“I want to open the doors wide open for the Youths in Europe,” MEP Peter Agius says at the program’s launch that took place at Europe House in Valletta.

The program provides students with a chance to:

• Shadow MEP Peter Agius: Gain valuable insights into the daily workings of the European Parliament.
• Access Parliament Resources: Explore the research facilities and resources available within the Brussels institution.
• Immerse in European Democracy: Experience and learn about the democratic processes at play within the European Parliament.

Who is this programme perfect for?

Students with a strong European focus in their studies or future careers can join the Study Visits Programme for a practical experience of the EU. Programs can last from one to three weeks, depending on individual needs.

Financial and logistical support

The programme offers a €700 stipend to cover basic travel and accommodation expenses. While students are responsible for booking their travel and accommodation, the programme will provide help with finding suitable options in Brussels.

Selection process

Interested students can find full details and application instructions on MEP Peter Agius’ website.
Students must submit a brief statement, explaining how the program will benefit their academic or professional goals. A selection board will then interview applicants to choose students and schedule their visits.

This program presents an exciting opportunity for youths to gain insights into the European Parliament and broaden their understanding of the EU.

The post Maltese Youths Get Direct EU Experience with MEP Peter Agius’ Study Visits Programme appeared first on The Third Eye.

Participants will have the opportunity to delve into the world of restorative justice, alongside professionals in the field. The seminar will cover a variety of topics, ranging from restorative practices, supporting victims, and enhancing community safety. Additionally, there will be a discussion about alternative potentials of detention houses, rehabilitation, and community integration.

The goal is to encourage participants to share their thoughts, exchange ideas, and collaborate on innovative solutions that address the unique challenges faced by the Maltese community.

There will be a Youth Panel, where representatives from each workshop will share their findings and ideas to provide insight into the understanding of detention houses. The aim is to encourage the youth to voice their ideas and opinions, as well as encourage an inclusive conversation on justice and community well-being. The organisers of this seminar hold the belief that youth’s perspectives are valuable.

Organisers emphasise this being a great opportunity for positive change. Participation in this seminar can contribute to shaping the future of justice.

Register for the seminar here.

The post The Future of Restorative Justice: Detention Houses – Youth seminar takes center stage appeared first on The Third Eye.

This position is great for anyone who is interested in international and youth topics and considers themselves to be a team player who is eager to collaborate. Someone curious and ready to learn through personal experience and experience of others.

How to apply

Applications are open until 25th February 2024. Anyone interested should email a curriculum vitae and motivation letter to mtyd.mfet@gov.mt. After the deadline, applicants will be shortlisted and asked for an interview. Once selected, the announcement will be made in the media.

Good luck to all those who apply!

The post Apply to become Malta’s Youth Delegate at the United Nations! appeared first on The Third Eye.

We are inclined to put people into ‘mental boxes’ based on what they do. And this categorisation process does not neglect ‘the activist box’. There is a tendency to look at members of activist groups like Moviment Graffiti, as “external to society” as student member Rafel Grima told The Third Eye, “as some distant activist with his/her own utopian ideas”. But this should not be the case.

What is an Activist?

To put it simply, an activist is a member of a community who sees the issues that overwhelm the society they live in. They use their “desire to see material change for the whole of society” as Rafel continued to tell The Third Eye, to get up and actually do something about it.

Why join activism?

There are ample reasons why an individual may engage in activism- be it environmental welfare, human rights, better governance or anything else that is in need of some change.  

One of the reasons why members join Moviment Graffiti is because they recognise that Malta’s society, “is run by a system designed for the few, not the many”.

They are dissatisfied with the biparty system under which Malta is being run. It is a system which has unfortunately let these people down in numerous ways. “The role of Moviment is to organise together various resident groups, NGOs and other entities in order to push for much needed changes”, Rafel carried on telling us.

The recognition of the existence of issues like this one, is the foundational motivation which drives activist groups like Moviment Graffiti to get up and actually do something to fight for change.

What kind of work do activists do?

“Moviment Graffitti is active against the oppression and exploitation of people, the environment and animals; with a vision of freedom and radical democracy. Recently our work has focused mainly on the environment, the construction industry, reproduction rights and economic justice. We strive to bring positive change by fighting for justice and equality. This is done in a number of ways: we carry out direct actions, organise protests and gatherings, build coalitions between different social forces and hold awareness-raising initiatives such as film-nights, talks and discussions.” Rafel Grima, member of Moviment Graffiti.

Why should students engage in activism?

