care in Bolivia

Microfinance - helping communitiesin the Altiplano, Bolivia


machines and staff provided 3,000treatments in 2011, free or withsubsidised minimum payment.In June 2012 the Order´s Association, in close coordination with the Order´sEmbassy to Bolivia, donated an X-RayUnit to the ‘FIDES Clínica Solidaria’which provides medical care in thepoorest urban area of Bolivia.The Bolivian Association runs the‘Centro de Damas Paceñas’, a day carecentre for the elderly in the city of OurLady of La Paz. Operational since 2010,the centre cares for 85 patients daily,offering spiritual support, medicalchecks and meals.In Santa Cruz de la Sierra, incoordination with the UniversidadAutónoma Gabriel René Moreno, theBolivian Association runs the CardenalJulio Terrazas Sandoval Diabetes Centreand is presently working with the SantaCruz Municipal Health Department onthe acquisition of four new hemodialysismachines to expand the medicalservices provided.

In Brazil, the health programme run bythe Order’s Association of Sao Paulo andSouthern Brazil provides acomprehensive range of care for all agegroups. It includes a mobile clinicdelivering both medical and dentalservices to remote districts of the statecapital.The Association’s educationalprogramme is focused on minimisingfailure and truancy by providingenhanced opportunities includingcultural activities and sports. The Maltese Cross Nursery, forexample, enables mothers to earn andcontribute to the family income whiletheir children under the age of sevenare well cared for.Older children up to the age of 14 cantake part in a number of vocationalcourses and enjoy meals, sports andgames at the Association’s Youth Centre.The Centre also houses toy and booklibraries – both of which are alsoavailable to the general public. Meanwhile, a floating dispensary calledSaint Jean-Baptiste II continues to plythe waters of the Amazon River in Brazil

carrying medicines and medical care topeople who would otherwise have littleaccess to healthcare. The project isfinanced by Ordre de Malte France.

Since 2001, members of the CanadianAssociation have been running outreacheyeglass clinics in the lower mainland ofVancouver – to date 16 clinics haveoffered eye tests, treatment and freespectacles. In the Montreal area Ordervolunteers work in six homes for theaged that house 1,000 patients and giveassistance to pilgrims all year round atSt. Joseph’ Oratory and Notre Dame duCap. In Quebec City, a special projecthelps severely handicapped children. In Ottawa a day clinic project connectedwith the Shepherds of Good Hope isunderway. Members in Toronto supporta shelter for the homeless, St. Michael’s

Hospital, and a soup kitchen, St. FrancisTable, and make home visits to thehandicapped, the elderly and thechronically ill and / or their care givers.A new project will operate in one of thepoorer parishes of the city, helping anaging immigrant population to obtainbetter access to social services. The Association is also very active in aidand outreach programmes in Boliviaand Haiti.

In Chile, the Order’s international aidagency (Malteser International) workedclosely with the Order’s ChileanAssociation and the country’s reliefservice, Auxilio Maltés, to distributeclothes, blankets, food and watertreatment tablets to people affected bythe earthquake, which struck on 27February, 2010. In the aftermath of the

earthquake, Auxilio Maltés worked inconjunction with Malteser Internationaland Aktion Deutschland Hilft on anumber of schemes designed toencourage rapid economic recovery. For example, a ‘Maltese Market’ wasbuilt in the centre of Chépica to replaceshops and workshops which had beendestroyed. Echoing the style oftraditional Chilean architecture, thebuilding has enabled 30 families to earntheir own living while supplying goodsand services to a population of 14,000.When the tsunami that followed theearthquake washed away divingequipment, high-tech diving sets andcompressors were provided to the localfishermen of Tubul to enable them toharvest shellfish. The Association supports fourbronchopulmonary centres in Santiago(Roberto del Rio, Exequiel GonzalezCortes, San Jose and San Borja) andprovides patient transport services andrehabilitation care. 13,500 patients weretreated in 2011. Auxilio Maltés also runs a number ofsocial programmes in different regionsof the country. In the village of Liquiñe,near the border with Argentina,volunteers visit the sick and arrange fordoctors and health centre staff to carefor people living in remote outlyingareas. In Graneros, the Order has built awaiting room and gynaecological carefacility at the Farmers’ Medical Centre,while in the southern city of Loncoche,the ‘Blessed Charles of Austria’ dayshelter was opened in 2011 to providecare, comfort and comradeship forelderly people with low incomes whowould otherwise spend their days alone.Together, these social and economicsupport projects have aided more than25,000 people.

The Order’s Association in Colombiaacts as an intermediary betweeninternational donors, such asAmeriCares with whom it has had had arelationship since 1997, and Colombianinstitutions serving vulnerable peoplewho are not covered by the NationalHealth System.A typical year will see more than 40

Health education, mobilemedical/dental clinics inBrazil, outreach eyeclinics in Canada,medical centres in Chile,‘Bringing Life’ project in remote areas in Colombia

Cholera prevention in Haiti: teaching children to wash their hands


institutions benefitting in this waythrough donations of medicines, medicalequipment and supplies. These aredistributed by the Order to hospitals,health services, retirement homes andhospices throughout the country.The Association also provides a numberof other services to the needy. Recentexamples include the construction of ahealth care centre in Barrio PalermoSur, which caters for a population of20,000 people in low incomeneighbourhoods with highunemployment. The centre includesdoctors’ surgeries as well as a psycho-social clinic staged by aninterdisciplinary team of professionalsin psychiatry, psychology,neuropsychology, social work andoccupational therapy. Training is alsoprovided for students in thesedisciplines.Meanwhile, a separate project in low-income areas of Lisboa has provided afully-equipped dental surgery and legaladvice centre staffed by specialists in

civil, employment, family and tax law.Since its launch in 2003, the ‘BringingLife’ project has provided essentialmedical aid to remote rural populations,with a particular focus on children andon complex diseases which can only betreated in the capital city. The project isrun in conjunction with the Civil AirPatrol in Bogota, the E-Kovio Foundationand the Medical-Scientific FoundationAlexis Carrel.

The SMOM Embassy in Costa Rica isworking on a joint project in Guanacastewith local parishes to increase schoolattendance in truant children, throughthe game of football. The Embassy alsosupports the educational project of theCarmelite Sisters of the ‘Carmel Centre’which is under the aegis of the Order ofMalta.Another Embassy activity is help for the‘Miraculous Medal’ parish project, underthe care of the Comboni Fathers in theBarrio Cuba, which promotes activitiesfor the local children and gives financial

and social support to poor families. A third project supported by theEmbassy is the Hospital de los Niños in

San Josè, which plans to develop into aCentre of Medical Science. It deals withmore complex diseases and is thus ableto improve child health in Costa Rica.

The Order’s Cuban Association is highlyactive in Cuba and Florida. It also runsmedical missions to the DominicanRepublic and Haiti. 150 volunteers are providing regularmeals – breakfast and lunch five days aweek, plus parcels for the weekend - forelderly people in 60 parishes throughoutCuba, while there are also 60 soup

Reconstructions after Hurricane Katrina continue in New Orleans: Order volunteers in action

Youth sports projects inCosta Rica reducetruancy and in Cubasoup kitchens feed thehungry


kitchens, which between them servedover 700,000 meals to homeless peoplethroughout the island in 2011, thanks tothe fundraising efforts of theAssociation. Members of the Order also madesignificant donations of their own,including one of $500,000 to thePsicopedagógico Institute in PuertoRico, which provides specialised healthservices, nutrition, education and careto severely affected children and adults.They also support an assistance centrein Palma Soriano for children withDown’s syndrome.In 2010, the Order also began to supporta paediatric dental clinic for the childrenof immigrants in Homestead, Florida.Members of the Cuban Associationcontinue to provide medical, dental andeducational care to children living inmigrant camps in South Florida.

Societal shifts in the DominicanRepublic have seen massive migrationof the population from rural to urban

centres – primarily Santo Domingo – aswell as an increasing percentage ofchildren and young people.An intervention by the Order’s DominicanAssociation, in cooperation with othergovernmental and voluntary agencies, isaddressing the inevitable issues raisedin terms of access to healthcare througha comprehensive programme based onmother and child clinics in SantoDomingo and Monte Plata.

Using a sustainable primary healthcaremodel, the clinics combine medical carein obstetrics and paediatrics witheducation and health promotion.

Each covers a population which ismarginalised through unemployment orunderemployment, and which previouslyhad high rates of infant mortality.The Cuban Association has sent morethan 100 doctors, nurses and assistantswho give their time and expertise free in support of impoverishedcommunities. More than 3000 patientswere treated during two missions in2012, with follow-up missions in Apriland September 2013. The project isongoing. Among them was a four-year-old Dominican girl suffering from thecongenital condition, megacolon, whichleft her with seven inches of intestineoutside her body cavity. With the aid ofthe physicians from the CubanAssociation’s medical mission, apaediatric surgeon was able to performcorrective surgery for $5,000 – afraction of the $75,000 the sameoperation would have cost in Florida.

