A WEEK OF GOZO By RYAN MERCIECA

PRESIDENT

‘Gozo Week’

organised by

t h e G o z o

U n i v e r s i t y

G r o u p i n

collaboration

w i t h t h e

Mniistry for

G o z o a n d

E c o - G o z o

took place at

the campus of the University of Malta

for 5 days.

There were various events and

activities that took place during the

week, as well as six stands portraying

Gozo and the life of the Gozitans. One

of the stands displays a photo

exhibition by Gozitan photographers

while another has traditional Gozitan

produced food. Other stands portray

the Tourist Sector of Gozo, the culture

of Gozo, Mgarr Xini Regional Park and

Eco-Gozo Projects.

Gozitan talent was also present

throughout these days with various

artists performing on campus to

entertain the students.

GUG’s aim is to promote Gozitan

Culture and society to highest levels

and with that in mind a new subject has

been included in the Degree Plus Field

‘Gozitan Studies.’ This was launched

during ‘Gozo Week,’ when the first

lecture also being held. This will be the

first official course on the subject of

Gozo.

GUG said that it would like to thank all

the sponsors without whom this event

could not take place, particularly the

Ministry for Gozo and Eco-Gozo for

believing in this event, Gozo Culture,

Legend Real Estate, Gozo Tourism

Association, Jubilee Foods, Xewkija

Local Council and the Gozo Business

Chamber.

Also thanks to the hard working

executive and continuos support from

our members.

GUG NEWSLETTER

THE FIRST EDITION OF THE GOZO WEEK WAS HELD ON CAMPUS FROM THE 27TH FEBUARY TO THE 2ND MARCH 2012

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GOOD LUCKFOR

YOUREXAMS

40,061   scouts   from   143   different   countries  last  summer  had  the  opportunity  to  be  part  of   the   22nd   edi<on   of   the   World   Scout  Jamboree   which   was   held   in   Rinkaby.   This  village   in   the   south   of   Sweden   was  completely   covered   in   tents  for   two  weeks.  Malta   was   also   present   amongst   these  countries,  with   the  con<ngent   consis<ng   of  79  persons,  19  of  which  being  Gozitan.

One   might   ques<on,   but   why   did   these  people   decide   to   go   there?   Some   reasons  might   be   the   sense   of     adventure,   to   try  something  different  and  fun,  mee<ng  tons  of  other  people  who  have  the  same  interests  or  geOng   to   know   different   cultures   and  religions.  Various  ac<vi<es  were  organised  in  which   the  par<cipants  were  encouraged   to  develop   their   skills   and   abili<es   in   self  reliance,   team   work,   coopera<on,   planning  and  organisa<on.  

Apart  from  these  ac<vi<es,  each  country  had  a   tent   in   which   it   exhibited   something  par<cular   to   that  country.  A   cultural  fes<val  day   was  also   held   in   which   everyone  wore  

their   tradi<onal   costumes,   and   cooked   a  meal  that  was  par<cular  to  their  country.  

But  definitely   the  best  part  of   the  jamboree  were   the  events   that   took  place  at  night   in  the   arena  or   in   the   food   houses   that  some  countries  had.  Maltese  are  known  to  be  the  life   of   the   party   and   obviously   when   we  heard   that   the   Dutch   were   organising   a  party,   we   were   amongst   the   first   to   enter  and  the  last  to  leave!  Also  we  could  not  miss  the   adults  opening   ceremony,   in   which   we  ended   up   dancing   the   night   away   to   ABBA  hits.  

However,  one  cannot  forget  to  men<on  the  closing   ceremony   that   despite   of   the   really  bad  weather,  was  the  best  night  of   those  2  weeks.   A   concert   by   the   legendary   band  Europe  took   place   in   torren<al  rain  but   this  did  not  discourage  all  those  present  to  have  the   <mes   of   their   life   singing   out   loud   to  their   hits.   The   concert   ended   with   a  spectacular  firework  show  and  an  aZer  party  for  all  adults  present  at  the  campsite.    

