Who is JEF Malta?
JEF Malta is a non-partisan youth NGO and political movement as well as a student organisation within the University of Malta. Our parent organisation is JEF Europe– a European-wide based non-partisan federalist movement. Established in 1972, the organisation has more than 10,000 activists organised in over 250 national, regional and local sections in 31 countries. JEF Europe gives us Maltese youth the opportunity to form part of an international network of youths, who are striving towards a more united, tolerant and democratic Europe. In the 1950s the first groups of young federalists appeared as a youth section of the Union of European Federalists (UEF).
What is our organisation’s aim?
In line with JEF Europe’s main objective, our faction’s primary goals are to promote European affairs and bring Europe closer to young people whilst bridging the gap between policymakers and Maltese youth. Throughout the academic year, our events and campaigns are designed around the framework of promoting a more integrated Europe which is closer to its citizens.
As federalists, we believe that Europeans can achieve long-term peace and prosperity if they work together and see the continent as one community that benefits from its diversity. Following the motto “Simply a generation ahead”, we want Europe to complete the integration process started after World War II and meet the challenges of the 21st century.
That being said, we are not in favour of a centralised European super-state. We support a federal model which is based on the concept of subsidiarity, with power being vested at a national, regional and local level when possible. At the same time, we must note that certain challenges our Union is facing must be met with a pan-European approach. These issue areas include; environmental protection, economic stability, energy supply, digital transition, international security, management of migration flows or protection of fundamental rights and freedoms both inside and outside Europe.
Our contribution to the local space?
At a local level, JEF Malta organises and hosts several debates, interactive workshops, social events and even a debating simulation based on an integrated European Union. This simulation gave students and youth alike the opportunity to immerse themselves in a parliamentary-style political simulation, in which they could create a party based on their views– whether left-leaning or right.
Within the local space, JEF Malta also prides itself on its numerous other non-political contributions. On the 21st of September, JEF Malta hosted a beach clean-up. As a Maltese organisation faction, we felt that on the occasion of Malta’s anniversary of its independence from the status of a British colony, we wanted to give back to our beautiful country and vibrant community. Throughout its history, JEF Malta has held various pro-sustainability and environmental protection events, ranging from workshops to academic debates and clean-ups.
From the international level of JEF Europe, as the Malta faction, we offer various international opportunities throughout the year, such as the opportunity to participate in JEF Europe-hosted seminars and training sessions, taking part in Y-FED (a Brussels-based parliamentary simulation), exchanges with other JEF factions such as JEF Bulgaria in 2021 and other institutional opportunities.
If you are interested in joining JEF Malta you can find our application form on our website. At JEF Malta, we strive to keep our membership fees at a minimal cost, which in turn includes a very generous starter pack, access to all our academic events, opportunities to form part of our sub-committees and discounts on our popular social events. On the 19th of October, we shall be hosting our annual Meet the Exec Event, through which we as an Executive Board introduce ourselves and get to know our fellow members. It provides students with an excellent networking opportunity. Should you have any questions about our organisation or our upcoming events, do not hesitate to reach out to us using our Contact Us feature on our website – https://www.jefmalta.com, as well as following our Facebook page to remain up to date with all our upcoming events.
Written by: JEF Malta
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and are not reflective of ‘A Bird’s Eye View’ as a whole.
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