Medical and dental facilities are few andfar between for remote communitiesliving along the banks of the Puyo andPastaza rivers in Ecuador, and whenvolunteers from the Order’s nationalassociation organised a medical missionto the area they found many cases inurgent need of treatment. One in particular, a 14-months-old babygirl called Amber, was close to death

COMMITMENT TO HAITIThe 2010 earthquake hit an alreadysuffering population in the poorestcountry in the world. Then in 2011a cholera epidemic swept through.Malteser International reactedswiftly with experts to fight thedisease, raise awareness, teachhygiene and set up clean watersupplies and sanitation systems.2012: tropical storm Isaac causedsevere flooding and damage -deaths, injuries, 16,000 evacuees.In Belle-Anse, a very poor region.Malteser International - runningrelief programmes there since2010 - provided emergency repairsand equipment.

Mother /child andprimary healthcare focusin Dominican Republic,with medical and dentalcare provided in remoteareas of Ecuador

Health checkup, Peru


from pneumonia and malnutrition.Immediate arrangements were made forher to be taken to hospital in thecounty’s capital, Quito, where life-savingsurgery was performed. Meanwhile, theOrder’s team of 45 volunteer surgeons,doctors and dentists treated 1,300patients, performed 50 minor operationsand distributed 140 doses ofantiparasitics.

The Order’s Association in El Salvadorruns nine clinics throughout the country.Diagnosing and monitoring osteoporosisis the new project launched by theAssociation this year, adding bonedensity testing to its range of medicalservices. Each provides primary healthcare as well as general medical andnursing services. In addition, a clinicallaboratory is provided at four clinics,dental services at four clinics and aphysiotherapy service at one clinic. In 2011, over 140,000 healthconsultations were carried out, with arise of 14% in dental and gynaecologicalservices. The Order of Malta Volunteers(VANESOM) has supported theseinitiatives, raising funds for the centresand visiting the patients.

When emergencies caused by naturaldisasters occur, the Association sets upemergency centres that distribute basicnecessities. Following the tropical stormAgatha in 2010, the Association providedemergency aid to 287 families and afterthe floods of the same year, together,with donations from the USA FederalAssociation, supported 1114 affectedfamilies in the region of Puerto Parada,Usulutan, with basic necessities andfood supplies.

A team of volunteers raises funds tohelp run the clinics and pay formedicines and tests needed by the verypoorest members of the community. The Association also runs a donationprogramme which channelshumanitarian aid from national andinternational organisations to El Salvador’s public institutions, such as

hospitals, orphanages, nursing homesand schools.

In Haiti, many of the Order’s nationalassociations – Canadian, Cuban,Dominican, French, German, theAustrian MHDA and the three USAAssociations - worked with the Order’semergency response agency, MalteserInternational, to provide medical aid inthe wake of the disastrous earthquakeof January 2010. Emergency relieffocused on basic healthcare andnutritional programmes in the districtsof Darbonne and Léogane, includinghygiene campaigns to avoid the spreadof cholera. In the north of the country,the 73-bed Sacred Heart Hospital atMilot, supported by the Order for thepast 15 years, continues to care forpatients from a catchment area of225,000. Its specialist prostheticdepartment has been working overtimesince the earthquake of 2010 and itsaftermath. A recently donatedtelemedicine and internet servicemeans that hospital staff can nowconsult face-to-face with top medicalexperts in the United States and aroundthe world.

In Honduras, where more than 35% ofthe population exist on less than $2 aday, medical aid provided by AmeriCaresis channelled through the Order’sAssociation to two hospitals, Torax, anadvanced care 211-bed facility, and SanFelipe, with 409 speciality services beds.The American Association of the Orderalso supports the House of Friendshiporphanages: two homes caring for 130abandoned boys and girls aged 2-18.

When hurricane Karl struck southernMexico in September, 2010, the Order’sMexican Association providedemergency medical relief, including thedistribution of medicines and thedeployment of mobile medical teams totreat people living in remote areas of thecountry.The Mexican Association also runs aprogramme in the district of Tabasco toprevent the transmission of the HIVvirus from young mothers to theirbabies. More than 350 mothers and

Haiti: emergency medical aid post earthquake

Healthcare clinicsfeature in El Salvador,rehabilitation in Haiti,support for orphans in Honduras


babies had received support up to theend of 2010.In 2011, 46 mothers and babies wereprovided with pre- and post-natal care,including treatment and transport.However, demand for the service faroutstrips available resources, with some800 mothers seeking admission to theprogramme each year.

Other recent programmes launched bythe Order in Mexico include ‘Help meGrow’, which combats malnutrition.More than 1,900 children in threecommunities have benefited from theprovision of individually-tailorednutritional advice, and the distribution tohospitals and health centres of medicaldrugs and equipment, also donated byAmeriCares and other US charities.Long-running care provision includes aschool and boarding home for morethan 150 street children, a care and

PRISON MINISTRY IN THE UNITED STATES

Today, there are more prisoners in the United States than at any time in thenation’s history. In 2012, over two million men, women and children werebehind bars. If the current average is maintained, almost 1.5 million of themwill be back in prison at some future stage. Faced with this seemingly never-ending rise in the prison population, and the depressing cycle of reoffendingfollowed by further incarceration, the Order’s American Association hasexpanded its programme of Prison Ministry from small beginnings to where itis now - a national initiative active in 26 states. Based around a core concept ofrestoration and reconciliation, the programme includes regular face-to-facevisits and a Pen Pals scheme. It encourages prisoners to gain qualificationsand learn new skills during their sentence, and fosters employmentopportunities for post release – factors which have a dramatic impact on thenumber of those who will reoffend. There is also a mentoring programme forthe young, many of them sons and daughters of prisoners, with the aim ofbreaking the vicious circle in which it is considered a ‘point of honour’ to followtheir father or mother into prison. So far, over 100,000 bibles and books havebeen provided to prisoners throughout the US, and 2010 saw the launch of aquarterly magazine ‘The Serving Brother’ which is now distributed quarterlywith content specifically aimed at the spiritual needs of prison inmates.Behind the scenes, the Order continues to promote prison reforms, seekingdevelopments in areas such as the death penalty, prison conditions, andeducation, and to improve the public perception of people who are imprisoned.

Basic food necessities are organised after any catastrophe: here, an earthquake in Peru left thousands without shelter or food

Street children, ‘Helpme grow’ programme,HIV care in Mexico


nursing home for more than 50 elderlypeople, both in Mexico City; and anoutpatient clinic that provides servicesto very poor families in theimpoverished outskirts of Mexico City atCiudad Netzahualcoyotl.

Since 1989 the Order’s Embassy inNicaragua has been supporting themost vulnerable sectors of Nicaraguansociety with millions of dollars’ worth ofhumanitarian aid, gathered particularlyin times of natural disasters.

For the last seven years, in conjunctionwith AmeriCares, the Embassy has alsobeen supporting Dentists WithoutBorders with medical equipment,transportation, logistics, board andlodging. These dental brigades give freedental care to the very poor all over thecountry. Americares donations also go

to CONANCA (a national association forchildren with cancer). This associationorganises soup kitchens for children andvoluntary groups of doctors and dentistswho treat patients in remote areas.BY 2011 donations had grown and theEmbassy received two containers valuedat $5.8 M for Caritas Nicaragua, whichis run by the Nicaraguan EpiscopalConference.

The Order’s Panamanian Associationcontinues to provide free medical anddental treatment for over 7,000 patientsannually at a clinic in Panama City.Meanwhile, a cooperation agreementbetween the Order and the PanamanianMinistry of Education has included theprovision of equipment andimprovements to two primary schools. Another initiative provides medical helpto poor residents of the Province ofDarien, close to the Colombian border.

The Order’s Association in Paraguaydrew up an agreement with theMunicipality of San Lorenzo (a poor

suburb of Asunciòn), to provide freedental care to the schoolchildren of thearea in a mobile clinic. Dentists are paidby the Ministry and all the other staffare volunteers. The health centreoperates daily from 7 am to 3 pm andwomen also receive gynaecological care.The premises of the Puesto deEmergencia Malta were donated by theEmbassy and here poor children arealso offered free meals and theirmothers follow courses in cookery andhairdressing.

