The introduction included a round of ice-breakers to ensure that everyone got to know each other a little bit, which provided the right atmosphere for students to express themselves and put down their boundaries on this slightly taboo subject. Interestingly enough, the balance of the room consisted of individuals who both identified themselves as locals and foreigners, which provide a holistic and comprehensive view on the matter. ASA and SSA had prepared a PowerPoint presentation for the event. Their presentation consisted of slides which all had extremely valid points on emigration, such points which, in our busy life, we take for granted. Nicole explained that migration is not an issue which has arisen in the 21st century, but has been part of human nature since the beginning of time. Just as people migrate today for a better life, 400 years ago people shared the same ideas – moving to another place to stay alive.

She included an example of the emergence of Ancient Israel and how it was made up of 3 different ethnicities, yet they emerged together and managed to integrate together. This brought about the issue of integration we are facing today. Even though there are places such as China Town in London or Maltese communities in Australia and Canada, integration is a sensitive topic in today’s current affairs. The idea of integration brings on a number of questions – what do we call these people who live in one place yet are from another? Is there a loss of ethnicity? And the questions which brought about a hot discussion amongst us – what is home? What does it take to be Maltese, Austrian or any nationality?

What makes home to migrants and us? Is it family? Job opportunities? The place itself? Many of us found this a difficult question and there could be no right or wrong to it. We began to realise that we had more in common with each other than we thought; that it’s difficult to describe ourselves with just one word. Maltese as a nationality has come from such a concoctions of cultures that it is hard to pinpoint what really makes us Maltese. The debate took a turn into the way we interpret migration and emigrants. The media has perceived that every immigrant is illegal and that the rate of illegal immigrants is a concerning one. Yet, we never seem to mention the large numbers of legal immigrants who come to host countries for the same reasons as illegal immigrants do – for a better life. Why do we spend so much time concerned over illegal immigrants who come and take jobs which, frankly no one seems interested in anyways? Should we be more worried about legal Europeans who are coming and taking our jobs due to having more experience or that the employer is able to pay them a lower rate? This is obviously another argument all together.

Two hours flew by without us noticing, as we discussed openly regarding our perspectives of the topic and the many themes and issues which branch under the word MIGRATION. From host countries to what makes a country or city a home, to gender inequality and racial issues. The discussion ended on the note that migration is something which will never stop, as it is a basic human instinct and that hopefully, in years to come, we will see that we all share the same human rights and dreams of living a better life.

The second event consisted of a panel of experts, which included immigrants themselves. This provided a different facet of the debate and we got to see the idea of migration from the point of view of a migrant.

First to talk about his experience was Sari, a legal immigrant from Libya. He discussed that at first, he was quite worried about how he would be welcomed by locals, however, to his delight, he found integration happened quite naturally. A small stumbling block he encountered was in terms of his qualifications being recognised locally. Although Sari worked in the education department back home, he had to retake tests in order to establish his level of education; however, he now happily works as a translator. Sari concludes that Malta is his new home and has no desires to go back to Libya, where conflict and struggle is present.

Irish humanitarian Margaret has been working in the field of migration and refugees since 1993, and is still going strong. What instantly struck her was that no matter the difficulty, brutality and conflict these people faced every day, they still remained so strong. Since moving to Malta, she has now shifted to working with survivors of such situations directly, and she thanked all the organisations which gave her such an opportunity. Margaret retold a tale of a Nigerian girl who she had helped to achieve her dream of studying medicine back in Ireland. Even though this particular girl achieved the highest results to enter the course, her application was denied due to financial circumstance. However, this story does not end on a bitter note. Thanks to the help of numerous donations, enough funds were gathered to provide for her education.

Margaret clarifies that such a case is not present in Malta, as migrants are lucky to have access to state funded education. However, what she is disappointed with locally is that Burden Sharing, which was devised according to the Geneva Convention, does not seem to be implemented whatsoever in the case of Malta. The tiny island, with an already high density of population, is feeling over-burdened by immigration. In fact, 8 out of 10 asylum seekers are granted protection locally. However, this does not imply in any way that these people should not be protected from their war-torn countries, but that on an international level, not enough is being done in order for Malta to feel less of the burden and at the same time, ensure that immigrants are given the best assistance and facilities as possible.