WORLD SCOUT JAMBOREE By SABRINA PORTELLI

FINANCIAL OFFICER

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ADVERTISE ON OUR WEBSITEWWW.GUG.ORG.MT

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:4 FULL TIME JUDGE FOR THE GOZO LAW COURTSBY FRANCIENNE MUSCAT

SOCIAL POLICY OFFICER

A motion to debate the Gozo

Court of Magistrates was tabled

on 31st May 2011 by the

Member of Parliament Justyne

Caruana. She complained about

the way the courts operate in

Gozo which needs to change.

Additionally, she proposed a

number of amendments in order

to decrease the number of

limitations the present courts

have Indeed these are limiting

the procedures which can take

place there to the detriment of

Gozitans. The motion included

the proposal of appointing a

sitting judge for the Gozo law

courts in order to give it the

status of a Superior Court, since

it already has jurisdiction. Given

that the court does not have a

judge it cannot hear and decide

cases of this kind.

On 12th December 2011, the

motion was tabled once again by

Hon. Justyne Caruana which was

backed by the Minister for Gozo

Giovana Debono. She stressed

the need for amendments to the

judicial system in the Gozo Court

of Magistrates. The present

situation apart from being to the

detriment of Gozitans also goes

against the dignity of the system

which creates a distinction which

is not objectively justified.

Another point made by the

Member of Parliament Justyne

Caruana is that in practise the

presiding magistrates who are

appointed for the Gozo courts are

those which have been lastly

appointed, and when they acquire

the experience they eventually go

to Malta. This also impinges on

the status of the Gozo law courts.

The former Justice Minister

Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici told

Parliament that he remained open

to belief whether a full-time

judge should be appointed to

Gozo. A Bill is already in hand to

a l low lawsu i t s , i nc lud ing

criminal cases, to be presented in

Malta or Gozo without the need

of island-hopping. He said he had

nothing against allowing an

appeal to be heard before one

judge instead of three if the

parties so agree.

ADVERTISE ON OUR WEBSITEWWW.GUG.ORG.MT

Rights to man have been discussed for hundreds of years, from natural laws of the greek philosophers, the revolutionary era of the Reign of terror, being however given a huge priority following the genocidal cancer that took over the world during WWII, as a basis for our dignified survival.

Countries were optimistic that following the adoption of the UNHR at the UN general assembly in 1948, we could look forward to a new age of brotherhood and proliferation.

History proved otherwise, as to this day we witness inhumane acts in many countries who have vowed to uphold these rights.

The UNHR is not legally binding, and it this the duty of every person within every community to be aware of one’s rights, and act willfully to secure those of others. This is where NGOs are crucial instruments in fighting this global and sometimes individual war against the violation of what is man’s by birthright.

Issues with human rights are very tangible for the informed European citizen, from nationality-based child discrimination in Bosnia-Herzegovina, to the violation of the right for future generations to inherit a sustainable society, to the socio-economic and to an extent even cultural issues we have with immigration problems within our country , again

due to violation of human rights in countries of origin.

By empowering youths, GUG is aiming at helping gozitan students realize their potential, not only within the academic field, but also within and through other life experiences. Since September, we tackled many major issues, from environment, to society, to infrastructure, and we have addressed these issues at every level, representing and safeguarding the rights of the future generation that is Gozo.

Through such public events, and hours of unexposed office work, GUG upholds the rights gozitan students should have in the way of a human rights activist organization.

Within the concept that is Gozo, people must, before embracing, first acknowledge the existence, of their right to celebrate, what is intrinsically a distinct culture. We, as gozitans, must recognize the true and detached value that gozitan society withholds for the survival of the identity of our island as a region within modern Europe.

Gozitan youths should be at the heart of reform, social integration, and modern culture, be it at their hometown, at University, or even beyond maltese shores.

THE ROLE OF GOZITAN YOUTHSMICHAEL TABONEINTERNATIONAL OFFICER

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GOZOWEEK

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THANK YOU

MICROBIAL FOOD CONTAMINATIONEMMANUEL BORGGUG MEMBER

Microbes   can   be   classified   as   Bacteria,   viruses,  parasites  ,  yeasts  and  moulds.  The  major  cause  of  food  borne  illness  in  our  everyday   life  is  that  from  bacteria.

