Speed Networking with MEP candidates, a day shadowing competition and school visits are all initiatives that were run by JCI Malta and several of its partners through the project Step Up For Europe – Make it Count!. The project which ran up to the MEP elections on the 25th of May of 2019, was run with the main purpose of educating young first-time voters, between the ages of 16 and 19, as well as foreigners living in Malta and voting for the first time, with all they need to know to make an informed decision.
Striving to provide opportunities for young people to make a positive change, JCI Malta took on the European challenge tasked by JCI Europe in order to encourage youths to have a say and to show them that their opinion counts.
Leading up to the MEP Elections, JCI Malta visited a number of Secondary Schools in order to educate 5th Form students on their voting rights, what they need to know about the upcoming elections, as well as how important it is to be an active citizen in today’s world. JCI Malta ran the talks with over 250 students. Following this, JCI Malta published a report on the views of young people for the European Union.
Believing that to make an informed decision, one needs to actively seek ways to get to know the candidates contesting the upcoming MEP Elections, JCI Malta organised a Speed Networking session at Is-Suq tal-Belt on the 26th April. In attendance there were around 15 MEP candidates and over 100 people.
A Day in the Life of an MEP Candidate was yet another initiative JCI Malta offered. This particular event was centred around giving first-time voters the opportunity to spend a whole day shadowing an MEP candidate, following their daily tasks and events. The shadowing sessions happened all throughout the months of March and April. There were a total of 20 MEP candidates that offered this possibility.