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YouthWiki

EACEA National Policies Platform
Malta

Malta

5. Participation

5.5 National strategy to increase youth participation

Last update: 28 November 2023
On this page
  1. Existence of a national strategy to increase young people's political and civil society participation
  2. Scope and contents
  3. Responsible authority for the implementation of the strategy
  4. Monitoring and evaluation
  5. Revisions/ Updates

Existence of a national strategy to increase young people's political and civil society participation

Political Participation

An overarching aim of the national youth policy is to effectively support young people as responsible citizens who participate in and contribute to the social, economic, political, and cultural life of the nation and Europe and in addressing global issues. The document states that this aim will be achieved through Reaching out to, connecting with, and listening to the voices of young people:

  • in the community
  • in the schools and other education/training institutions
  • in the workplace
  • through social media.

 

 

Civil society participation

The strategy to increase young people’s participation in civil society is The National Strategy on Volunteering – Moving Towards 2025. One of the strategy’s aims is to encourage more participation of different age groups in civil society including young people. The strategy looks at young people as that cohort that can add further zeal and energy to the sector. This document was published in 2020 and has a timeframe of 5 years.

 

Scope and contents

Political participation

2 of the 8 strategic goals of the National Youth Policy: Towards 2030 focus on creating a safe space where young people can participate and giving skills to young people through which they can enhance their participation.

 

The first is Strategic Goal 1 which states “To listen to and support the voices of young people and raise awareness among young people of issues that impact on their everyday lives and provide youth information. Through this Strategic Goal the Government commits to support and promote the voices of young people and provide them with opportunities to express their views, concerns, and aspirations at the local, national, and European level through initiatives such as the EU Youth Dialogue; Promote the involvement of youth, including unorganised and young people with fewer opportunities in envisioning national policies, plans and programmes and in decision making; engage the National Youth Council, as the voice of youth organisations, to liaise with and consult Aġenzija Żgħażagħ in supporting the aims and implementation of the national youth policy; and develop and promote campaigns to raise awareness on important issues and causes.

 

Another Strategic goal aims to provide proactive and responsive regional, local, and school-based supports and services that enable young people to learn, work in and contribute to their communities and the wider society and create an environment that fosters democratic participation, particularly through school-based services, particularly in promoting civic education, active citizenship, local democracy, and student councils.

 

 

Civil society participation

The national strategy recognises the need of creating young willing volunteers and for this reason, this strategy needs to look into all stakeholders being ‘youth ready’ by making roles accessible for young people while providing guidance and support. The strategy does not look at young people differently to other volunteers in experiencing the challenge of making time to volunteer, and no different in what motivates them to volunteer; although their motivations may be held in different priorities to older volunteers, with more value for most young people on skill development, as well as giving something back to the community/ pursuing personal interests/being with friends.

 

In this regard, MCVS is committed to:

  • Address the issue of creating young willing volunteers by reassuring their confidence through offering peer ambassadors and mentors;
  • Accessing their influencers (including schools and other educational institutions, families and peers);
  • Adapting the length or regularity of their volunteer role to address their transient time commitments;
  • Addressing their access to transport;
  • Understanding how young people prefer to communicate – in terms of media and styles by embracing websites and social networking. Understanding how to effectively use digital communication media to target young volunteer audiences is clearly a huge development area for volunteer-involving organisations;
  • Targeting recruitment of young people by keeping application processes short as possible. Targeted recruitment was essential to attract young people into the organisations, utilising digital and non-digital recruitment mixes, using existing peer networks, schools, colleges, universities, and youth centres;
  • Training and using young people as ambassadors, to help potential young people to put themselves in volunteers’ shoes;
  • Providing youth workers to train voluntary organisations on how to manage and maintain young volunteers.

 

 

Responsible authority for the implementation of the strategy

Political participation

Reaching the aims and following the principles of the national youth policy Towards 2030 – Reaching out to, working with, and supporting young people falls under the responsibility of Aġenzija Żgħażagħ - the national youth agency.  The document states that it will use the agency’s annual reports as a means to monitor this progress.

 

Civil society participation

The strategy is under the direct responsibility of The Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector. The review of its implementation progress will be ongoing, with annual submissions to the Ministry responsible for the voluntary sector.

 

Monitoring and evaluation

Political Participation

 

The implementation of the national youth policy over the period 2021-2030, will be monitored on an ongoing basis. Aġenzija Żgħażagħ will employ its Annual Reports to record progress on implementation of the national youth policy and achievement of its strategic goals. Annual Reports will also aim to include data on the nature, extent, and level of young people's participation in youth work and youth services in Malta.

 

Civil society participation

A review of the implementation and impact of the Strategy and action plan will be conducted annually and a report will be submitted to the Minister with responsibility for the voluntary sector in Malta.

 

Revisions/Updates

Political participation

Since its launch in 2021, there were no revisions or updates.

Civil society participation

Since its launch in 2020, there were no revisions or updates.