 Although activism is essential for all individuals, a young person’s opinion particularly, matters- we bring fresh, innovative and unheard-of perspectives to the table.

Young Progressive Beings’ Emily Galea told The Third Eye, “It is our belief that activism ( or, more accurately, work/ volunteering in the humanitarian field) is an essential part of one’s youth that enables you to empathise with other and feel a connection to your surroundings.”

Emily is a core member of Young Progressive Beings (YBP) and is also a project co-leader of the Dear Decision Makers Campaign, which has been established for just under a year. In this short span of time, her and her teammates have worked relentlessly to grant women in Malta their reproductive rights. 

“YBP is a radical, intersectional, eco-feminist, pro-choice group”, Emily tells The Third Eye, “being a highly pressing issue, reproductive justice is currently at the forefront of our mission.”  Activism is something which Emily encourages greatly for young people, be them students or not as we, “are the driving force for environmental and social progression. Fighting for one’s own future, as others’ future is both a responsibility and a privilege”.

The Student Activist Lens

Mark Farrugia, another student member from Moviment Graffiti told The Third Eye, “students would still be in the process of learning about different political beliefs and would be able to voice their opinion with other students, join a particular NGO or pressure group, to implement the change they seek in. The younger generation of students tend to have a certain drive within them which will be of great help to maintain persistence. Activism can also bring about various perspectives to students on many different topics which will help them grow.

A concern that students may have about becoming ‘activists’ is the attention, or worse- the possibility of being penalised for participating in a protest or any kind of direct action. Mark told us, “this is subject to the lack of information that an individual may have.”  And it is also subject to the unfounded stereotypes attached to the word ‘activist’- being perceived as sensationalist is just one example.

“Everyone has the right to protest for something that is unjust.” So, even if being at a protest may give you some anxiety,  just know that, as Mark told us,  “that is the feeling of knowing that we would be standing up for our rights for a just cause”.

So, how can we redefine activism?

My personal recommendation- become an activist yourself. There is no right way to be an activist; you just need to convert your desires for change into realities and everything will follow. You could sign up to become a member of an NGO, offer up a couple of hours of your day to do some voluntary work or even use your talents to appeal to the cause you want to fight for.

It will not only help to tackle the many pressing issues which our society faces day after day, but in participating, you will also be:

1. Re-wiring some of the misconceptions you may have about activism
2. Converting the general public’s ideas on ‘activists’ by becoming part of the narrative.

Check out this article we had featured on What Students Think About Activism.

The post Youth activism is not what you think it is appeared first on The Third Eye.

Throughout the past five months that COVID-19 has been active in Malta, several digital activists have kept their pages online in full swing to voice the causes they believe in. Starting a Facebook page and saying you’re an activist may be easy enough. However, staying active and making your voice heard online is easier said than done. These five pages show how digital activism can be effective, even if in the middle of a pandemic.

Jimpurtana

A coupling of Betapsi alumni who fell in love with activism and want to end the stigma surrounding politics. They started their platform to endorse an open-minded perspective on politics, and look down on partisan politics.

Young Progressive Beings

Self-proclaimed “young, radical beings who want to challenge the status quo”. YPB are a group of youths who were frustrated with the bi-partisan media channels available. So, they created a platform for themselves to fight for social progress, starting with reproductive justice.

Bejn Żewġt Imħuħ

A new organisation that popped up over quarantine aimed at promoting “conservative ideals of liberty, life and culture, within the nation state”. They are an independent organisation wanting to encourage youths use their voice and engage in politics, without having to pick either side.

Dear Decision Makers

Unlike the above mentioned pages, this is an off-shoot of two other organisations in the form of a pro-choice campaign. The page aims to tell the story of the impact of the complete ban on abortion in Malta.

ADŻ Green Youth Malta

Perhaps, one of the older organisations, this page is the ‘youth wing’ better well-known political party, Alternattiva Demokratika. It actively works to push forward especially environmental and social causes and brings youth directly into the political sphere.

The post 5 Youth Activists that have popped up over the pandemic appeared first on The Third Eye.

A number of youths gave speeches to inspire action on climate change upon arriving near the Parliament, amongst them KSU President Carla Galea and KNZ President Sean Ellul.

“The youth generation has a voice,” stated Galea, “we have realised that we have a problem which will be irreparable, if not now in a few years.” The awareness we are raising today must concern every citizen, not just the youth, she continued, and especially our leaders and representatives. Only 7.5% of energy consumed in Malta came from renewable sources in 2017, Galea said, “We have a long way to go to reach the aims of the EU.”

