Last Friday, JEF Malta launched their new campaign titled "Crossroads’, a continuation of last year’s very successful campaign "Building Bridges’. Like its predecessor, "Crossroads’ will be focused on the future of the EU, and discuss upcoming issues which are considered to be of relevance to Maltese and European Citizens. JEF will hold monthly discussions and debates, starting in November and concluding in May, with the first one on the 14th of November tackling the ongoing issues affecting all European countries: the influx of immigrants coming from South Africa and, more recently, Syria. "Crossroads’ will act as an insight to all people present of the available decisions and "paths’ that may be taken, as President Emma Farrugia explained, and we must choose the path of a united European Union. "We all share one interest, solidarity. And using the quoting the words of Winston Churchill in 1946 after the Second World War, "Let Europe arise.’’
MEP’s Dr Alfred Sant and Dr Therese Comodini Cachia, present at the launch, had words of praise for JEF’s work, emphasising on the need of such debates. Dr Sant presented several questions, such as which paths should be taken by Europe in the future, and whether it should develop upon lines which are not European. "Would further integration do the trick, or make things worse? How deep should European integration go in order to tackle recent challenges like migration?’
Dr Comodini Cachia described JEF as the voice of youth in European politics, before putting forward questions as to what makes us European citizens and what brings us together. Campaigns like "Crossroads’ show that youth do want to be engaged, are willing to participate, do want their voices heard. "Both local and European politics need the voice of youth’.
JEF President Emma Farrugia, when questioned by The Third Eye to whom this campaign will reach out, said that there are many students and youths which are unaware of the importance of discussing politics on a European Union level, even though they are interested in politics, and so this campaign has been launched with its primary aim to reach out to anyone who is interest or even just curious in learning and discussing European affairs. As to how this campaign will continue building on what was achieved in last year’s campaign, Farrugia said that "Building Bridges’ was to bridge the gap between students and the MEP’s and their work in the EP, whilst this year JEF plan to go a step further and invite students to build their own opinions on European affairs that MEP’s are continuously faced with. Furthermore, when asked about what the fruit will be from these sort of informative sessions, Emma Farrugia said that after each debate, JEF Malta is committed to publish a press release holding its own stance on the matter, which will be then given to JEF Europe to take into consideration for its own European position. Since JEF is an international organisation, is has the necessary tools and means to bring forth its proposals to the MEP’s in the EP, where it has a significant reputation. From a local perspective, JEF will also invite MEP’s to take a look at their press releases and raise relevant points and conclusions in their respective working groups and committees.
JEF also took the opportunity to explain that there are big things lying ahead for the organisation, and that they have barely scratched the surface with the work they have done so far. They also launched their new logo which incorporates the European traditional blue, as well as the yellow star.
