Armchair critics tend to vent their anger at the lack of youth participation in many spheres. Be it students or working youth, none are spared from the criticism.

However, a number of non-governmental organisations, as well as the National Youth Council, are committed to effectively representing and engaging our youths. Through a number of initiatives, campaigns and social media, we are doing our best to reach out to young people.

Recently, the National Youth Council celebrated its 25th anniversary. The first council saw the presence of Kevin Aquilina, who is now Dean of the Faculty of Laws at the University of Malta. Since its inception, the council has worked hard to represent all youth as best as it could – according to the European Union’s definition, all those who are aged between 15 and 35 constitute the youth of a country.

Twenty-five years later, the Council has evolved and adapted to new realities. It is currently in the process of becoming a registered non-governmental organisation. Another milestone during the current council’s term is the passing of a Code of Ethics. During this term new roles have been created, namely the officers for Gozo and for working youth, with the aim of better representing our youth especially those who are working. This is an attempt by the council to break away from the image that it is only concerned with students. It is also a clear commitment to reach out to the youth of Gozo and strengthen our presence on that island. This year also saw the council’s first participation in the National Blood Donation campaign. More than 40 organisations came together behind the cause, helping to save lives with the blood collected during the campaign.

It is only through the effective empowerment of youth that we can engage them effectively

The National Youth Parliament, organised by the National Youth Officer, Jasmine Farrugia, has evolved into a bigger event. It gives our youth a unique opportunity to experience Parliament, through the drafting and debating of motions. In this year’s edition the live-in was introduced, where team-building activities were held to help the participants get to know one other. A number of workshops provided participants with the confidence and the right tools to take part in the session of Parliament.

What also made us proud this year was the fact that more female participants came forward to take part in this annual event. A total of six motions were debated in a parliamentary session which was well attended by the Members of Parliament. The motions were later presented to the Prime Minister, the Opposition leader and the President.

For the first time, this year we organised a Tech Fair. A subcommittee was created to involve other youth in contributing to its organisation, and several start-ups, small businesses and youth organisations took part, setting up stalls in Valletta. Another edition of the fair will be organised next year.

Another first for the council was the organisation of the Social Policy Event, which involved about 100 young people eager to discuss the various policy areas selected for the event. The culmination of this event is a document that will be presented to the relevant authorities.

The council also organised a hate speech campaign. For us, it has been of utmost importance to educate the public against resorting to hate speech.

The National Youth Council also played a key role in setting up a collaboration between the hotel industry and the government. The scheme offers work placements to those seeking a career in the industry who are still in secondary school. The collaboration was facilitated by our deputy secretary general and working youths officer, Graham Sansone.

As a council, we feel it is of utmost importance that we continue to work together with our organisations and with youth in general, and to bridge the gap with the relevant authorities. This is also evident from our constant reminder about giving voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds for all elections and referenda, as well as the need to introduce compulsory civic education in the school curricula.

It is only through the effective empowerment of youth, constantly reaching out to them and bringing their ideas to the forefront, that we can engage them effectively. This would also lead to their direct involvement in society.

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Michael Piccinino is president of the National Youth Council.