What  are  bacteria?Bacteria  are  single-­‐celled   living   organisims  which  can  be   found  everywhere  –   soil,   water,   animals,  people   and   food.   They   can   be   classified   as  Pathogenic,   Spoilage   and   beneficial   bacteria.  Pathogenic   bacteria  cause  disease  in  humans  and  do   not   affect   the   taste,smell   or   appearance   of  food   whilst   Spoilage   bacteria   affect   the   taste  smell,   texture  and  appearance  of   food.   Beneficial  bacteria   nowadays   help   in   many   areas   of   the  industry   for   example  manufacture  of   cheese  and  yoghurt.   These   so   called   beneficial   bacteria  also  help  diges<on  and  vitamin  synthesis  in  our   body.  Bacteria  mul<ply   by   binary   fission,  one  bacterium  can  mul<ply  in  less  than  20  minutes  in  ideal  condi<ons  (37®c),  therefore  in  3  hours  30  minutes  the  total  number  of  bacteria  will  be  1,048,576.  

How  do  we  prevent  microbial  growth?The   major   factors   influencing   the   growth   of   microorganisims   in   food  are:

• pH  (<4.0)

• Oxygen  availability

• Moisture  (water  ac<vity   aw) availability  (aw below 0.6)

• Nutrient  availability

• Temperature

• Time

Temperature   is   the   highest   risk   priority.  Most  of   the  microbes  die  at  a   temperature   of   above   63®c   and   they   enter   a   dormant   phase  under  8®c,  although  a  few  such  as   L is ter ia   monocytogenes   or  Clostridium   botulinium   type   E)   can   grow   under   refrigera<on  c o n d i < o n s . T h e   i d e a l   temperature   for   bacteria   to  proliferate  is  37®c.

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Recent  Outbreak:A  strain  of   Escherichia coli O104:H4 bacteria caused a foodborne illness outbreak in northern Germany from May till June 2011. The symptoms of this illness where bloody diarrhoea and Hemolytic-uremicsyndrome (HUS). The origin of the outbreak is thought to have been caused by an enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) strain of E. coli, but it was later shown that in fact it was caused by an enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) strain that had acquired the genes to produce shiga toxins. Fresh vegetables were the source of infection, a farm in Lower Saxony, Germany that produces a variety of sprouted foods was the likely source of the E. coli, outbreak. Therefore the source of the outbreak was not the cucumbers from Spain towards which fingers pointed first but the fenugreek seeds imported from Egypt in 2009-2010, from which sprouts were grown were the culprit.

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VOLUNTEERING DAY AT ARKAJOIN US !!

ADVERTISE ON OUR WEBSITE

ATTENTION STUDENTS!!

For proofreading of your dissertation or long essay contact

79061851 or

dmenglishteacher@gmail.com

WWW.GUG.ORG.MT

Another scholastic year has come to an end. Books, apartments, jobs are the first things in the students’ mind who are looking forward to the next scholastic year. GUG offer a quality service where our Facebook page and website converge to form one portal which can react for the need of the students.

Advertise with us your books, apartments or any school related stuff and you won’t be dissapionted.

Email us on info@gug.org.mt or contact us on Facebook for more information or an enquiry.

In the meanwhile check out our website and Facebook Page

http://gug.org.mt/productCollections.aspx?Collections=ShowProductCategories h t t p s : / / w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / m e d i a / s e t / ? s e t = a .185516038180579.47135.142744999124350&type=3

A s  

time  passes  by,   the  number  of  students  studying  

at  the  University  of  Malta,  Mcast,  ITS  and  others  is  

increasing.  The  number  of  Gozitans  who  work  or  

study   in   Malta   is   well   more   than   a   thousand  

persons.   Although  this   is  a  positive  sign  because  

more  people  are  studying  and  looking  for  better  

opportunities,   it   has   in   itself   instilled   new  

problems.   It   is   a   fact   known   to   everyone   that  

students  who  graduate  rarely   Bind  a  job  in  Gozo.  

