About Us

Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) was established in 2006; it is a non-governmental organisation, committed to preserving Malta and Gozo’s architectural and rural heritage as well as to ensuring a healthy quality of life.

Our organisation lobbies for the better preservation and use of the heritage of the Maltese islands, not only for the sake of preservation but also as an agent of social regeneration in areas such as lower Valletta, the Three Cities and Gozo.   

Through its studies and campaigns for the preservation of individual monuments and sites, FAA has succeeded in:

-          Saving from demolition landmark heritage buildings like the Dingli Street Art Nouveau house and the Palazz ta’ Rohan in Balzan

-          It has been instrumental in the scheduling of Villa Bologna and Villa Bonici.

-          It has protected sites important to the natural environment, including Ramla l-Hamra, Għalqa Tal-Papa, Birzebbugia and Wied Ghajn Zejtuna, Mellieha, from further development.

-          It has ensured that St. John’s Cathedral and the passages beneath St. George’s Square were spared the very real risks posed by proposed extensive excavations in both squares.

-          It has saved the streetscape of untouched fine Victorian houses in Windsor Terrace, Sliema.

-          Various Out of Development Zone and coastal sites have been saved from development, including sites  at Mgarr and Zebbug, Fekruna - Xemxija, Marsalforn and Qala.

-          It has brought about changes in favour of residents’ rights in M’Scala, B’bugia, Sliema Attard, Lija, Mellieha and Gozo.

FAA has been pro-active in the organising a highly-successful series of cultural walks and talks to increase appreciation of Maltese environment and heritage. It also organises the annual Tony Mifsud and Julian Manduca architecture awards along with the University Department of Architecture, to raise awareness among tomorrow’s architects and Local Councils to the particular requirements of sensitive areas like urban conservation areas and out of development zones. The 2011 Awards included the donation of nineteen books on sustainable architecture to the Architecture Department library.

Convinced that our sense of nationhood cannot grow unless Maltese history is communicated to our young people know and appreciate Maltese history, FAA is building a Maltese Heritage Website, in order to raise historical awareness among our students. This will also serve to attract cultural tourists to Malta and directly support tourism enterprises in converted heritage buildings and the social regeneration process in depressed areas.  FAA together with the Malta Tourism Authority has held several well-patronised events in support of this project, such as last November’s Anton Calleja exhibition at the Auberge d’Italie.

As a group with a strong grassroots support, FAA considers that improvements in land use management, water conservation, air quality and public transport are key to a better quality of life. FAA has helped raise awareness of the hazards of air pollution and contributed to the drive to have boreholes registered and metered. FAA’s initiatives have resulted in positive measures being taken to curb abuse on construction sites, while our campaigning is finally leading to decisions being taken to curb over-development, preserve streetscapes and protect public green areas.

When FAA was set up, it was thought that nothing would change as regards environmental abuse; however, our lobbying to bring about MEPA reform is changing that perception. As a non party-political group, FAA is empowering members of the public to realise that their contribution can make a difference and that they have a right to access environmental information and to participate in decisions affecting their areas and the whole of our islands.  Significant progress has been registered thanks to our efforts in this specialised area where FAA has taken the lead to make the public and politicians aware of the rights and duties conferred by the Aarhus Convention and issues of environmental justice.

Astrid Vella receiving the EU Volunteering Award for the most deserving cause, December 2009