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SVYO Research Project Final event concludes 3-year research project on youth volunteers At the end of November, Żgħażagħ Azzjoni Kattolika (ŻAK) hosted around 60 volunteers from Italy (Azione Cattolica Italiana), Romania (Acţiunea Catolică din România), Spain (Acción Católica General) and Malta (ŻAK Malta) for the final part of a three-year partnership research project entitled ‘Supporting Volunteers in Youth Organisations (SVYO)’, with the aim of discovering the underlying issues regarding the long-term commitment of young volunteers in these four Catholic Action organisations. The programme for these 3 days kicked off with a conference on Friday morning, where the results of the research were presented compiling results from the quantitative analysis together with the results from the qualitative part. As the research coordinator Mr. Anthony Mifsud, explained: “The objectives of the research were quite wide-reaching in the sense that we had 4 associations, which means 4 countries with a lot of questions on what are the needs of young people are, what has been catered for and what is not being catered for, what the youth volunteers are benefiting from the organisations and what is making them leave the associations, and for this reason, we had to use a mixed-method approach.”  He also explained that the process started with a census of all the associations, this included 50,000 young people, followed by in-depth questionnaires to around 37 ex-members. This helped in discovering why members were leaving the organisation. Afterthis, a quantitative questionnaire was distributed to present members of the organisations. This part included around 2000 respondents. Then the last part of the research consisted of a deeper analysis by means of a qualitative part. This was characterised by around 25 focus groups held in these 4 different countries. The objective of the different workshops, which then followed during the rest of the weekend, was to delve deeper into the results, especially those presented during the focus groups. Among the points that came out from these results was the question of the identity of the organisation, the aims of the organisations, whether these are clear and whether these are being met. Another workshop focused on the strengths, the needs and the opportunities present for the organisations. Throughout the workshop, the idea of collaboration was emphasised by encouraging organisations to share the strengths, give their feedback and help each other by sharing the burden of the challenges, to be able to move forward together. The number of workshops also helped to set a way forward and establish several priorities for the organisations to work on: on a national level but also for all the 4 organisations on an international, collaborative level. Among the priorities that were established were the importance of the core of every organisation, the importance of putting God at the centre, evangelisation, more in depth formation regarding faith and the importance of action, especially social action. In fact, while workshops on Friday and Saturday helped the organisations to simply observe the picture of the organisations as it is, without any judgements or fast solutions, Sunday workshops focused on starting to establish these priorities. Each organisation will now continue sharing and working on these priorities, for the better of its members. this exercise was a very important one, especially in the international context of the church … this project came at the right moment where we were already prepared to take a step aside and to listen As Ms. Codruta Fernea, Local Project Coordinator for Acţiunea Catolică din România stated, “this exercise was a very important one, especially in the international context of the church” with the importance of the synod and the emphasis on listening. She continued that “this project came at the right moment where we were already prepared to take a step aside and to listen”. Meanwhile Ms. Kirsty Cauchi, a member and leader in ŻAK and participant during the 3-day seminar said that she found it both interesting and informative. She added that she gained more information about the organisation that she is part of and about the members she works with. For her, it was also a beautiful experience and opportunity to discuss with other international organisations. Finally, Ms. Emanuela Gitto who is responsible for the youth coordination of the International Forum of Catholic Action stated that she hopes that this process does not really finish with the project end, but rather to “keep working together towards new opportunities to share and propose this dialogue beyond borders”. The project ‘Supporting Volunteers in Youth Organisations’ (SVYO) is co-funded by the European Union in the framework of Erasmus+ programme and has kicked off on the 1st March 2021 and will keep running till the 31st of December 2023. The study will be made available to the public at the end of the project.