More   than   ever   students   are   continuing   their  

studies   in   Malta   and   graduate   in   many   sectors  

mainly   in   law,   business,   teaching,   I.T.   and  

sciences.  As   a  result,   a   lot  of  Gozitans  are  opting  

to  live  and  buy  houses  in  Malta.  This  has  brought  

about   another   problem   for   Gozo   since   the   only  

people  that   live  in  it  are  in  fact  middle-­‐aged  and  

elderly   persons.   This   being   said,   youths   have   a  

great   deal   of   respect   for   their   parents   and  

relatives,  but  who  is  going  to   lead  Gozo  if  not  the  

young  and  enthusiastic?  

Without  any  doubt,  Gozo  has  not  yet  developed  to  

cater   for   the   academic   needs   of   students.   Few  

students  aspire  to   Bind  a  job  in  Gozo,  not  because  

they  do  not  want   to,  but  because  they  know  that  

in  Malta   there   are   better   opportunities   to   cater  

for   the   future   of   their   careers.   Rather   than  

accepting  the  situation  as  it  is,  something  must  be  

done  to  try  and  develop  a  better  Gozo.  If  not  all,  at  

least   some  of  them  may  have  a  ray  of  hope  for  a  

future   in   Gozo.   Private   investment   projects   in  

Gozo  are  very  low  when  compared  to  Malta.  It  can  

be   justiBied   since   it   is   much   easier   to   open   up  

shop   in   Malta   and   avoid   the   time   and   cost   to  

move  a  step  further  to  Gozo.  However,  with  niche  

markets   specialized   in  health   care,   tourism   and  

other   services,   the   situation   would   be   much  

different.   The   potential   that   Gozo   has   in   these  

sectors   are   enormous   and  they   need   to   be   fully  

utilized.  Human  resources  and  intelligence  is  high  

amongst   students   and   there   are   more   than  

enough  workers  to  make  this  happen.  

If  a  plan  of  action  is   not  developed  very  soon  to  

mitigate   this   problem,   youths   will   “migrate”   to  

Malta  and  come  back  only  at  the  end  of  the  week  

to  see   family  before  going  back   to  continue  with  

their   lives   in   Malta.   This   article   is   not   being  

written  to   show  Gozo’s   limitations,   it   is  simply  a  

truth  about  the  situation  of  every  Gozitan  student  

and   worker   who   work   in   Malta.   These   are   not  

issue   that   cannot   be   solved  but   to   the   contrary.  

The  intelligence,  strong  will  and  independence  of  

the  Gozitan  is  what  makes  our   island  so   capable  

and  sustainable  towards   a  better   future.   If  more  

work   opportunities   are   created   in   Gozo,   this   is  

beneBicial   to   all:   families,   youths,   economy   and  

our  beloved  island  of  Gozo.

WORK OPPORTUNITIES AND THE FUTURE FOR GOZITANS IN GOZO

BY JOELENE ATTARD

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Linton  Kwesi  Johnson  is  a  Jamaican  dispora  who   evolved   musically   in   London.   He  assisted   to   many   riots   and   campagnes   in  disvavour   of   racism   and   social   oppression  with   his   poetry.   He   combined   dub-­‐reggea  styles  and  Riddims  when  reci<ng  his  poetry;  which  undertakes  poli<cal  statements,  most  of   them   underlining   the   violence   ethnic  groups   would   suffer   at   the   <me.   Kwesi  Johnson  contributed   to   the  “Black   Panther”  movement   when   he   was   s<ll   studying   at  university.   A   unique   style   was   quickly  no<ced  in  Johnson’s  poems,  which  sustain  a  Jamaican  dialect.  “Bass  Culture”  is  an  album  to   look   over   –   watch   out   for   hits   such   as  “Street  66”,  "Di  Black  Peoy  Booshwah"   and  “Englan  is  a  Bitch”

Will  be  rockin’  at  RockWerchter  this  Summer  katzenjammer  a  new  name  on   the   streets  of  Norway.  Anne  Marit  Bergheim,  Marianne  Sveen,  Solveig   Heilo  and  Turid   Jørgensen  are   incredibly   ferocious  on  stage.  Keeping  a  bit  of  Norway’s  folkloric  past  and  transmu<ng  it  through  today’s  logic,  each  of   these  girls  are  very  talented;  able  to  play  various   instruments.   You  Get  a  taste  by  listening   to   “Land  of  Confusion”  and  “Bar  in  Amsterdam”.