70 school children in Amauta, Ate-Vitarte, near Lima, Peru, sit down to afree meal each day thanks to MalteserPeru, the volunteer organisation of theOrder of Malta founded in 2002, andfamilies from the village benefit from asoup kitchen which has operated everyweek day since 2004. In another programme, a School ToyLibrary in Piura is used by more than 50children to help them learn and developgood social values through play.In conjunction with Malteser

The joy of learning! – an Order kindergarten in Brazil

Dental healthcare is akey issue in Nicaragua,Panama and Paraguay


International and Faber Castell,Malteser Peru recently covered schoolfees for 350 children fromdisadvantaged backgrounds, whilstproviding educational materials tochildren from the country’s mostimpoverished areas.At the other end of the age scale, theOrder recently opened a new home for70 elderly people in the Piuran district. The Malteser Family Home in Talara in2010 looked after more than 50 peoplesuffering from domestic violence or withrelationship problems, and providedthem with professional support frompsychologists and lawyers.In November, 2010, Malteser volunteersfrom all over Peru took part in aspecialised training course covering thedevelopment, management andmonitoring of social projects. This will be invaluable in providingfuture emergency response and patientcare throughout the country.The Peruvian Association of the Orderhas also been active in four specialprojects since 2009: to improve livingconditions including better access toclean water and the construction of a

community dining room and medicaldispensary in the Cañete districtfollowing an earthquake in 2007;reconstruction of water and drainagefacilities and distribution of seventonnes of blankets, clothing and food inthe Andean mountain town of Puno;construction of an intensive care unit ata clinic in one of the poorest districts ofLima; provision of water supply, foodand clothing to the needy in Pichacani,Pikillaca and Old Hacienda San Juan.

During his visit to Peru in November2011, the Grand Master inaugurated inLima the intensive care ward in the‘Divino Niño Jesus’ clinic, supported bythe Order of Malta’s Peruvian

Association. 68 doctors perform some10,000 medical consultations a monththere. He also laid the first stone of thenew library financed by the Associationfor the ‘I.E.Soberana Orden Military deMalta’ secondary school, destroyed inthe 2007 earthquake.

In the United States of America, the Order is active through its threeAssociations: the American Association,the Federal Association and the WesternAssociation. The American Association runs anumber of programmes for homelesspeople, notable among them being theSt Patrick Centre in Saint Louis,Missouri. This, the State’s largestsource of services for the homeless, isproviding employment and mentalhealth care for more than 9,000 peopleeach year. Since 1983 the Centre has helped morethan 141,000 homeless men and womento bring permanent, positive change totheir lives. In 2010, the Centre placedand maintained 422 men and womenand their dependent children inpermanent housing. It also helped 645

Order donates hospital X-ray equipment to the Fides Clinica Solidaria, El Alto, Bolivia

USA Associations runcare programmes -homeless, mentalhealth, prison ministry,uninsured immigrants;in Peru youth educationis highlighted


unemployed into full-time and part-timejobs, as well as providing services toover 3,000 homeless with mental illnessand/or substance abuse.Meanwhile, in Rhode Island thePoverello Centre, run by the AmericanAssociation, serves approximately 1,900needy and poor families each monththrough food and wellness programmes.In Bridgeport, Connecticut, one of thepoorest US cities in one of the country’srichest states, the Thomas MertonCentre is a soup kitchen and very muchmore. It is a house of hospitality, dayshelter, sanctuary and welcoming placeof hope and care to the hundreds ofpeople it provides with food and ahelping hand each day.Programmes at the Centre include onefor high-risk children and families, andtwo which promote self-esteem andcultural pride in men and womenrespectively. In addition, families whoare either homeless or at risk ofhomelessness can now be offeredsupportive accommodation in 22 homesof two and three-bedrooms each.Since the Katrina hurricane of March2006, the Federal Association, togetherwith the other Associations in the UnitedStates, has responded not only withthousands of rebuilding dollars to thosewho were hit hardest, but with ‘MaltaHours’ of service. Over 1000 volunteersfrom across the United States haveparticipated in the Order of Malta NewOrleans Home Rebuilding Program.Thanks to a successful partnership withRebuilding Together, Catholic Charitiesof New Orleans volunteers have worked

37 one-week work sessions in Treme,Gentilly, and New Orleans East toprovide homes for very many families.And since 2008, smaller groups of 15 to20 volunteers have worked in housesthat require less construction and morefinishing touches. Members and volunteers from theFederal Association were quick to reactwhen a tornado ravaged the city ofJoplin, Missouri, in May 2011, leaving162 people dead and causing damage tobuildings and infrastructure estimatedat US$3billion. Within days, two 20-foottrucks had made the journey fromKansas City to Joplin, loaded withhousehold supplies and food for familieswhose homes had been destroyed.

In Dallas, members are continuing toprovide a weekly meal for up to 100homeless at a ‘Saturday Picnic’ whichwas established 25 years ago by thedaughter of an elderly man who diedfrom exposure in one of the poorestparts of the city.The work of volunteers and members ofthe Order’s Western Associationtouches the poor, the needy and the sickacross California. Free clinics in Los

Angeles and Oakland provide medicalcare for the uninsured sick and poor,thanks to the skills of voluntaryphysicians and nurses.The elderly housebound receive regularfriendly and helpful visits under theAssociation’s Parish Nurses Program,which covers Los Angeles, OrangeCounty, Phoenix and San Francisco.The Association also supports –financially and practically, withvolunteers – more than 50 othercommunity services throughout thestate. A few examples include freemeals for homeless people and those onlow incomes, shelters and transitionalhomes for the homeless, help andsupport for expectant mothers and foryoung children, as well as care for theelderly and those suffering fromHIV/AIDS, totalling over 60,000 hours ofvolunteer help in 2011. In addition, the Association supports twoprogrammes in Monterey County, onefor removing gang-related tattoos andthe other which provides food, clothing,blankets and school supplies to low-income farm workers.

In Uruguay the Order has played asignificant role over many years inreducing the number of people sufferingfrom Hansen’s disease (leprosy). Whilecontinuing to care for the low number ofnew cases, the Order’s UruguayanAssociation has switched its focus tohelping homeless people, with theprimary objective of attacking the rootcauses of this situation. The Association also continues to workwith the Ministry of Public Health in thedevelopment of a mobile dental servicein remote parts of the country.

The Order’s Association in Venezuela isexpanding both its membership and itsrange of humanitarian services, whichinclude providing poor, sick and needypeople with free medicines donated bypharmaceutical companies, and runningregular soup kitchens for the homeless.The Association also runs a home forelderly people, as well as a day-caretraining and medical centre providingfree consultations for residents of animpoverished area of Santa Cruz.

Leprosy and help for the homeless are keyareas in Uruguay; in Venezuela, the focus is the poor and elderly - soup kitchensare a new task

Inspecting flood damage in Bolivia

Delivering blankets for distribution to the homeless after the Bolivian floods

AsiaPacificAcross Asia and the Pacific theOrder of Malta providesemergency aid after naturaldisasters and civil conflicts, aswell as disaster preventionmeasures, rehabilitation, andsupport for internallydisplaced persons, refugeesand the homeless. The Orderalso cares for leprosy sufferers,treats eye cataracts andsupports orphaned children.

he Order of Malta, throughits Embassy in Armenia,supports three maininitiatives in the country: the orphanage of Svartnotz,so that 120 orphans receive

daily meals, the sanatorium fortreatment of tuberculosis in Dilijan sothat patients can receive their extremelyexpensive medications which are allimported; and the School for theHearing Impaired.

The Australian Association delivers awide range of voluntary support servicesthrough six branches, one each for thefive states of Australia and the sixthcovering New Zealand.Homelessness is a national focus of theAssociation, with all branches beinginvolved in the project ‘Coats for theHomeless,’ and distributing more than1,000 purpose-designed all-weathercoats during the recent cold winters tothose who sleep rough. The coats havebeen made by prisoners, many of whomhad previously experienced

homelessness themselves and sogained a particular sense of satisfactionfrom their involvement.Individual branches continue to playsignificant roles in the palliative careinitiatives in their respective states, withan ongoing country-wide educationprogramme supported by an Order ofMalta award scheme for excellence inpalliative care.In Queensland the AustralianAssociation provides major support toSt.Vincent’s (Mt.Olivet) hospital,Brisbane, and the Mt Olivet Home CareService and for St Gabriel’s EarlyIntervention Centre for the HearingDisabled.In Victoria, the Order supports state-funded palliative care services inMelbourne, a city of 4 million, while inSydney, New South Wales, volunteersprovide meals and shelter for alcoholicand homeless men and women. Supportis also provided for the Norma ParkerRespite Centre for those caring for thedisabled. A community counselling centre was

established in Taggerty for children andothers left traumatised after some ofthe worst bushfires in the country’shistory, which in 2009 destroyed homesand businesses in many areas ofVictoria, causing death and devastationover a wide area.

