The Green Party has approved three candidates - Ralph Cassar, Sandra Gauci and Mina Jack Tolu - for the upcoming European Parliament elections, scheduled for 2024.
In a statement, ADPD chair Carmel Cacopardo said that at a time when centre-right parties were intensifying their links with the far-right across Europe, it was important to have three strong candidates who stood for diversity and equality.
The three also acknowledged the intricate link between humanity and the environment, he said, adding that the party did not exclude nominating more candidates in the future.
Who are ADPD's three candidates?
Ralph Cassar is currently the secretary general of ADPD. He has been active with the Greens in Malta since 1992, serving for four terms as a local councillor in Attard. In that role, he worked on the recyclables collection scheme, educational, cultural and sports activities, tree planting, open spaces and a new public library.
He has worked in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry and recognises the urgency of an ecological transition in the industry. He has also taught chemistry in secondary schools and worked briefly in regulatory affairs on medical devices with a public agency.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in chemistry with computer studies, a Masters in Management from the University of Malta, a Masters in Science from the Open University (UK), and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Glasgow.
Cassar is a lecturer at the Institute of Applied Sciences at MCAST.
Sandra Gauci is currently the deputy chair of ADPD.
She has been active in Green politics for three years and is known for being a voice of the people through weekly videos on social media.
Gauci holds a Bachelor of Education in Italian, and a Masters in Italian Literature. She has been teaching Italian for 21 years. Her interests include rule of law, social justice, and media freedom.
Mina Jack Tolu is currently the international secretary of ADPD, a committee member of the European Green Party, and an advisory member of the Federation of Young European Greens.
They have been active in Green politics since 2017 and as an LGBTQI activist since 2010.
Tolu holds a Bachelor of Communications, a Masters in Conflict Resolution and Mediterranean Security from the University of Malta, and a Masters in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University (USA).
They are self-employed and work as a trainer on gender, feminism, communications and campaigns to LGBTQI and youth NGOs. Tolu is also a sensitivity reader and character consultant on trans and non-binary inclusive storylines for Italian TV series and international digital games.