Malta · Series: By children with solidarity, peace

The issue does not commemorate a single historical event or anniversary. It belongs to a multi-year Maltese coin programme that connected children and young people with social issues such as solidarity, peace, cultural heritage and the environment. The programme was created in cooperation with state and non-profit institutions. Through competitions, young people were involved in the design of official means of payment.

“Solidarity” refers to the willingness to assume responsibility for one another and to support people across social, political or national borders. In connection with peace, this means not only the absence of war, but also mutual respect, cooperation and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. The childlike perspective emphasises that these principles are to be taught and passed on to future generations.

The dove has long been a symbol of peace. An important religious foundation is the biblical story of Noah: there, the returning dove announces the end of the flood with an olive leaf. As a generally comprehensible political symbol of peace, the dove became widespread particularly in the 20th century; depictions of doves by Pablo Picasso for the international peace movement also contributed to this.

For Malta, the subject also has a foreign-policy dimension. The Constitution declares the country to be a neutral state that supports peace and security and belongs to no military alliance. At the same time, due to its location in the central Mediterranean, Malta lies in a historical contact zone between Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Issues of coexistence, cross-border cooperation and assistance for people seeking protection are therefore directly present there.

The choice of the occasion is thus explained less by a specific commemorative date than by the educational concept of the coin series: young people were to transfer their ideas of shared social values into a publicly visible form.