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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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
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 [email protected] 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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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.