(Rivista Internazionale - December 1996: From the Strategies to the Reform - 2/4)

New York. The Order's Ambassador in Albania, Günter A. Granser (right) with the UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the vice-president of Daimler-Benz Mathias Kleinert and the vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister of Germany, Klaus Kinkel, during the meeting at the "11th Malente Conference".

In 1987, Grand Master de Mojana was far-sighted enough to welcome the idea put forward by many presidents of the Order's national associations for organising a seminar, which took place - the Grand Master having died in the meantime - on 2, 3 and 4 December 1988 in Magliana Castle in Rome. It was inaugurated by his successor, the present Grand Master Fra' Andrew Bertie, who has given constant encouragement in the pursuit not only of new forms of religious testimonies, but also charitable and welfare ones.
The theme of the Rome seminar was the Future Strategies of the Order, and subsequent meetings continued the work initiated by that now historic occasion, giving birth to six study commissions: Spirituality - Hospital Service and Welfare Activities; Civil Defence and First Aid; International Aid; International Fund Raising; Communications; Emblems - Sponsorship. After the second seminar, held in Malta in 1993, the Future Strategies became Operational Strategies, mapping out the Order's renewal process in view of the third millennium.
Moreover within the framework of spirituality, the Order is implementing the "Sant'Angelo Fort" project - also a good excuse to return to Malta - for the religious and spiritual preparation of its members with the idea of training the Order's future leadership. This also includes the training and up-dating of the diplomatic corps, indispensable for keeping faith with the commitment made to the international community. Hence many new embassies and missions have been opened in supranational organisations. This will enable not only a correct development of bilateral relations, but the prospect of serious and concrete work within the context of international co-operation.

Valletta, Malta. The General Assembly of the Delegates from the Alliance of the Orders of St John, held from 26 to 28 September, in the presence of H.M.E.H. the Prince and Grand Master, Fra' Andrew Bertie.

At the same time, on the institutional level, many Malta bodies no longer suited to modern situations are being wound up, including the Hospital Studies and Research Institute, AIOM (International Aid), the Medicine Collection Centre, the Paediatric Academy and the Magistral Committee of Heraldic Advisors. Similar steps are also being taken in diplomatic missions; these are all significant signs of a desire for change. In addition, the principle of the participation of the Order's members in its life finds space in the sphere of international fund raising (meetings of presidents in Bonn in 1993 and Warsaw in 1995).
On the communications front, an information network is being developed among the Order's members, and a Communication Board has been established which maintains professional contacts with the mass media, from newspapers to radio and television and from information technology to Internet.
In the context of the studies on emblems, the Order's badges and coats-of-arms are being standardised for all its bodies, and especially the operational ones.
The Chapter General of 1994 concluded the efforts of the Strategies Programme, enacting the decisions of the Order's second seminar and setting up a commission for the reform of the Constitutional Charter and Code. This commission has examined all the articles linked to the organisational aspects of the Order's life, whereas the same Chapter General has entrusted the revision of the articles concerning the strictly religious part to a second joint commission which is still working on the texts.

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