The Order provided immediate disasterrelief including food, clothing andemergency hygiene packages followingthe floods over 500,000 sq km ofQueensland in 2010 and has remainedinvolved in the long-term rebuildingprogramme in an area larger thanGermany and France combined. In South Australia, the Order supportstwo centres for homeless people and is

T


Burma/ Myanmar: explaining how to purify water

Orphans andhandicapped childrenare cared for inArmenia, the homeless,the terminally ill andaddicts in Australia

India: helping the ostracised Dalitcommunity provide for itself


also involved in the work of the OverseasPharmaceutical Aid for Life (OPAL)organisation which packs and shipsdonated medicines to Timor-Leste.The Association’s work overseasincludes providing emergency aid toThailand following flash flooding inOctober 2010, continued support for thedevelopment of the Order’s activities inthe Democratic Republic of Timor-Lesteand assistance for the development ofthe Mount Sion Centre for the Blind inGoroka, Papua New Guinea.

For over 10 years Malteser Internationalhas maintained aid programmes inBurma/Myanmar.The country suffered two major naturaldisasters during 2010. In June, heavyrainfall brought severe flooding andlandslides to Northern Rakhine state,destroying homes, roads, bridges,schools and farmland. At least 68 peoplelost their lives, and 29,000 families sawtheir everyday patterns of life washedaway. Four months later, cyclone ‘Giri’hit Rakhine state with winds of up to177kph and waves rising four metres.70,000 people lost their homes.Malteser International provided food andother essentials for the most vulnerablevictims, and helped to restore water andsanitation facilities. ‘Giri’ also proved

the value of Malteser International’scommunity-based disaster riskreduction project in Rakhine, whentrained village committees were able toevacuate their fellow citizens to cyclone-proof centres rehabilitated during the

project. Following the catastrophe, atwo-year pilot project was launched toregrow mangroves destroyed by thecyclone. The groves now provideprotection on the coastline and fish andshrimp have become plentiful again.

A health insurance system, launched byMalteser International in 2005 in OddarMeanchey, one of the poorest provincesin Cambodia, is now available to morethan 200,000 local people, of whom30,000 were insured during 2010. In conjunction with two Cambodianpartners, the scheme covers all

members of a family at an annual costof €2.5 per person. Other current programmes includeprovision of clean water systems,including construction of wells andrainwater reservoirs which the localpopulation learn how to maintain. They also learn how to build latrinesand they receive training in basic healthcare and sanitation. A special projectteaches children to breed mesocyclops(a small crustacean) which are thentransferred to ponds to control diseasessuch as dengue fever. The Order of Malta CIOMAL Foundationalso continues to help eradicate thestigma of leprosy and to train medicalstudents and health personnel - 533 in2011 - in specialist treatments andprocedures, as well as running radio-based education campaigns countrywide and campaigns in regionalcommunities. It supports theCambodian National Leprosy ControlProgramme, and its teaching andrehabilitation centre, Kien Khlang inPhnom Penh, covers all aspects of thedisease – detection, prevention, earlytreatment, and rehabilitation, bothmedical and socio-economic. In 2010,the rehabilitation centre received 249leprosy inpatients and gave medicalconsultations to 1,250 outpatients.

One of the Basic Health Units supported by Malteser International in Kohistan, Pakistan.

In Burma/ Myanmar andCambodia, healthprogrammes, cropgeneration, clean water,risk reduction are thefocus; leprosy is key inCambodia

Ensuring drinking water is available all year long is one of the aims of the Order in Burma/ Myanmar


proved its value during the 2010monsoon season in Uttar Pradesh state.In previous years, regular flooding hadtaken its toll on the availability of puredrinking water. In cooperation with theEuropean Commission and its localpartner, Sahbhagi Shikshan Kendra,Malteser International helped localcommunities to assess the risks towater supplies and implementmitigation programmes including handpumps, grain banks, raised roads, solarlamps and boats.

Although the 2010 flood inundated 87villages, the early warning system led tospeedy evacuation. As the waters rose,search and rescue teams helped to

transport people to safe places wherethe most vulnerable were given shelter,food and safe drinking water.Meanwhile, members of a first aid taskforce distributed 50,000 chlorine tabletsand 50,000 sachets of oral rehydrationsolution.In helping to end discrimination againstDalit women, Malteser International andUnnati, a local partner organisation, aregiving technical support to thecommunities to help them build theirown rainwater reservoirs. The programme includes showing thewomen how to use the water to plantvegetables and how to increase thefamily’s nutrition and generate incomeby selling the surplus at market.Training also covers how to gain accessto vital social services and provides thewomen with practical, sustainablesolutions to improve their lives and theenvironment – a way out of poverty andsocial discrimination. At the heart of oneof the poorest areas of New Delhi, Ordrede Malte France fights against the socialexclusion of children suffering from

Programmes for social reintegrationand microeconomics encourage formerpatients to become self-sufficient.

In Gu Cheng, Lijiang, China, a home forthe elderly built by the Order incooperation with Caritas Germany, washanded over in November 2010. Itprovides a safe and secure home forelderly and impoverished peopleaffected by the earthquake in 2008.

In Georgia, the ‘Cardinal Pio Laghi’Foundation was created in 2011 by theOrder of Malta’s Embassy in Tbilisi togive aid to the city’s poor. By mid 2012,50 patients had been cared for, forperiods ranging from 30 to 90 days, andthere are plans for the Foundation toextend its programme. A soup kitchenproject is currently underway in the citycentre.

The programme of disaster riskreduction in India, which forms a majorcomponent of the work carried out bythe Order’s Malteser International,

Burma/Myanmar: hygiene awareness programme. The Order has been active in the country since 2001

Care is for elderly inChina, the hungry in Georgia, the sociallyoutcast in India, anddisaster risk reductionon the Sub Continent


leprosy at its special needs school.Across India, Ordre de Malte Francemanages in total seven medical centres.

In Indonesia, Malteser International hasbeen supporting the formation andtraining of local disaster managementcommittees as practical applications ofdisaster preparedness and disaster riskreduction. Local emergency plans havebeen drawn up in several areas,including the province of West Papua inthe ‘Ring of Fire’ earthquake zone, and apublic earthquake warning system hasbeen installed.

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami inJapan left devastation in its wake.Malteser International gave aid andsupported a children’s home in the cityof Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture. It hasnow been reconstructed, using theconcept ‘build back better’ so that it isearthquake-resistant and runs onrenewable energies.

Each time the seasonal floods inundatevast swathes of land in Pakistan theywash away homes, lives and livelihoods.

And they also wash away hope amongthose who already had little, and nowhave even less.Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is nowthe main focus of MalteserInternational’s work in Pakistan, tostrengthen the capacity for communitiesto prevent, or at least prepare for,situations in which lives and livelihoodsmay be lost. The organisation is helping

communities to prepare themselves fordisasters using Risk Maps to analysetheir vulnerabilities and then developand implement emergency concepts. It was in response to the disastrousflood of 2005 that Malteser Internationalfirst became active in Pakistan, and ithas retained a presence ever since,through a growing number ofinterventions – providing emergency

relief in response to natural andmanmade disasters, and in ongoingprogrammes of reconstruction andrehabilitation.In emergency responses MalteserInternational has provided aid followingthe earthquakes in the Azad Jammu andKashmir region in 2005 and inBaluchistan in 2008. It also providedmedical, health and food aid to victimsof the floods in the Swat Valley, WesternPakistan, in 2007, in 2010 and in 2011. Winter relief kits – shelters, stoves andother essential items – were alsodistributed in several parts of thecountry from 2006 - 2012.Malteser International continues toprovide medical and other aid to thesubstantial numbers of internallydisplaced persons (IDPs) in the Swatarea following fighting betweenmilitants and the army in 2009.The provision of health and nutrition inrural and remote areas, and access toclean water for drinking and sanitation,continues in many parts of Pakistan.The healthcare programme focuses onmothers and children and preventionagainst infectious diseases, while water

Disaster risk reductionprogrammes inIndonesia and Pakistan,reconstruction in Japanafter 2011 earthquake

The Order of Malta works with community leaders in disaster-prone areas, Pakistan


aid includes the provision of treatmentplants and filtration.

In Papua New Guinea, the AustralianAssociation has provided assistance forthe development of the Mount SionCentre for the Blind in Goroka. Since1996, more than 5,000 local people havehad their sight restored by cataractsurgery provided by volunteer Australianeye surgeons who visit regularly.In West Papua’s Manokwari and Wasiorcities, disaster preparedness trainingand early warning procedures areconducted by Malteser International,because of the constant inundations offloods and landslides and following thetsunami warnings of 2011.