Later on in the event, John, an immigrant from Nigeria arrived and joined the panel. John explained that even though he has not yet been granted protection in Malta, he still feels very welcomed and at home. He moved on to divulge his gratitude to locals who have not only been friendly, but have opened their homes to him. As a man who has been homeless since 1996, being welcomed with arms wide open is something he treasures. Back in Africa, John expressed his feelings of fear and lack of safety, in a country which he considered as home.

The events were not only successful but also drilled an important lesson; it is easy to be blinded by what the media informs you about migration and migrants, yet we will never understand the full story unless we are ready to take off our blindfolds and listen to each other’s stories.

The post "MIGRANT’ – An Exciting Campaign from a Fresh Executive appeared first on The Third Eye.

There are many other important things going on globally right now, the news constantly blasting out death, wars, violence, fear, threat and anger into our lives. So why do we make such a fuss when it comes to this referendum? Have we blown this topic out of proportion? Yes, I do agree that outside our tiny island there are much more important issues to be dealt with, yet I still believe that we forget just how important our environment is and that the outcome of this referendum will have either a positive or a negative impact on our natural environment.

Hunting is not making things any better.

This is referendum is established purely with the environment at heart. It has nothing to do with politics, religious beliefs, or economic importance. This is a referendum concerning solely natural conservation. This referendum is about the birds that migrate from Africa to Northern Europe so as to procreate and bring new life into this world; new life that is increasingly becoming scarce. Why is it that hunters must shoot down birds, be it protected or not, during such an important season? The birds that make this journey are the strongest, as they survive the coldness of the winter, so why, then, must we kill these birds and not give them the chance to breed? Over the years, populations of various bird species have changed drastically, due to various reasons such as climate change, pesticides and deforestation.  Hunting is not making things any better.  To go back to the reason why I am writing this article, Xarabank reflected upon what “we” deserve and what “we” have the right to do and why “we” deserve to have this right. What about the birds we are shooting? Why must it always be about man and his greed?

Maltese hunters feel they are being attacked and are having their right/privilege (call it what you want) of hunting taken away from them. The FKNK reflect upon how these hunters have so many rules and regulations put upon them already, which many of them follow and obey. Yet evidently, not all of these hunters follow these regulations, and instead, they target and shoot endangered birds as a hobby and sport. The Maltese have become irritated and frustrated over the past few years, a result of which this upcoming referendum is to be held. Others argue that the referendum is killing one of Malta’s finest “traditions”. Traditions change over time. It’s a fact. Maltese bizilla is a dying craft, yet no one is rioting over the fact that we are enweaving such traditional threads (pun intended). Bill Oddie, a wildlife expert from the UK and also CEO of the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS), had visited Malta and commented upon the idea of hunting seen as a tradition; “At some stage in history, one has to judge what is no longer appropriate or wise and change it”. Preach it, Bill.

People argue that we have a right to enjoy the countryside, to which I agree. I love nature and all that comes with it, while I believe that animals have the right to feel safe in their own habitat. This is about the conservation of wild species, NOT the people. This referendum is an important verdict that will have a direct impact on our environment. If the public does not vote no, this “tradition” will die out, due to the fact that birds will die out. Nature is beautiful and I wish that the future will be able to experience the harmony, tranquillity, happiness and inspiration that Nature and her creatures have to offer. People have theories that our future is to bring chaos, destruction and madness. I fear that one day, we will wake up to the sound of car engines, people’s voices, alarms buzzing, the whistling coffee machines and so called everyday life – but not the sound of birds singing. This, in my eyes, is a true dystopia.

The post A Bird’s Eye View on the Spring Hunting Referendum appeared first on The Third Eye.