ToGeThere Youth Exchange ToGeThere Youth Exchange between ŻAK Ħal Tarxien and Azione Cattolica San Severo During the summer of 2022, ŻAK Ħal Tarxien and Azione Cattolica San Severo held an exchange in Malta with the title of ‘Id f’Id,’ discussing sustainability and post-COVID-19 rebuilding. This year, the second part of the exchange took place between July 10th and 16th, this time in San Severo, Italy, with the title ‘ToGeThere,’ emphasising the significance of collective efforts to achieve the UN 2030 agenda. The event saw active participation from 41 young individuals, aged between 14 and 28, hailing from Malta and the Puglia region (Diocese of San Severo), Italy. Throughout the week, the participants engaged in discussions revolving around various critical UN 2030 Agenda goals, encompassing Goal 1 – No Poverty, Goal 10 -Reducing Inequalities, Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, Goal 13 – Climate Change, Goal 16 – Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions and Goal 17 – Sustainable Development.  The discussion commenced with Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, where participants conducted activities in Torremaggiore, Italy, by exploring the historical centre and the Torremaggiore castle, the Sacco and Vanzetti museum, and the museum of De Sangro. Additionally, they visited Castel Fiorentino, the site of Emperor Frederick II’s demise, concluding the day with a Cluedo-style game centred around the same historical event at Ducal Castle. The following day’s focus shifted to Goal 1 – No Poverty, where the pressing issue of school dropouts among 16-year-olds was thoroughly examined. The group explored local initiatives addressing this concern and met with representatives from the municipal administration of San Severo at Palazzo Celestini. Here, the mayor presented the ‘social incubators’ project, which employs artistic tools to impart knowledge to youth. These ‘art incubators’ foster a better understanding between educators and students, guiding the latter’s holistic development. The exchange also welcomed the MSAC circle of the Vieste diocese, who presented the student movement of Catholic Action, and engaged in joint activities promoting active participation in school and work environments, covering topics such as fast fashion, climate change and mental health. Another crucial topic addressed during the exchange was Goal 13 – Climate Change. Participants discussed ongoing European Union-funded initiatives in both Malta and Italy, aimed at tackling climate change, and engaged in MSAC-led workshops on this pressing matter. Towards the exchange’s conclusion, Goal 16 – Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions as well as Goal 17 – Sustainable Development, were discussed, particularly regarding the issues of migration and exploitation. To gain insight into these concerns, the participants engaged in a tabletop game called ‘Oro Rosso (Red Gold)’ and had dinner with various NGOs working in San Severo, witnessing the collaborative efforts towards achieving the UN 2030 agenda goals and beyond. In conclusion, the exchange program in San Severo provided a transformative experience for the participants, extending beyond discussions on the UN 2030 Agenda. The exchange not only allowed them to delve into critical global issues but also facilitated a deep cultural, language and social exchange, creating a genuine European Union experience. In the spirit of ‘ToGeThere’ the participants left the exchange with a shared determination to make a difference, both locally and globally, contributing to the realisation of the UN 2030 Agenda and beyond. Through their efforts and collaborations, they are demonstrating that meaningful change can be achieved when we come together as one, transcending boundaries and celebrating our shared humanity.

Role Models Here is a small sneak peek into the past, more specifically last weekend’s ŻAK 16-18 Live-in. We did a lot of activities together – we ate, played, prayed, walked and much more. One of the highlights of this weekend was the role models session, where we invited people from different walks of life and they spoke to us about their life, what makes life meaningful for them and how we can strengthen our communities, among other things. We also had the opportunity to talk to them in smaller groups, and get to know them a bit better. Thank you to all participants and leaders who made this experience possible and wonderful! Dan il-live in kien ‘one to remember’. Iltqajt ma’ nies ġodda fiż-ŻAK kif ukoll role models fil-komunita’ u allavolja kellna attivitajiet forsi mhux daqsekk faċli, ħadt gost ħafna għax għamilnihom flimkien – Miriana Ciantar Ħadt gost niltaqa’ ma’ membri ta’ ċentri oħra waqt il-live in, u ħadt pjaċir nitkellem ma’ nies li m’humiex parti miż-ŻAK imma għandhom vokazzjonijiet differenti u huma xorta nvoluti fil-komunita` ta’ madwarna, għax sirt naf ftit fuq il-ħajja tagħhom, u sirt naf kif nista’ nieħu ħsieb aħjar lin-nies u l-ambjent ta’ madwari – Giovanni Bonavia Dan it-training kien esperjenza unika u ta’ vera. Kienet opportunità inkredibbli fejn stajna nitgħallmu mil-leaders tagħna iżda wkoll, u b’mod speċjali minn dawk ta’ madwarna. F’dan it-training flimkien, komplejna nibnu il kommunitajiet tagħna b’diversi esperjenzi varjati, speċjalment il-komunitajiet żgħar fiċ-Ċentri taż-ŻAK li aħna leaders fihom, bil-konsegwenza li il-komunita` sħiħa taż-ŻAK tkompli tikber.– Mikiel Cassar, ŻAK Iklin During this leadership event, I had the chance to meet new people from different centers and get to know more those I already knew. We took part in different interactive workshops where we openly discussed and shared our opinions and experiences. Although we had some challenging moments, the incredible support and collaboration among our team members helped us to overcome these challenges. It was a very enjoyable and enriching experience that left a profound and lasting impact on me. The exceptional teamwork and the strong sense of togetherness made this training all the more special. I am grateful for the meaningful connections and valuable lessons I gained from this experience.- Matthew Spiteri, ŻAK Ħal Tarxien. On the 22nd of June, another role model session was held at Our Lady Immaculate School in Ħamrun, the students had the privilege of listening to Jamie, a ŻAK member who is the reigning female chess champion of Malta and a council member of the Malta Chess Federation. Jamie introduced the fundamentals of chess, its historical background, and the remarkable achievements of women in the game. She highlighted the benefits of engaging in chess, fostering friendships, personal development, and stress relief. Jamie emphasized the importance of creativity and decision-making for becoming a good chess player. To make her message relatable, she shared her personal journey in chess, from starting at a young age to fearlessly competing in international tournaments. She encouraged the students to embrace bold moves and think critically, both in chess and in life. The students were given a small board game as a small token, and also with the aim of encouraging them to play with others in order to nurture and grow in the skills associated with such games.   The live-in and session were held as part of the Role Models Project financed by the European Union Programmes Agency in collaboration with ŻAK. This activity’s administration was handled by ŻAK’s Youth Work Coordinator, who is funded by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ through the Invest Scheme. @Erasmus+ & European Solidarity Corps – EUPA Malta @Aġenzija Żgħażagħ