ScoOsh   Madness   for   you   here   –   Hans  Boufmyhre.   Becoming   the   a   new   techno  “Whoop  whoop”  ar<st.  Hans  started  off   his  career   in   2006  when  he  began   to  promote  his   own   party   in   Glasgow   called   'Sleaze'  where   he   booked   and   p layed  alongside   some   of   the   world’s   best  techno  acts.  At  the  start  of  2007,  Hans  s ta r ted   l ea rn ing   about   mus i c  produc<on  and  making  his  own  tracks.  He   now   boasts   releases   on   many  recognised   labels   including   Perc   Trax,  V iva   Mus ic ,   Soma,   Synewave ,  Harthouse,   8   Sided   Dice,   Analy<ctrail  aswell   as   recently   star<ng   his   own  

So far Hans' tracks have gained huge

support &plays from some of the biggest names in Techno, including Richie Hawtin, Dubfire, Adam Beyer, Len Faki, Marco Carola, Steve Lawler, Laurent Garnier, Stephan Bodzin, Joris Voorn and many more! At only 24 years of age and with a list of releases as long as his arm, the future looks bright for Hans Bouffmyhre.

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MUSIC PAGE MARC SCHEMBRI EVENTS OFFICER

MEETING WITH PROF. JOE FRIGGIERI THE NEW PRO-RECTOR FOR THE GOZO CAMPUS

The Gozo University Group said that “as the only

organisation representing the Gozitan students,

after welcoming the news that the Gozo Campus

will have a Pro-Rector managed to have a cordail

meeting, with Prof. Friggieri.”

In this meeting GUG gave an overview of the

current situation of the Gozitan Students and

discussed what solutions should be achieved.

“Prof. Friggieri was open to such proposals and

insited on the importance of the continuous

contact between GUG and the Gozo Campus.”

By the conclusion of this meeting GUG said that it

“managed to reach an agreement on the following

three vital points.”

1) A pilot project for the option of sitting for exams

in Gozo will be held next June. Where a number of

students from different courses will be have this

opportunity. The aim of this is to be able to

analyse all the logistical requirements for all the

different courses. This option will then be offered

to all students from the next academic year. This

proposal was submitted in the beginning of this

academic year and will be available for all Gozitan

students by the next academic year.

2) From next October, Gozitan students will also

have the option of submitting their assignments in

Gozo instead of having to go to Malta just to

submit an assignment.

3) The same applies for books which are borrowed

from the University Library. Gozitan students do

not need to go to Malta to give back the borrowed

books but they can leave them at the Gozo

Campus.

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Type to enter text

ADVERTISE ON OUR WEBSITEWWW.GUG.ORG.MT

MEETING WITH SOCIAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE WITHIN THE HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT

On  Tuesday  22nd  May,  2012  a  mee<ng  with  the  Social  Affairs  Commioee  was  held  at   the  Maltese  Parliament.  Representa<ves  from  the  Ministry  of  Transport,  the  Ministry  of  Finance,  the  Ministry  of  Gozo,  Transport  Malta,  Gozo  Channel,  the  University  of  Malta  and  the  Msida  Local  Council   together  with   the  execu<ve  of  GUG  were  present   for  this  mee<ng.  This  mee<ng  took  place  to  solve  issues  related  to  Gozitan  students  that  were  discovered  during  the  survey  that  GUG  carried  out.