Caroline explains how they started out the band. “We had common friends so we use to meet up occasionally. I knew she played guitar and she knew I played drums and one time we were at a friend’s house who had all this equipment, and she went down to play, as she usually does, and I decided to join her.” Caroline smiles “I don’t think you remember this Fran, but this one time I posted a Black Key’s song on Facebook and she instantly messaged me like “dude we need to make a band like Black Key’s!” So she came over to my house and we literally wrote our first song "Chemistry’ ”. “I had been waiting to form a band for years!” Francesca added grinning from ear to ear. “I had literally given up on the whole girl band dream, and it actually happened when I least expected it”. “That’s true” Caroline added “and throughout the years as we keep playing, we grow closer as friends, and realise how similar we are”. You can tell that the connection between these two is strong. Once on stage, they truly rocked out, Caroline’s steady beats and Fran’s husky deep vocals draw you in immediately.

The girls explained to me the meaning behind their name. “Fran really wanted the name to have Fuzz in it. It’s the name of the pedal she uses to make our sound, so it has an important element”. “We spent ages coming up with different names; especially since it is very difficult to satisfy Caroline”. Caroline nods in agreement, “I have my moments, sorry!” she smiles and chuckles. “We went through millions of different names, but in the end we went with Fuzzhoneys.” “I like it” Caroline adds “There’s the word Fuzz, which is our sound, then honey, which makes it soft because we are both girls. It sort of gives us this sixties rockers feel!”

Fran seemed to have a deeper, more metaphoric view on the name. “Fuzz is loud, angry and breaks the rules; it got a slight punk edge to it. Then there is the honey, which symbolises us being Maltese, Malta, Melita, honey. Get it? I also love bees and honey, so it’s close to me.” We established that no honey, no life. I also couldn’t have agreed more with the way Fran described the band. Their song “Chemistry” alone just brings a whole mixture of emotions to stage. The lyrics are dark, deep and sung beautifully by Francesca who has her hair tossed all over her face. Not far behind Caroline keeps to a steady and awesome beat throughout the whole song.

This wasn’t the first time I watched these ladies play, for I watched them the first time back in June when they played at Serenity’s Bar. This duo caught my attention straight away. I felt this whole empowerment from their music, and explained to them that I when I listened to their tracks I felt the whole Karen O (lead singer of Yeah Yeah Yeah’s) vibe  coming from them. After freaking out for 20 seconds and after many “tal-genn’s!” the girls began to tell me about their influences and inspirations. “We have a few bands that are common interest, such as White Stripes, Black Keys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and also Blur, which is random, but they have that unique sound you know? Also the Beatles are a favourite.” “The more we play, the more we get to know each other and our sound also improves and matures” Fran added “We are making this all from scratch, and it gets better as we go along, which is cool. Every time we play we perfect the songs even more. It all just comes so naturally.” The girls look at each other and smile. “I mean Caroline on drums is amazing, she literally makes the sound so awesome.” Caroline blushes and like a school girl cheerfully thanks her band mate. “You are the beat maker” Fran adds. Both of us nod as an agreement to this statement. She is the beat maker!

Watching her play, being totally lost in space and time, as she hits each note perfectly is an experience. She explains that once she is on stage she doesn’t even notice she is playing. “Usually I just play it out and after it’s all over I’m like s**t I just played. I feel we have a connection, and that we feed off each other’s energy.” Fran continues, “Our energy is an important element to our band. Whether it’s at a rehearsal or on stage, it’s all about our connection.” It’s hard not to notice their connection on stage. Throughout their songs, they look at each other and seem to balance out their energy through their music. “For me the experience on stage is very new and strange” Fran’s voice becomes soft “If you had to ask me a year ago to play in front of people the answer would have been no. At first I was really scared that I would do something wrong or the sound would be bad. Now it’s just a lot of adrenaline and I need to master that and control it.”

How would one describe being part of “Malta takes London”? “I’m sitting on a cornflake!” Giggled Fran, where both of them just start singing The Beatles, which is amazing. Both grinning and laughing, I begin to feel the bond between these two artists have together. Francesca concludes “What’s most important is to know that we are one, not two when we play.”