If we continue in this manner, future generations will be deprived of the key right to live freely without the shackles our negligence is imposing on them

Carla Galea, KSU President

In his speech, Ellul announced the national task force that KNZ launched yesterday. “As a generation we refuse to be condemned to a future where climate change wins,” he emphasised. The call for the task force went out yesterday to every citizen to join KNZ in the fight against climate change.

The task force will be divided into different subcommittees focusing on different environmental topics. Proposals for policies will then be created to bring to parliament and those in power. The call is open on KNZ’s Instagram and Facebook pages. “The time to talk was yesterday, the time to act is now.”

The speeches ended with a young child addressing the older generations:

Aren’t you noticing that you are ruining the world for kids like me? Aren’t you noticing that kids like me already want to leave Malta when they are older because of how you’ve left it?

The post “The time to talk was yesterday, the time to act is now” – Sean Ellul appeared first on The Third Eye.

Over the past 30 years, Junior Achievement Young Enterprise Malta (JAYE) has inspired thousands of young minds and set youths on the path for entrepreneurial success. Since 1988, the organisation – formerly known as Young Enterprise – has seen more than 7,000 students take part in their non-formal, hands-on and experiential programmes.

To commemorate their 30th anniversary, JAYE Malta is hosting a gala dinner at the InterContinental Malta on 6 December to celebrate the revolutionary impact that their work – including that of students, mentors, volunteers, stakeholders and friends – has had on the world of education and entrepreneurship, while kicking off another 30 years of achievement.

Lara Degabriele, who took part in the 2014 Company Programme finals, describes JAYE’s mission as “inspiring big ideas in young minds”.

Of course, the first-step behind these ideas was to create a company, something that Lara has always wanted to do. During her time at Junior College, she was the designated Sales and Marketing Manager of the Young Enterprise company ‘MeStories’, which set out to help young children improve their standard of Maltese, through an application featuring Maltese audiobooks.

Lara tells me that her role was, essentially, to get the word out about MeStories, while ensuring that everything the company did adhered to her team’s brand standards. Now a student of the Raindance Film School in London, she says: “In my field, I need to present my ideas and market myself as a brand and, thanks to JAYE, I acquired the knowhow to be able do this.”

Before embarking on her first entrepreneurial venture, Lara anticipated that it would be a rewarding experience. “I knew that it would be a lot of hard work but that the pay-off would be worth it, as I was fortunate enough to form part of a team of underdogs, who were willing to put in 100% of their time and effort into our company. Even though we placed second in the finals, we still came out as winners with regards to how much we learned and the connections we created, as well as the numerous awards that added value to our work,” she says.

In a world where education is often rigid, JAYE Malta emphasises the value that comes with celebrating achievement of all shapes and sizes.

Indeed, having had plenty of experience on stage, Lara also helped her colleagues to prepare for their presentations. “My favourite achievement was when the quietest girl I’ve ever met stood in front of the judges and presented our company with confidence,” she adds. Lara then went on to volunteer with JAYE for a few years after her competition year, helping out at events, offering advice to achievers and even hosting the programme finals. Hers is a brilliant example of the many, many people who have been helped and inspired by JAYE over the years.

Now, if you would like to share your #JAYEStory, contact JAYE Malta Foundation or fill in this form to reserve your tickets for the JAYE Malta 30th Anniversary Celebration.

The JAYE Malta 30th Anniversary Celebration will be held at the InterContinental Malta on 6 December at 7.30pm. For more information and to reserve your seats, visit the @JayeMalta Facebook page or www.jayemalta.org. Tickets cost €50 and are available at a discounted rate of €30 for students.

The post Big Ideas, Young Minds | Share Your #JAYEstory appeared first on The Third Eye.

In this letter, President Michael Piccinino urged them to support the Erasmusx10 Campaign which aims for a 10-fold increase in funding for the benefit of more opportunities for youth. KNZ explains that the idea behind such a campaign emanated from the way in which several European Political Leaders started pushing for a significant uplift of the Erasmus Programme budget.

Erasmus10 Campaign is centred around the fact that Erasmus has changed the lives of millions of Europeans, imagine what change and investment in youth can be done with ten times the budget. KNZ President, Michael Piccinino explained that whilst KNZ is not officially part of the campaign, “the aim is to have more funds to reach more young people and it is important for Policy makers to show that they are serious about the future of Europe by investing in Youth which are the present and future of Europe.”

The letter can be read on: https://www.facebook.com/KNZMalta/

More information on the Erasmus10 Campaign can be found on: http://erasmusx10.eu/

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