Regarding  the  Arriva  issue  which  has  been  long  standing  on  GUG’s  agenda,  Mr.  Delia  on   behalf  of  Transport  Malta  said   that   the  company  recognizes  that   the   X1   <metable  was  not   in   sync   with  Gozo   Channel   schedule   and  that   60%   of   the   trips   from   University   to   Cirkewwa   are   not   sa<sfactory  because  they  are  at  least  10  minutes  late.  However,  as  from  the  27th  May  the   <metables   will   be   more   tuned   with   the   <metable   of   the   ferry   and  departures  are  expected  to  leave  10  to  20  minutes  aZer  ferry  arrival.  GUG  President,   Ryan   Mercieca,   stressed   on   the   importance   of   elimina<ng  wai<ng   <me   as   10   minutes   are   essen<al   to   every   student,   worker   and  pa<ent  of  Mater  Dei.  The  wai<ng  <me  should  not  be  more  than  5minutes.    

Regarding   the   issue  of   student   <ckets,  at   the  moment   there  exists   the   Student   Saver   Card   however   a   student   cannot   buy  a  <cket   for   one  day  with  this  card.  The   student  can  either   buy  a  30  day  <cket  or  a  90  day  <cket.  These  <ckets  can  be  used  for  travelling  both  in  Malta  and  in  Gozo.  However,  one  day  <ckets  bought  in  Malta  cannot  be  used  in  Gozo.

The  discussion   con<nued  with  Mr.  Paul  Curmi,  the  new  Chairman  of  Gozo  Channel.  He  explained  how   a  daily  commuter  card  has  been   in  existence  since  2006,  but  GUG  stressed   that  this  is  only  for  persons  with  cars  and   that  the  online  booking  system  has  been  on  the  agenda  for  a  long  <me  but  is  currently  on  hold.

The  priority  boarding  for  Gozitans  is  another  issue  that  GUG  proposed.  The  catamaran  fast  service  was  also  proposed  by  GUG  to  be  once  again   ini<ated.  It   is  a  fact  that   it  had  to  be  stopped  years  ago,  however,  with  proper  research  and  implementa<on,  this  is  believed  to  be  very  beneficial   for  all  Gozitans  travelling  very  oZen  to  Malta.  Also  GUG  proposed  a  student  far   that  applies  to  all  Gozitan  and  Maltese  students.

Mr.  Friggieri,  the  Pro-­‐Rector   of   the  University  Gozo   Campus   discussed   the  issue   of  exams   in  Gozo,  with  GUG,  which   he   fully  supports  and  said  that   the   interest   of  the  students  should  be  kept  first  and  foremost  and   that  the  pilot  study  consis<ng  of  88  students   siOng   for  71   exams  was  conducted   to  evaluate  necessary  implica<ons.  He  emphasized   the   fact  that  these  students  were   not   by   any   means   singled   out   but   there   had   to   be   a   small  number  of   students  to  begin  with.  GUG  gathered  the  names  of  those  students   who   wish   to   sit   for   their   exams   next   June   in  Gozo   and   the  number  un<l  the  mee<ng,  was  of  206  students.

Two   new   courses  will   be  offered  at   the  Gozo  Campus   from   the   next  scholas<c   year.  This  will   be  the  Postgraduate  Diploma  in   Educa<onal  Leadership,  which   is  followed  by  teachers,  and  the  Diploma  in  Gozitan  Studies  which  will  be  part  sponsored  by  the  Ministry  for  Gozo.

The  vice-­‐mayor  of  Msida  Local  Council,  Ms.  Baldacchino  Cefai   opened  the  doors   for   GUG  to  be  in   direct   contact   with   the  council   to   report  problems  and   put   them   forward   to   the   authori<es   concerned.     GUG  men<oned  the  importance  of  the  cleaning  of  the  sub-­‐way  and  skate  park  of  Msida  and  to  have  the  crossing  through  Birkirkara  By-­‐pass  more  secure  for  students.

GUG  also  discussed  with  Mr.  Cuschieri  from  the  Finance  Ministry  and  emphasized  the  need  that  students  should  not  be  abused  when  paying  for  rentals  and  any  such  instances  should  be  reported  instantly.

On  a  final  note,  we  would   like  to   thank,  the  Social  Affairs  Commioee  and  the  en<<es  present  during  this  mee<ng.  GUG  will  be  following  up  the  issues  discussed  to  ensure  that  the  required  ac<ons  are  done.