Gozo Youth Congress

The Grupp Universitarji Ghawdxin (GUG) is organising the Gozo Youth Congress (GYC) on St Augustine's Square, Victoria, from December 12 to 15, to mark GUG's 15th anniversary. The conference is sponsored by the Ministry for Gozo, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport, the Diocese of Gozo, the Gozo Business Chamber, local councils and Magro Group.

The congress, aimed at voicing youth perspectives on issues of both national and European dimension, will discuss "Youth and Work", "Youth and the European Union" and "Gozo as a Region". The congress will focus particularly on Gozo, tackling domestic issues such as work opportunities, the effects of globalisation, and the impact of liberal values on traditional and conservative ones.

A total of 111 delegates from local councils, the Gozo Business Chamber, KDZ, OASI, GUG, Sixth Form, unions, political youth organisations, international youth organisations and students from all over Europe will participate in the congress.

The GYC will be spread over four days, starting with a concert for charity on December 12. The congress will be officially opened the next day, with the first plenary sesssion discussing general expectations and views on the issues put forward. A seminar will follow with the participation of leading speakers, including Saviour Rizzo from the University of Malta, Dr Joe Mifsud from the Socrates Office and Anette Scerri from the Youth Programme. After lunch the delegates will be divided in working groups to discuss the working documents.

The December 14 session will follow the same pattern, except that the discussion and seminar will focus upon "Gozo as a Region", dealing with various aspects that arise from this theme, including the historical background of Gozo's autonomy, Gozo and the European Union and regionalism in general.

The speakers at this seminar will be leading historian Rev Dr Joseph Bezzina, Dr Michael Frendo, MP, a delegate at the Convention for the Future of Europe, and Stefano Corti, from Italy.

On the final day, December 15, the last plenary session will be held and the final document voted upon. At 6.30 p.m., at the Gozo Cathedral, a Pontifical High Mass with the participation of young priests will be celebrated. The final document will be presented to Bishop Cauchi, to other national authorities and to the EU Commission.

The plenary sessions and some of the workshops will be held at Don Bosco Oratory, while lunches, accommodation for the delegates and the rest of the workshops will be housed at St Augustine's Friary.

For application forms and further details visit GUG's Website: www.gug.org.mt/congress; e-mail: gug@di-ve.com; tel: 9980-3834, 7978-4538. Application forms must be submitted by December 9 at noon.