Youth View

One of the key tools that Youth View has used to stimulate young citizenship is filmmaking. The group has created a series of short films exploring issues such as drug use, actions youth can take to assist people with disabilities, and the way that music can unite people from different cultures. (Details about one of these films are available on the Youth View website.

Bringing youth together from different cultures is another core Youth View strategy. For example, the project "I-Opener" brought Maltese youth together with young people in Italy, Spain, Germany, Lithuania, and Romania for a networking project. With support from the European Youth Programme through the European Union Programmes Unit (EUPU), Youth View organised various activities, such as workshops to learn about film production and the tools of media while visiting places where media is produced, such as radio and television stations. Informal meetings were also held so that the team could get to know and understand each other while playing games, going bowling, seeing movies, and participating in a talent night. These activities culminated in young people creating discussions regarding the influences the mass media have on society - e.g., some information shared is perhaps not truly objective, and does not help young people grow up into young persons who take responsibilities within their community. At the end of this process, the young people created 3 short movies for presentation to the local media and for sharing with partners in an exchange of socio-cultural education.

Youth.

Future Youth View plans are as follows:

• to initiate an educational campaign explaining the function of NGOs and their relevance in democratic societies;
• to encourage and assist local youth to participate in foreign volunteer exchange programmes;
• to host foreign volunteers for both long- and short-term exchange programmes; and
• to form multifaceted approaches to disseminating information regarding educational, cultural, and civic opportunities.