Gozo Regional Council conducts feedback workshops with youths – environment’s most prominent issue
Victoria, Gozo, 15th January 2023 – The Gozo Regional Council conducted workshops in schools to ask the questions: “What does Gozo mean to you?” and “How can we improve Gozo for the better?”. These workshops are the first step in the IDEA Għawdex Project and are part of a plan to increase youth involvement ideas.
IDEA Ghawdex is a project currently being conducted by the Region’s Cultural Officer Francesco Grech. The aim of this project is to gather feedback and ideas from the upcoming generation, in order to implement them and push Gozo forward. With these workshops, a space was created for youths to voice their concerns about their locality.
The first step of the project is gathering ideas from Gozitan youths. These workshops happened in November, the month after Gozo Day. The workshops were conducted in all secondary and post-secondary education institutes in Gozo, mainly the Sir Michelangelo Refalo Sixth Form, Gozo College Ninu Cremona Secondary School, Sacred Heart Minor Seminary and Bishop’s Conservatory Secondary School. The students’ ages varied from 13-17. Around 800 students participated in this part and generated more than 1,100 ideas. Since this feedback exercise sampled the great majority of students in this population, it can be considered a good image of the thoughts of this age group.
Students were asked and encouraged to put forward one idea each, an idea about how Gozo can be improved for the better. Hence the name IDEA Għawdex. The ideas received varied greatly – from the environment, and building planning to traffic, cultural events and social integration. These ideas were gathered and analysed by the Gozo Regional Council employees. The ideas were split into 6 categories, which are: Connectivity, Infrastructure, Lifestyle, Environment, Education, Arts and Culture.
From the data gathered, unsurprisingly, the most prevalent ideas were about improving the Environment, Lifestyle and Infrastructure on the island. The visual representation of statistical data is attached below.
This workshop is part of a whole set of exercises that brings the Region closer to the Citizens it represents. An issue that the Council is noticing is the youth indifference to politics and lack of youth involvement. This small project aims to help address this issue, by giving a voice to the students. On the other hand, students feel empowered as those in charge are hearing their opinions. The students who participated garnered and discussed both minor and major issues first-hand. Not only current and important issues were discussed, but also potential future threats such as overpopulation that will affect Gozo in the long term.
These ideas have been put forward to the Gozo Regional Council and analysed by the mayors themselves. The council discussed and debated these ideas and will further discuss these ideas with the youths themselves during an upcoming series of workshops which will take place on the 4th of March.
Kunsill Reġjonali Għawdex jisma l-vuċijiet taż-żgħażagħ. L-ambjent l-iktar tema li rridu naħdmu fuq
Ir-Rabat, Għawdex, 15 ta’ Jannar 2023 – Il-Kunsill Reġjonali Għawdex mexxa workshops fl-iskejjel biex jistaqsi l-mistoqsijiet: “X’ifisser għalik Għawdex?” u “Kif nistgħu ntejbu lil Għawdex għall-aħjar?”. Dawn il-workshops huma l-ewwel pass fil-Proġett IDEA Għawdex u huma parti minn pjan ħolistiku biex jiżdied l-involviment taż-żgħażagħ.
IDEA Ghawdex huwa proġett li bħalissa qed jitmexxa mill-Uffiċjal tal-Kultura fi ħdan ir-reġjun, Francesco Grech. L-għan ta’ dan il-proġett huwa li jiġbor feedback u ideat mill-ġenerazzjoni li jmiss, sabiex jiġu implimentati u tiġi mtejba l-qagħda t’Għawdex. B’dawn il-workshops, inħoloq spazju għaż-żgħażagħ fejn setgħu jesprimu t-tħassib tagħhom dwar il-lokalità tagħhom.
L-ewwel fażi tal-proġett jinvolvi l-ġbir ta’ ideat miż-żgħażagħ għawdxin. Dawn il-workshops saru f’Novembru, ix-xahar wara Jum Għawdex. Il-workshops saru fl-iskejjel kollha tal-edukazzjoni sekondarja u post-sekondarja f’Għawdex. Fosthom fis-Sir Michelangelo Refalo Sixth Form, l-Iskola Sekondarja Ninu Cremona tal-Kulleġġ t’Għawdex, is-Seminarju Minuri tal-Qalb ta’ Ġesu u l-Iskola Sekondarja tal-Konservatorju tal-Isqof. L-etajiet tal-istudenti kienu jvarjaw minn 13 sa 17-il sena. Madwar 800 student ipparteċipaw f’din il-parti tal-proġett u ssuġġerew aktar minn 1,100 idea. Peress li dan l-eżerċizzju ta’ feedback ħa kampjun tal-maġġoranza l-kbira tal-istudenti f’din il-popolazzjoni, jista’ jitqies bħala stampa ċara u tajba tal-ħsibijiet ta’ dan il-grupp t’età.
L-istudenti ġew mitluba u mħeġġa jressqu idea waħda kull wieħed, idea dwar kif Għawdex jista’ jittejjeb għall-aħjar. Infatti, l-proġett għalhekk għandu l-isem IDEA Għawdex. L-ideat ivarjaw ħafna – mill-ambjent, u l-ippjanar tal-bini għat-traffiku, avvenimenti kulturali u integrazzjoni soċjali. Dawn l-ideat inġabru u ġew analizzati mill-impjegati tal-Kunsill Reġjonali ta’ Għawdex. L-ideat ġew maqsuma f’6 kategoriji, li huma: l-Konnettività, l-Infrastruttura, s-Stil ta’ Ħajja, l-Ambjent, l-Edukazzjoni, l-Arti u Kultura.
Mill-informazzjoni miġbura, l-aktar ideat prevalenti kienu dwar it-titjib tal-Ambjent, l-Istil ta’ Ħajja u l-Infrastruttura fil-gżira. L-istatistika hija rrappreżentata f’forma viżwali hawn taħt.
Dawn il-workshops huma parti minn sett sħiħ ta’ eżerċizzji li jqarrbu r-Reġjun lejn iċ-Ċittadini li jirrappreżenta. Problema li l-Kunsill qed jinnota hija l-indifferenza taż-żgħażagħ lejn il-politika u n-nuqqas ta’ involviment taż-żgħażagħ. Dan il-proġett żgħir għandu l-għan li jgħin jindirizza din il-kwistjoni, billi jagħti vuċi lill-istudenti. Min-naħa l-oħra, l-istudenti jħossuhom imsaħħa hekk kif dawk inkarigati qed jisimgħu l-opinjonijiet tagħhom. L-istudenti li pparteċipaw ġabru u ddiskutew kemm kwistjonijiet minuri kif ukoll maġġuri b’mod dirett. Ġew diskussi mhux biss kwistjonijiet attwali u importanti, iżda wkoll affarijiet li potenzjalment ikunu ta’ theddida għal Għawdex.
Dawn l-ideat tressqu lill-Kunsill Reġjonali ta’ Għawdex u ġew analizzati mis-sindki nfushom. Il-kunsill għarbel u ddiskuta dawn l-ideat u ser ikun ikompli jiddiskuti dawn l-ideat maż-żgħażagħ stess waqt sensiela ta’ workshops li se jsiru fl-4 ta’ Marzu.
