In November, Friends of the Earth Malta (FoEM) concluded a series of trainings encouraging active citizenship amongst youths. Our first training took place early in 2025 during the kick-off meeting for Young Friends of the Earth Malta.

During this training, participants learnt about environmental policy, advocacy, grassroots organising, and how to use social media to increase awareness. There were also various speakers who spoke about their experience in advocacy.The second training took place during the Comino Camp in July. During this training, youth discussed environmental issues related to Comino, including over-tourism, overdevelopment, and public space management. They did this through creative and sensory observation, and were prompted to ask themselves “If I had the management of Comino myself, how would I change it?”

During these two trainings, youths were also introduced to the principles of the New Bauhaus Initiative – sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusion. They were also asked to learn and apply them to a Maltese context, creating the foundations for a later activity.We then partnered with Kunsill Nazzjonali taż-Żgħażagħ (KNŻ) and Pia Zammit for two public speaking workshops: one of these was open to all youths and the other was for KNŻ member organisations.

This equipped them with skills useful for their personal and professional lives but also for another activity which is part of the same project – a design competition and co-creation workshop for FoEM’s Old Bakery site on Comino. The design competition and co-creation workshop took place during autumn Comino Camp, Kamp Kemmuna: Edizzjoni Ħarifa. During the workshop, youths reimagined the bakery as an environmental centre which would exhibit the island’s ecology and the site’s history.

At the end of the activity, each team presented their proposal, and explained how their idea embodies the principles of the New Bauhaus Initiative. The workshop’s winning team won a €300 voucher.Through this last activity, youths had the opportunity to contribute ideas that will go towards the restoration of this unique site, which is currently being lovingly restored by the Friends of the Earth Malta team into a heritage and environmental centre.

These activities took place as part of FoEM’s project Youth Policy Academy, which aims to encourage active citizenship among youths and promote their participation in democratic life.