At a meeting between President Emeritus Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and the Minister for Inclusion and Quality of Life Julia Farrugia Portelli, research was presented summarizing the conclusions of a consultation process that was done with 900 children in our country.
The report was also presented in an accessible version, compiled by Martina Oliva, a 16-year-old student who thought about how to present research with visuals and writing that understand in an attractive but simple way statistics and all conclusions. Martina is a member of the Children and Youth Council within the Malta Foundation for the Welfare of Society.
Research conducted by the Foundation has seen children talk about wanting to see recreational spaces, sports facilities and open spaces. They also went into detail about how they would design recreational areas, what they include in them, and even what kind of facilities they include and what kind of environmentally friendly materials they use to do the project.
Children of all ages also mentioned how they would like football pitches, basketball courts, cycling areas, archery areas and skateparks, as an alternative to staying home and playing online.
President Emeritus Marie-Louise Coleiro Preco explained that this research gives a clear picture of what Maltese children want, including what they want in terms of accessibility – and we are seeing how children are protagonists and focus. on the four important articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – including article 12, where children have the right to express themselves freely, and whose views be heard and taken seriously in all matters in which they are involved; as well as article 31 which emphasizes that children and young people have the right to have fun by participating in activities they enjoy, and that they should have time to play and be creative with their hobbies.
Minister Farrugia Portelli praised the way this research was conducted which looked at the concept of a better quality of life as well as inclusion through the lens of an important stakeholder – that of children. She also said that it is important that every government, when designing its policy, also sees to it that it is based on research that focuses on what different bands think, including children.