The Philippines Association was amongthe first to respond to the typhoon whichhit Manila in September 2009 leaving243 dead and destroying more than2,000 homes.While staff fed the stranded and gaveblankets to rain-drenched survivors,members of the Association organiseddistribution of food, drinking water and

other essential supplies to fiveevacuation centres as soon as thestreets became passable.The Association’s quick response wasenhanced by a training course inDisaster Preparedness, Managementand Mitigation, conducted by MalteserInternational. In addition, theAssociation has opened a warehouse,chapel and office on land donated by theArchdiocese of Manila. This helpsincrease the supply of medicalassistance, with donations includingfrom the AmeriCares Foundation in theUnited States, and will become the basefor a clinic. Following the December 2011 severetropical storm ‘Washi’ which devastatedMindanao, the second largest island inthe Philippines, the Order of Malta, withthe Diocese of Iligan on Mindanao,distributed relief packs, food andmedicines, and constructed 100temporary houses for stricken families.The Philippines Association’s ongoingmedical programmes include the MaltaMedical and Dental clinic which hascarried out over 40,000 consultations in

the past five years. A breast careprogramme was launched in 2011 inconjunction with AmeriCares, theAssociation’s partner for almost 26years.

Another joint venture between the Orderand AmeriCares is distribution of 40-foot container-loads of mineral andvitamin-rich porridge to support feedingand emergency response programmesthroughout the country.Medical and dental missions continue inrural areas of the country, including HIVand AIDS awareness initiatives and thedistribution of medicines, medicalequipment and nutritional supplementsto the local populations.

The Singapore Association hasresponded to disasters and emergenciessince its formation in 2006 as the firstland-based Order Association in Asia.

Philippines: after tropical storm Washi, homes are reconstructed, families rehoused

Disaster preparednesstraining in Papua NewGuinea, Philippines


Between them, the members haveprovided specialised medical andfinancial aid for those injured by theterrorist bomb disaster in Bali, theAsian Tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia, theearthquake and volcanic eruptions inBantul, Indonesia, the cyclone inMyanmar, typhoons in Vietnam, Laosand the Philippines, as well as therecent Australian floods and the JapanTsunami.The Association has instigated outreachprogrammes including provision of anoutpatient clinic for the poor incollaboration with the Ministry of Healthand the Apostolic Nunciature inBangkok.Internal missions include counsellingwork with prisoners and their families,aid to organisations caring for theterminally ill, and outings for elderlysick and disabled people.

In Sri Lanka, Malteser International,working in partnership with local agency

Sarvodaya, distributed aid to internallydisplaced persons (IDPs) living in transitcamps following 26 years of continuouscivil war.

When the number of IDPs rose from200,000 to 270,000, leading to dangeroussanitary conditions and lack of primaryhealth care in the overcrowded transitcamps, Malteser Internationalresponded by increasing the supply ofhygiene kits and provision of clean waterand sewage removal. The agency alsodistributed daily food rations and ran ahygiene education programme.Those returning to their home villagesfollowing the end of hostilities in Spring

2009 faced further dangers from thespread of disease due to dirty water andpoor sanitation. Working in collaborationwith UNICEF, Malteser Internationallaunched a WASH (Water, Sanitation,Hygiene) initiative in the heavily affecteddistricts of Batticaloa and Trincomalee.The aim has been to guarantee thewater supply at local and householdlevels, and to build sanitation facilitiesfor schools and health centres in 46villages.

For over 17 years in Thailand, the Orderof Malta’s relief service, MalteserInternational, has been responsible forhealth care in two refugee camps, MaeLa Oon and Mae Ra Ma Luang, caringfor over 35,000 inhabitants. The refugees are fully dependent oninternational support for shelter, food,education, water and health services,while income opportunities are limited.Malaria and tuberculosis are majorconcerns which the relief service

Singapore: aid in regionaldisasters; in Sri Lankaaid for IDPs, and a WASHprogramme; refugeecamps in Thailand

Malaria and TB vaccinations: refugee camp, on the border of Burma/ Myanmar and Thailand


continues to combat.In 2009, Malteser International teamsbuilt 60 rainwater collection stationsand maintained a water storage anddistribution network serving 800 taps.They also renovated 800 householdflush latrines, installed 100 additionalhand washing facilities in schools and

public areas, and distributed soap toevery family each month. In north-western Thailand, the organisation hasset up training sessions for Traditional

Birth Attendants (TBAs), who aremidwives without formal education.

In Timor-Leste, the Order’s Embassyhas organised a number of initiatives.The Embassy organised a Basic LifeSupport Course and the 34 graduatesreceived their ambulance servicebadges from the President of theDemocratic Republic of Timor-Leste,Jose Ramos Horta. A second courseincluded participants from the TimoreseArmed Forces medical services.Members of the Order’s AustralianAssociation have provided funding for afully-equipped four wheel driveambulance, which is now in use by theTimorese Ambulance Service.New birthing rooms at Malebe clinicopened in 2010 as the result of a

collaboration between the Order and theCafé Timor Cooperative, a local coffeegrowing collective. New birthingequipment was also installed at BacauHospital, funded by the Order’s SwissAssociation. The Embassy has also organised thesupply of medicines, consumables andchildren’s clothing around the country;funded the construction of atuberculosis clinic at Venilale; andsupported a palliative care programmerun by the Carmelite Sisters in andaround Dili.

Humanitarian aid was provided tovictims in five districts of Quang Namprovince, Vietnam, following typhoonKetsana in 2010. Rice, hygiene kits andwater containers were given to 7,000

Thailand: handwashing lessons to prevent disease can be fun

Training ambulanciers in Timor Leste andsupporting Malebematernity clinic


families, while 600 householdersreceived corrugated iron sheeting torestore the damage to their homes.Meanwhile, 5,000 farming familiesreceived rice and peanut seeds as wellas banana saplings to help them growcrops for themselves, and to supplylocal markets.Under its global programme of disasterprevention and protection, MalteserInternational organised training in roofstrengthening techniques for 48 localbuilders, plus training in hygiene andwater treatment for 100 communityhealth workers.As of 1 January 2012, MalteserInternational has been implementing aproject to support the preservation andsustainable use of forests in the CentralVietnamese district of Tay Giang. The project will reduce the poverty ofthe local population and contribute to

disaster reduction. The community hasalso benefited from MalteserInternational’s health and hygieneawareness campaigns and now alwayshas clean water for drinking, cookingand washing.

An agreement signed in March 2012between the Ho Chi Minh City hospital of dermatology and venereology and theOrdre de Malte France aims tostrengthen the prevention of disabilitiesand functional rehabilitation through

corrective plastic surgery for leprosyvictims in the Ho-Chi-Minh City region.The project will run for five years and isfunded by Ordre de Malte France.

A longer-term programme of medicalaid in Vietnam reaches out to poor andvulnerable patients in remote ruralareas. Here, visiting team of dentists,nurses, general practitioners, eyespecialists and other medical volunteersfrom the Canadian Association arejoined by local Vietnamese healthcareprofessionals in treating up to 12,000patients on each trip. While thevolunteers all meet their own costs,fundraising activities in Vancouver,Calgary and Chicago help to pay forsurgical procedures and equipment andthe 1,200 pairs of spectacles given outto patients on each visit.

In Vietnam, disasterpreparednessprogrammes after 2010typhoon, cropregeneration, sustainableuse of forests

Vietnam: Learning how the risk of disasters can be reduced


HeritageHeritage

HERITAGE 107

The heritage of the Order of Malta is traced not only in its history,but also in its traditions, its holy places, its fortificationsand its artefacts


1048 JerusalemThe birth of the Order of St. John datesback to around 1048. Merchants fromthe ancient Marine Republic of Amalfiobtained from the Caliph of Egypt theauthorisation to build a church, conventand hospital in Jerusalem, to care forpilgrims of any religious faith or race.The Order of St. John of Jerusalem – the monastic community which ran thehospital – became independent underthe guidance of its founder, Blessed

Gérard. Pope Paschal II approved thefoundation of the Hospital with the Bullof 15th February 1113, and placed itunder the aegis of the Church, grantingit the right to freely elect its superiorswithout interference from other lay orreligious authorities. By virtue of thePapal Bull, the Hospital became a lay-religious order. All the knights werereligious, bound by the three monasticvows of poverty, chastity and obedience.The constitution of the Kingdom ofJerusalem obliged the Order to take onthe military defence of the sick and thepilgrims, as well as guarding its medicalcentres and main roads. The Order thusadded the task of defending the faith tothat of its hospitaller mission. As time

Over 900 years of history

went on, the Order adopted the whiteeight-pointed cross that is still itssymbol today.

1291 CyprusAfter the fall of Saint John of Acre andthe loss of the Holy Land in 1291, theHospitaller Order of St John transferredits seat and hospital to Limassol on theisland of Cyprus, where it had beenpresent since 1210 thanks to theconcession of important properties,privileges and commercial rights. Itcontinued to build new hospitals faithfulto its hospitaller mission, and benefittedfrom the strategic position of the Islandto constitute a naval fleet to protectpilgrims on the sea route to the HolyLand. The number of members comingfrom all over Europe continued to grow

HERITAGE 109

and contributed to the strengthening ofthe Order’s structure, acquiring newpossessions on the Mediterraneanshore. Amongst these were theimportant port of Famagusta, the city ofNicosia and numerous Commanderies.Due to the consequences of increasinginstability in Cyprus, which resulted inrestricting their expansion on the island,the Hospitallers sought to consider amore suitable base for the seat of theOrder of St John on the Island ofRhodes. Nevertheless, MagistralLieutenants remained present in Cyprusto govern the Priories and Commanderies(said to have been over sixty by 1374) foranother century until the middle of thefifteen century, when the knights wererecalled to the conventual seat in Rhodes.

