Bid to involve youths in local decision-making

The National Youth Council (KNZ) has launched a pilot project to involve young people in the decision-making process of their respective localities.

Involving 11 local councils, namely Balzan, Birkirkara, Fgura, Paola, Pietà, St Julians, San Gwann, St Paul's Bay, Xghajra, Zejtun and Zurrieq, the KNZ project is meant to encourage young citizens aged between 14 - 18 to come up with concrete proposals for their locality that will eventually be implemented.

The start of the pilot project will be marked by a general assembly in each locality in the first two weeks of July. The meeting will be followed by discussions on what young people think are the problems in their respective localities. The youths will then join smaller workshops that will meet in July and August.

Each youth local council will appoint a junior mayor whose task would be to chair meetings.

In October, the youth local council would discuss priorities identified during the workshops; attend a half-day seminar together with all the participants of the youth local councils taking part and ask their respective local council for a meeting where proposals are presented and an exchange of ideas takes place.

KNZ president Jean Paul de Lucca said that, presently, across Europe there is a general trend favouring this type of participation at a local level and he expressed his satisfaction that KNZ itself will be launching this type of project in Malta.

The project was earlier this week presented during a seminar in France related to the theme in question. It was welcomed positively by representatives from national youth councils and other youth organisations attending the event.

Speaking at the launch of the project last Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Youth and Employment, Louis Galea, said that by means of this project Maltese youth will be able to foster a sense of active citizenship and learn how the democratic process functions.

"The final objective of the local youth councils project is for the young participants to put forward a number of proposals on how to improve various aspects of their localities. The project will be truly successful once these proposals will be implemented by the respective local councils thus ensuring that the involvement of youth in community life is recognised and essential," Dr Galea added.

Those interested can contact either their respective local councils for more information or the National Youth Council at info@knz.org.mt.