Three Maltese shortlisted for Young Person Award

Three Maltese candidates are in with a chance to take home the Outstanding Young Person of the World award after they were shortlisted among the 30 finalists.

The award serves to formally recognise those who excel in their chosen fields and exemplify the best attributes in young people.

The finalists are environmentalists Marco Cremona and Alan Deidun together with international relations lecturer Kleda Mulaj.

They earned their nomination following their respective achievements at the fourth edition of the Junior Chamber International Malta Young Person Award.

The judges will sift through the shortlist of 30 individuals by September 1 before a winner is declared. The awards ceremony will be held in November in India. Mr Cremona, twice recipient of the JCI national award, said he was surprised to have made it onto the shortlist and that his work was being given such importance on an international level. "It is a form of certificate in itself, even if it does not go any further than this."

"Whatever happens... I am determined to continue working in Malta. I considered working and living in Australia for a while. They have similar water problems there. However, I feel I still have a lot to contribute locally," Mr Cremona said.

Ms Mulaj specialises in conflict as well as peace studies. Her research has gained international exposure since she has contributed significantly to the understanding of the causes of war and conditions of peace. Her PhD thesis, dealing with the causes and consequences of ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, has received considerable attention. Her work has also been published in various academic US and UK journals.

Dr Deidun, on the other hand, is a coastal biologist, specialising in the ecology of sandy beach communities, as well as marine bio-invasions.

To date, he has published over 15 scientific papers in various journals on coastal and marine biology, including aspects such as sandy beach ecology, surf zones and marine protected areas. Dr Deidun expressed hope that his environment-related articles would influence and help the decision-makers in Malta.