Fuzzhoneys are truly amazing band not to be missed, and both artists have unique and outstanding characters that flow together so smoothly and beautifully. Their sound is different, raw and new. If you’re in London this week, they’re definitely a must see, and with them and other bands playing it surely will make for an unmissable night! These girls are truly the bee’s knees.

Fuzzhoneys facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fuzzhoneys/640357176037812?fref=ts

Event of “Malta takes London”- https://www.facebook.com/maltatakeslondon?fref=st

The post What’s All the Fuzz About? Fuzzhoneys | The New Girl Band on the Block appeared first on The Third Eye.

Now to be honest, I am not a big fan of series. Especially American series. I find them too pretentious, over dramatic, and fabricated to enjoy. If you were to find me watching a series it would be British, amongst the likes of Peep Show, IT Crowd and Miranda. Yet there was something about "Girls’ that grabbed my attention. My friend introduced me to the show last summer, describing it as "Sex and The City of our generation’. I was sceptical at first, but found myself watching all of season one in a whole afternoon lying on my friends’ bed.

"Girls’ follows the lives of four best friends living in Brooklyn who are all trying to find their place in the world. Creator, writer and star of the show Lena Dunham, has created a whole new series which is not afraid to talk about love, friendships, sex, drugs, and mental and physical health. Sure, one can tell that this show is fictional and that, at the end of the day, it is all made up, but it feels so realistic that it is slightly uncomfortable. Even after three seasons, we find our characters still lost and unsure of what they truly want (all except our main protagonist Hannah Horvart, portrayed by Lena Dunham herself). Just like the rest of us, they are just trying to understand what they want in life.

All the girls have unique personalities, and it is difficult to pin point which character we relate to the most.  I understand when Hannah admits "No one could ever hate me as much as I hate myself okay?’ We are our own worst critics. Many students can relate to Shoshanna, as she has just graduated from school, yet has no career prospects; unfortunately a very relatable situation for many University students, locally and internationally (Also how she speaks in crazy, made up phases and pop culture references, which we see enough of today in our media obsessed culture). At the beginning, Marnie seems to have it all sorted out: good job, long term relationship, yet she slowly loses it all and has to start from scratch. It may seem totally chaotic, but as all new beginnings do, they get better as time goes by. Jessa is the total opposite of Marnie. She is that insane, crazy best friend, who can be totally horrid, yet I would love to listen to her talk about her travels, and explain how the hell her hair is so perfect.

"Girls’ has been highly criticised since its release back in 2012. It has been noted to be racist, to give an unrealistic insight of life in Brooklyn, and too exposed when it comes to sex. In my opinion I find it to be creative, bold, and fresh. The script is quirky, the acting is believable and honest and how can anyone forget an awesome soundtrack, featuring MGMT, LCD Soundsystem, Fleet Foxes and so many more.

Another reason to love this show is because it is written and directed by a woman; a woman who doesn’t fit the stereotypical Hollywood status, and that is one of the many reasons why I admire her. Not many women do their own writing and directing, so to do all that by the age of 27 is truly inspiring. Not to mention being the first woman to have won a Directors Guild  Award for Outstanding Director in a Comedy Series in February 2013! She may not be the voice of our generation, but she is one of the few to change the way woman are being portrayed in today’s media.  She amongst other brilliant woman, such as Tina Fey, Sarah Silverman and Mindy Kaling are beginning a new era of woman who want to show the world that women no longer belong on the side, but can take charge. Dunham does not care the least what people have to say about her, and I love that. Oh, and have I mentioned, that her first book, an essay collection/ autobiography "Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s “Learned”’ is to be published at the end of the month? There are not enough words to describe my excitement.

I cannot wait to see what Dunham and the rest of the girls will get up to in season four. For me "Girls’ depicts the life most early 20s females face today. Juggling studies, relationships, work, and friendships to developing ones understanding of who they want to be. The girls are not perfect characters, but in the end who is? I am excited to see what Dunham has in store for us and I’ll be rooting for her all the way!

The post Who Run the World? ’Girls’ appeared first on The Third Eye.