1310 RhodesUnder the leadership of Grand MasterFra’ Foulques de Villaret, in 1307, theKnights of the Order of St. John landedwith their fleet in Rhodes, completingthe acquisition of the islandby 1310 when it transferred its seatthere. Besides offering natural ports forits fleets, the island was a strategiclocation that linked the eastern andwestern worlds. From then, the defenceof the Christian world required theorganisation of a naval force. Thus theOrder built a powerful fleet and sailedthe Eastern Mediterranean, fightingmany famous battles.The Order’s independence from othernations granted by Pontifical deed, andits universally recognised right tomaintain and deploy armed forces and toappoint ambassadors, has constituted


the grounds for its internationalsovereignty.In the early 14th century the institutionsof the Order and the knights who cameto Rhodes from every corner of Europe

were grouped according to thelanguages they spoke. There wereinitially seven groups of Langues(Tongues): Provence, Auvergne, France,Italy, Aragon (Navarre), England (withScotland and Ireland) and Germany, andlater on an eighth: Castille and Portugal.Each Langue included Priories or GrandPriories, Bailiwicks and Commanderies.The Order was governed by its GrandMaster (Prince of Rhodes) together withthe Council, it minted its own money andmaintained diplomatic relations withother states. The senior positions of theOrder were given to representatives ofdifferent Langues. The seat of the Order,the Convent, was composed of religiousmembers of various nationalities.After six months of siege and fiercecombat against the fleet and army ofSultan Suleiman the Magnificent, theknights were forced to surrenderin 1523 and left Rhodes with militaryhonours.

1530 MaltaThe Order remained without a territoryof its own until 1530, when GrandMaster Fra’ Philippe de Villiers de l’IsleAdam took possession of the island ofMalta, granted to the Order by EmperorCharles V with the approval of PopeClement VII. It was decided that theOrder should remain neutral in any warbetween Christian nations.In 1565 the knights, led by Grand MasterFra’ Jean de la Vallette defended theisland for more than three monthsduring the Great Siege of the Ottomans.Following this victory the city and port ofLa Valletta was built and named afterthe Grand Master, its founder. Theknights transformed Malta, undertakingurban construction projects: palacesand churches were built, as well asformidable new defence bastions andgardens. Architecture flourished as wellas artistic patronage. The island wasgiven a large new hospital, consideredto be one of the best organised andmost effective in the world. A school of

HERITAGE 111

anatomy was also founded and thefaculty of medicine followed. In particular, the Order contributed tothe development of ophthalmology andpharmacology.As well as these activities, for centuriesthe Order of Malta’s fleet took part inthe most important manoeuvres in theMediterranean against the Ottomanfleet and against North African pirates.

1571 The Battle of LepantoIn 1571 the fleet of the Order of Maltatook part in the Battle of Lepanto,contributing to the victory of theChristian fleet against the OttomanEmpire’s expansion into Europe.

1798 Loss of MaltaTwo hundred years later, during his

Egyptian campaign in 1798, NapoleonBonaparte occupied Malta for itsstrategic value. Because of the Order’scode prohibiting them from raisingweapons against other Christians, theknights were forced to leave their island.The Treaty of Amiens, signed in 1802,which established the sovereign rightsof the Order over the island of Malta,was never applied.

1834 RomeAfter having temporarily resided inMessina, Catania and Ferrara,in 1834 the Order settled definitively inRome, where it owns, withextraterritorial status, the MagistralPalace and the Magistral Villa on theAventine Hill.

The 20th and 21st CenturiesIn the second part of the 19th century,the original hospitaller mission becameonce again the main focus of the Order,growing ever stronger during the lastcentury, most especially because of thecontribution of the activities carried outby its Grand Priories and NationalAssociations in so many countriesaround the world. Large-scalehospitaller and charitable activities werecarried out during World War I, andWorld War II under Grand Master Fra’Ludovico Chigi Albani della Rovere(1931-1951).Under the Grand Masters Fra’ Angelo deMojana di Cologna (1962-1988) and Fra’Andrew Bertie (1988-2008), the projectsexpanded until they reached thefurthermost regions of the world.

HERITAGE 113

In February 2013 and throughout the entire year,the Sovereign Order of Malta is celebrating asignificant anniversary. Exactly 900 years havepassed since Pope Paschal II promulgated the Solemn Privilege that officially recognised the monastic community of the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem.

This document, identified with the initial words ofits text, Pie Postulatio Voluntatis, set in 1113 thelegal base for the sovereignty and independence of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, known todayas the Sovereign Order of Malta, and was afundamental element for its development. Today it still has great institutional significance;with this Solemn Privilege the Pope recognisedthat the Order had the absolute right to ensure the continuation of its work by electing, in duetime, a successor to its founder, Blessed Gerard.

And so for the Order of Malta, 2013 is a veryimportant anniversary which will be celebratedright around the world – by its Government, Grand Priories, Subpriories, National Associations,and its Embassies.

A special anniversary:1113-2013

Solemn Privilege of Pope Paschal II to Gerard, founder and superior of the Hospital in Jerusalem. Malta National Library.


n unforgiving sun washedthe ancient stones of thefortress but the chapel’sinterior remained cool. As my eyes adjusted tothe shadows they came to

rest upon a figure at prayer, a knight inthe presence of his Saviour. This scene,at the great Hospitaller citadel of Krakdes Chevaliers in the coastal mountainsof the Levant was repeated in AsiaMinor, the Aegan and across Europe.For as long as the spiritual traditions ofthe Order are preserved it seems sureto remain so, however much the historicmission of Tuitio Fidei et ObsequiumPauperum may be adapted to meetchanging modern needs.The history, spirituality and works of theOrder of Malta are inseparable. Locate one of the many historic sitesassociated with the Order and there,almost invariably, will its hospitallerwork be discovered, proceeding withoutfuss or publicity. Many of these holy

places are little known beyond themembership of the national Association.Thus, walking up through the little townof Byblos on the Lebanese coast, once aport for the Order’s galleys, I literallystumbled upon some Roman remains.

Facing me was what was unmistakably acrusader church shaded by palm trees –and one with an intriguing history. When construction began in 1116,making use of Roman masonry, the

The hospitals, sanctuaries,castles and fortifications arethe footprints left by knightsof the Order in former times.They still inspire today.

AA figure at prayer, aknight in the presence of his Saviour. This scene, at the great Hospitallercitadel of Krak desChevaliers in the …Levant was repeated inAsia Minor, the Aeganand across Europe

Sanctuaries of the Order

Byblos, Lebanon: the 12th century St John Baptist church

HERITAGE 115

Hospitaller Knights brought theirknowledge of military engineering tobear, the Church of St John the Baptistsurviving an earthquake in 1176 withonly partial damage. For all the grace ofits romanesque arches and baptistery,the underlying solidity betrays theanxieties of a period in which churcheswere regarded as prime targets by theenemy. Saladin drove out the Christianforces in 1187, but came to regret theprovocation of stabling his cavalry in thechurch, to which the knights tookconsiderable exception, recapturing thecity. Today, 800 centuries on, holy Masscontinues to be celebrated in thisromanesque jewel with the support ofthe Lebanese Association of the Order.Support in this context can mean rathermore than reaching into the pocket, asLebanon’s war-torn recent historyindicates. It is only two decades sincethe civil war in which churches in Beirutsuffered shelling. The application ofdiscreet pressure at the highest levelsremains a hallmark of the Order’sdiplomatic work, particularly in troublespots like the Holy Land. But who couldfail to be moved by the moral couragedisplayed in the face of military forceand terrorist threats? Or forget thebravery of the doctor who faced down atank commander who had just fired on

the Order’s Hospital of the Holy Familyin Bethlehem, so close to the Saviour’sbirthplace?One reason then to visit the great sitesassociated with the Order is to beinspired. In Malta, history snaps intosharp focus when viewed from thelookout point of Fort Sant’Angelo inBirgu. Many have visited the Sacra

