San Pawl il-Bahar Local Council has, for the first time, in the year 2007 given an opportunities to youths, aged between 14 and 18 living in San Pawl il-Bahar to share an experience amongst themselves in the Local Youth Council set up by the National Youth Council within the Ministry of Education.
What is the Local Youth Council?
- It empowers youths to participate, in their locality’s decision-making - in a democratic way - by forwarding proposals for the benefit of St Paul’s Bay.
- It gives priority to youth participation in society both from social and political aspects.
- Youths are in charge of looking into the needs of other youths in the locality and the locality of St. Paul's Bay.
- This group of youths is in charge of working on a new project in St. Paul's Bay. For this reason special training will be given.
- The project has to be submitted until 31st May 2010.
- 3 Projects from all the localities will be chosen and have to be implemented by 31st October 2010.
- A meeting is to be carried out periodically, at least once a month, and minutes taken for each meeting.
- Youths are given the opportunity to meet the Councillors to propose their ideas.
Way back in October 2006, interested youths aged between 14 – 18 years of age who wanted to be a member in this Council were requested to collect a nomination form from the Council’s Administrative Office.
The first Mayor was Jonathan Micallef.
In April 2007, the Local Youth Council Mayor Jonathan Micallef has been selected to participate in an EU programme regarding youth policies. The four day seminar was held in Cologne, Germany.
In September 2007, together with the Qawra/Bugibba Youth Commission they held a rock music festival at the Qawra Church Parish entitled SWITCH ON wherein money towards Life Cycle have been collected.
In 2010, a new Youth Local Council was formed, wherein interested youths aged between 14 – 18 years of age who wanted to be a member in this Council could form part. The mayor was Melvin Gauci. A series of meetings were held wherein the youths worked on a project for the locality.
At the moment any interested youths can form part of the new youth local council which is planned to be formed in the coming weeks.
This Local Youth Council is under the auspices of Mayor Graziella Galea.