Your FuturEU, a campaign aimed at raising awareness and engaging students and young adults to participate in policy discussions and proposals, has been launched by Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU). 

The campaign, which was launched during a press conference held at MCC in Valletta, will run from January to June 2021 and is funded by the European Union. It serves as an umbrella campaign for three other sub-campaigns related to a number of issues which affect many students on campus:  'Beyond the Influence: A Drug Use Awareness Campaign', 'The Future is Equal: A Gender Equality Campaign' and 'Mind Your Health: A Mental Health Campaign'.

"Basing the campaign on materials and sources supported by the European Parliament, Your FuturEU seeks to raise visibility of the European Parliament, aiming to serve as a catalyst for change in a number of policy areas through the numerous initiatives to be organized," KSU said.

"Rather than simply creating awareness, KSU is committed to providing a forum for ideas and forward-looking policy. Through this project we aim not only to contribute locally but also on a European level," KSU President Matthew Xuereb said.

Each sub-campaign will consist of panel discussions, debates, Q&A sessions, workshops, social media content, videos, articles, reports and guidebooks. The discussions, which will include the input of relevant stakeholders, will serve as the basis for policy recommendations. "We are inviting the civil society to play an important role in policy-making. Our ultimate goal is to truly embrace our future and our EU, especially in a post Covid-19 society," commented Yasmine Ellul, KSU Student Affairs Officer and coordinator of the Your FuturEU campaign.

The Sub-Campaigns

The 'Beyond the Influence' drug use awareness campaign aims to raise awareness on drug use by young adults through a number of initiatives which will discuss the topic from different perspectives, with particular focus on the effects of drugs, the effectiveness on drug treatment, law enforcement and judicial cooperation within the EU, the accessibility of drugs, the national and European impact of drug use and the aftermath of Covid-19 on drug users, Kyra Pullicino, a student at the Faculty of Law and coordinator for the campaign, explained.

'The Future is Equal' campaign aims to acknowledge the progress being made with regards to gender equality while also highlighting the hindrances still perverting true gender equality locally. "Malta currently ranks 15th on the EU Gender Equality Index, scoring 4.5 below the EU's average, however it is currently one of the fastest progressors among all member states," commented Alexandra Gaglione, the coordinator behind this campaign.

The 'Mind Your Health' campaign aims to drive a conversation around mental health amongst youth, by raising awareness and mainstreaming the stigma surrounding mental health.  "During the pandemic period, we have seen a rise in mental health issues, even among students. We aim to continue making an emphasis that mental health is indeed a priority," said Andrea Grima, the campaign's coordinator.

You may follow the campaign here: https://www.facebook.com/ksumalta