Infirmeria, an impressive witness to thepioneering medical – and surgical –skills of the Knights. Fewer will havehad the opportunity to explore Fort Sant'Angelo now back in the guardianship ofthe Order. This redoubt from which theknights decisively repulsed vastlysuperior Ottoman forces in 1565remains a moving memorial to thecourage of those who fell in defence ofChristendom and lie buried in theenclosure of Valletta's Co-Cathedral ofSt John, formerly the conventual churchof the Order. A humbling experience, butinspiring. This is not to say that one should skipthe other, less melancholy aspects of a

visit, notably Caravaggio’s graphicdepiction of the execution of the Baptistdisplayed in the sacristy, nor theoubliette at Fort Sant’Angelo. It was inthis bell-shaped subterranean cell thatthe artist, then a novice knight, wasconfined in 1608 after one brawl toomany. He escaped and was expelled bythe Grand Master from the Order.Castles have necessarily played adistinctive part in the history of whatwas originally a hospitaller order whichdeveloped a military commitment.Amongst the most impressive are thefortifications, hospitals, palaces andchurches built by the Knights duringtheir tenure in Rhodes from 1309–1522. There is also much of interest in lessersites, like Bodrum in Aegan Turkey, forexample. A bust of Herodotus, father ofwritten history, stands at the entranceto the Hospitaller castle of St Peterhere. But then the site was alreadyancient two millennia before the arrivalof the Knights in 1402 on the orders ofGrand Master Philibert de Naillac. Forthis craggy coast was the land ofHomer’s heroes. The purpose was toprovide armed shelter for the Order’sgalleys from the depredations of theOttomans and a refuge for all Christiansin Asia Minor. The castle protects bothinner and outer harbours with towers

One reason to visit thegreat sites associatedwith the Order is to beinspired

Tartus, Syria: the 11th century Krak des Chevaliers


over to an exhibition of underwaterarcheology. One of the towers houses asuperb exhibition of glass from the timeof the Knight’s occupation back to the

Bronze Age. Today peacocks strut abouta tranquil scene but one upon which thesecurity of the Christian presence in theHoly Land depended for over a century.Some sites associated with the Orderare difficult to visit at present, notablythe shrine of the Baptist’s head insidethe great Umayyad mosque in the old

built by the English, French, Spanish,Italian and German langues comprisingthe Order’s garrison. All stand to thisday, the English or Lion Tower stillbearing the arms of Henry IV. The identity of the knights and thebailiffs who commanded them is not indoubt, no fewer than 249 coats of armsbeing still set into the walls.Such was the ingenuity of the Knights’military engineering that despiteTurkish attacks in 1453 and 1480 nonebreached the walls. The castle was onlygiven up as part of the treaty negotiatedwith Suleiman the Magnificent upon thefall of Rhodes in 1522. Today’s visitorwill admire the restoration. The chapel,converted by Suleiman into a Mosque bythe addition of a small minaret(destroyed in 1915 by expert gunneryfrom a French warship), is now given

Roman city of Damascus, and indeedKrak des Chevaliers. But alternativesabound. Visiting the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul one can find exhibited in a gilt reliquary what is catalogued as the right arm and incorrupt hand of the Baptist: scholars consider the provenance quite reasonable,though it remains impossible toauthenticate. And then there are the ancientcommanderies of the Order dottedacross Europe as far north as Scotland,each a place of pilgrimage, source of inspiration and a reminder of ninecenturies of commitment.

By Julian AllasonBritish journalist

…a scene upon which thesecurity of the Christianpresence in the HolyLand depended for over a century

Malta: the 13th century Fort St Angelo

HERITAGE 117

he Director of the MoscowKremlin Museums, YelenaGagarina - daughter ofthe first man to travel inspace, the Soviet Unionhero Yuri Gagarin –

welcomed the Grand Master, whoinaugurated the exhibition devoted tothe Sovereign Order of Malta, withVladimir Medinsky, the RussianFederation’s Minister of Culture, amongthe many guests. It was the first time inover 200 years that a Grand Master hadset foot on Russian soil. The exhibition‘Treasures of the Order of Malta – NineCenturies of Faith and Charity’ openedon 5 July 2012, and marked the 20thanniversary of the establishment ofofficial relations between the RussianFederation and the Order of Malta.

One of the most significant eventslinking the Order of Malta to Russia wasthe appointment of Tsar Paul I as theOrder’s Grand Master. Although helacked the legal requisites andremained in office only from 1799 to1801, the Tsar protected the Order’scontinuity in one of the most dramaticperiods of its existence after the loss ofthe island of Malta.A close cooperation between the Orderof Malta’s diplomatic mission in Moscowand the management of the KremlinMuseums provided artefacts from theKremlin, from the Hermitage, Gachina

and Pavlovsk museums in Russia, thePalatina Gallery in Palazzo Pitti in Italy,the Louvre and the Légion d'HonneurMuseum in France, and the NationalMuseum of Fine Arts, the Armouryhoused in the Grand Masters’ Palace,Maritime Museum, ArchaeologicalMuseum and National Library in Malta.Numerous objects came from theOrder’s own collections.

Later in the year, Fra’ Matthew Festingand the Polish Culture Minister BogdanZdrojewski inaugurated the ‘Around theMaltese Cross’ exhibition in the RoyalCastle in Warsaw, on 22 October. Themany guests included the Mayor ofWarsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz. The

event celebrated the 20th anniversary ofthe resumption of diplomatic relationsbetween the Order of Malta and theRepublic of Poland. Fra’ MatthewFesting noted that the exhibition“testifies to the Order’s significantpresence in Poland since the 13thcentury”. A focal point was the activitiesof the hospital run by the Order at theoutset of World War II during the Nazioccupation and uprising in Warsaw.Works came from the collections of theMagistral Palace and Magistral Villa inRome and the Fine Arts Museum, theNational Library and the Grand Master’sPalace in La Valletta, Malta, togetherwith many artefacts lent by Polishinstitutions and private individuals.

Order of Malta HeritageExhibitions:Kremlin Museums, Moscow, and the Royal Castle, Warsaw

T

The first time in over 200 years that a GrandMaster had set foot on Russian soil

Kremlin Museums, Moscow: Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing and Grand Chancellor Jean-Pierre Mazery examine relics and treasures


CubaCUBAN ASSOCIATION

Czech RepublicGRAND PRIORY OF BOHEMIA

Dominican RepublicDOMINICAN ASSOCIATION

EcuadorECUADOR ASSOCIATION

El SalvadorEL SALVADOR ASSOCIATION

FranceFRENCH ASSOCIATION

GermanySUB-PRIORY OF ST. MICHEL

GERMAN ASSOCIATION

Great BritainGRAND PRIORY OF ENGLAND

BRITISH ASSOCIATION

GuatemalaGUATEMALAN ASSOCIATION

HondurasHONDURAS ASSOCIATION

HungaryHUNGARIAN ASSOCIATION

IrelandSUB-PRIORY OF ST. OLIVER PLUNKETT

IRISH ASSOCIATION

GRAND PRIORIES, SUB-PRIORIESAND NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

ArgentinaARGENTINE ASSOCIATION

AustraliaSUB-PRIORY OF THE IMMACULATECONCEPTION

AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION

AustriaGRAND PRIORY OF AUSTRIA

BelgiumBELGIAN ASSOCIATION

BoliviaBOLIVIAN ASSOCIATION

BrazilBRAZILIAN ASSOCIATION OF RIO DEJANEIRO

SÃO PAULO AND SOUTHERN BRAZILASSOCIATION

BRASILIA AND NORTHERN BRAZILASSOCIATION

CanadaCANADIAN ASSOCIATION

ChileCHILEAN ASSOCIATION

ColombiaCOLOMBIAN ASSOCIATION

Costa RicaCOSTA RICA ASSOCIATION

ItalyGRAND-PRIORY OF ROME

GRAND-PRIORY OF LOMBARDY ANDVENICE

GRAND-PRIORY OF NAPLES ANDSICILY

ITALIAN ASSOCIATION

LebanonLEBANESE ASSOCIATION

MaltaMALTESE ASSOCIATION

MexicoMEXICAN ASSOCIATION

MonacoMONEGASQUE ASSOCIATION

NetherlandsDUTCH ASSOCIATION

NicaraguaNICARAGUA ASSOCIATION

PanamaPANAMA ASSOCIATION

ParaguayPARAGUAYAN ASSOCIATION

PeruPERUVIAN ASSOCIATION

PhilippinesPHILIPPINE ASSOCIATION

Order of Malta entities worldwideFor further contact details see www.orderofmalta.int/addresses

ORDER OF MALTA ENTITIES WORLDWIDE 119

AlbaniaMALTESER-NDIHMON NE SHQIPERI

AustriaMALTESER HOSPITALDIENST AUSTRIA

BelgiumMALTE ASSISTANCE

ChileFUNDACIÓN AUXILIO MALTÉS

CroatiaUDRUGA MALTESER HRVATSKA

Czech RepublicMALTÉZSKÁ POMOC

France ORDRE DE MALTE FRANCE

GermanyMALTESER HILFSDIENST E. V.

Great BritainORDER OF MALTA VOLUNTEERS

HondurasCUERPO DE VOLUNTARIOS

HungaryMAGYAR MALTAI SZERETETSZOLGALAT

IrelandORDER OF MALTA AMBULANCE CORPS

ItalyCORPO MILITARE DELL’ASSOCIAZIONEITALIANA DELL’ORDINE DI MALTA

CORPO ITALIANO DI SOCCORSODELL’ORDINE DI MALTA

LithuaniaMALTOS ORDINO PAGALBOS TARNYBA

LuxembourgPREMIER SECOURS DE LA CROIX DEMALTE

MaltaVOLUNTEERS OF THE ORDER (VOTO)

PolandPOLISH ASSOCIATION

PortugalPORTUGUESE ASSOCIATION

RomaniaROMANIAN ASSOCIATION

ScandinaviaSCANDINAVIAN ASSOCIATION

SenegalSENEGALESE ASSOCIATION

SingaporeSINGAPORE ASSOCIATION

SloveniaSLOVENIAN ASSOCIATION

SpainSUB-PRIORY OF ST GEORGES AND ST.JAMES

SPANISH ASSOCIATION

SwitzerlandSWISS ASSOCIATION

UruguayURUGUAYAN ASSOCIATION

USASUB-PRIORY OF OUR LADY OFPHILERMO

SUB-PRIORY OF OUR LADY OFLOURDES

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

FEDERAL ASSOCIATION

WESTERN ASSOCIATION

VenezuelaVENEZUELAN ASSOCIATION

RELIEF CORPS

Malteser InternationalORDER OF MALTA WORLDWIDE RELIEF

NigeriaRELIEF SERVICE OF THE ORDER OFMALTA

RussiaMALTESKAJA SLUGBA POMOSCHIKALININGRADSKAJA OBLAST

ParaguaySERVICIO DE EMERGENCIA MALTA

PeruASOCIACIÓN MALTESER

PhilippinesAUXILIARY CORPS OF THE ASSOCIA-TION HOSPITALLER FOUNDATION

PolandMALTANSKA SLUZBA MEDYCZNAPOMOC

PortugalCORPO DE VOLUNTÁRIOS DA ORDEMDE MALTA

RomaniaSERVICIUL DE AJUTOR MALTEZ INROMANIA

SerbiaMALTEŠKA DOBROTVORNAORGANIZACIJA U SRBIJI

SlovakiaORGANIZÁCIE ZBOR DOBROVOL'NÍKOVMALTÉZSKEHO RÁDU

South AfricaBROTHEROOF OF BLESSED GÉRARD

SpainFUNDACIÓN HOSPITALARIA DE LAORDEN DE MALTA EN ESPAÑA

SwitzerlandMALTESER-HOSPITALDIENST SCHWEIZ

UkraineMALTIJSKA SLUSHBA DOPOMOHY

USATRI-STATE AUXILIARY OF THESOVEREIGN ORDER OF MALTA


GuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyana HaitiHoly SeeHondurasHungaryItalyIvory CoastJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribati (Republic of)LatviaLebanonLiberiaLiechtensteinLithuaniaFormer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia MadagascarMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueNamibiaNicaraguaNigerPanamaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalRomaniaRussian Federation*

STATES WITH WHICH THE ORDERHAS DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

AfghanistanAlbaniaAngolaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustriaBahamasBelarusBelizeBeninBoliviaBosnia-HerzegovinaBrazilBulgariaBurkina FasoCambodiaCameroonCap-VertCentral African RepublicChadChileColombiaComorosCongo (Democratic Republic of)Congo (Republic of)Costa RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDominican RepublicEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEthiopiaGabonGeorgia

Saint LuciaSan MarinoSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSão Tome and PrincipeSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSlovakiaSloveniaSomaliaSpainSudanSurinameTajikistanThailandTimor-LesteTogoTurkmenistanUkraineUruguayVenezuela

* Relations with the Russian Federation aremaintained through a diplomatic special mission.

THE ORDER OF MALTA HASOFFICIAL RELATIONS WITH

BelgiumCanadaFranceGermanyLuxembourgSwitzerland

THE ORDER OF MALTA HAS RELATIONSAT AMBASSADOR LEVEL WITH

Palestinian Authority

Bilateral relations

ORDER OF MALTA ENTITIES WORLDWIDE 121

UNHCR - United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees (Geneva)

UNIDO - United Nations IndustrialDevelopment Organization (Vienna)

WFP - World Food Programme of theUnited Nations (Rome)

WHO - World Health Organization(Geneva)

THE ORDER OF MALTA HASDELEGATIONS OR REPRESENTATIONSTO INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

CTBTO - Preparatory Commission forthe Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-BanTreaty Organization (Vienna)

ICCROM - International Centre for thestudy of the preservation and restora-tion of cultural property (Rome)

ICMM - International Committee ofMilitary Medicine (Brussels)

ICRC - International Committee of theRed Cross (Geneva)

IDB - Inter-American DevelopmentBank (Washington D.C.)

IIHL - International Institute ofHumanitarian Law (Sanremo, Geneva)

THE ORDER OF MALTA HAS RELATIONSAT AMBASSADOR LEVEL WITH

European Union

THE ORDER OF MALTA HASPERMANENT OBSERVER MISSIONS TOTHE UNITED NATIONS AND ITSSPECIALISED AGENCIES

United Nations - New York

United Nations - Geneva

United Nations - Vienna

ESCAP - United Nations Economic andSocial Commission for Asia and thePacific (Bangkok)

FAO - Food and AgriculturalOrganization of the United Nations(Rome)

IAEA - International Atomic EnergyAgency (Vienna)

IFAD - International Fund forAgricultural Development (Rome)

UNEP - United Nations EnvironmentProgramme (Nairobi)

UNESCO - United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization(Paris)

UNHCHR - United Nations HighCommissioner for Human Rights(Geneva)

IFRC - International Federation of RedCross and Red Crescent Societies(Geneva)

IOM - International Organization forMigration (Geneva)

UNIDROIT - International Institute forthe Unification of Private Law (Rome)

UNILAT - Latin Union (Santo Domingo,Paris)

Council of Europe (Strasbourg)

Multilateral relations

Photographic acknowledgements:

Julian Andrews: 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 47 (top left), 69, 72; Džoja Gunda Barysaitè/LithuanianPresident’s Office: 13 (right); Birgit Betzelt/Malteser International: 36, 37, 75; Remo Casilli: 4,5 (right), 10-11 (left-right 2, 3 & 4), 15 (far right); Jan Coomans: 117; Nicusor Floroaica: 109;Foto MW: 14 (left); Tim Freccia/ADH: 90; Alberto Frias: 12 (left); Mark Garten/UN Photo: 23;Jens Grossmann/Malteser International: inside cover (top); Xavier Guilhou: 27; Kate Holt: 10(left); IBC/Malteser International: 30; Ich. TV/Malteser International: inside cover (middle), 76,77; Krogmann/Malteser International: 33; Guillaume Leblanc: 50 (bottom); ChristianLendl/Malteser: 15 (centre); Gaetan Luci/Palais Princier: 12-13 (centre); Wolf Lux: 62, 67, 68;Malteser Albania: 48, 49, 50 (top); Malteser International: 34, 78, 79, 82, 83, 87, 97, 100, 102,103, 104, 105, 111 (bottom); Cyril Marcilhacy: 47, 51; Alexandru Micsik/AdministraţiaPrezidenţială a României: 12 (centre); Carla Morselli: 6, 11 (far right), 14-15 (bottom centre),19 (bottom two); National Library of Malta: 112; Antonello Nusca: 65; Order of Malta archive:35, 66; Order of Malta Lebanon: 73; L’Osservatore Romano: 11 (top), 13 (top); Diego Ravier:inside cover (bottom), 42, 44, 45, 55, 60, 81; Brigitt Risch/Princely House of Liechtenstein: 13(centre); Nicola Savoretti: 15 (top); Jorge Scholz/Malteser International: 98, 101; CorneliaSmet/EU press office: 19 (top), 26; Olav Stolze: 64; Antonio Suarez Weise: 93, 94, 95; SvenTorfinn/Malteser International: 80; Valeria Turrisi/Malteser International: 99; CarmenWolf/Malteser International: 96; Kerem Yucel/Malteser International: 31, 32, 71; ChristianZanzani: 54, 63.

Published by the Communications Office of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St.John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta © 2013

Magistral PalaceVia Condotti 6800187 Rome ItalyTel. +39 06 67581250Fax +39 06 6784815Email [email protected]

Graphic design: Vertigo Design, RomeCover: SignéLazer saPrinted by: Tipografia Mariti, Rome - March 2013

We wish to thank all the Grand Priories, Sub Priories, Associations, Order organisations andvolunteer corps who contributed material to this publication. Special thanks are also due tothe photographers who contributed images.

www.orderofmalta.int

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