On 11 November 2024, MESGA organised the ISIMGĦUNA Conference – a national event where over 500 students from 42 schools across Malta and Gozo participated in an event that discussed the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and shared their thoughts and views on how better to collaborate for Malta to achieve these goals.
The event provided the students with a platform to voice their opinions, concerns and ideas, on sustainability and the country’s future. Children aged 11 to 14 shared their vision for a sustainable Malta with national leaders, including the President, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, members of parliament and other key stakeholders who were invited to listen to what the students had to say on what is worrying them and what can be done to achieve fairer, respectful and more sustainable living standards in Malta.
The Conference’s name, ISIMGĦUNA (Maltese term for ‘Listen to Us’), was chosen by the students themselves, and aimed to enable students to engage with business and national leaders through detailed presentations on SDG relevance and opportunities for Malta and Gozo and discussed Malta’s progress in tackling key sustainability challenges.
The students emphasised the importance of sustainability and raised tough questions on what companies are doing to achieve these SDGs. From addressing poverty to climate action, their discussions highlighted both Malta’s achievements and the urgent actions needed to build an inclusive, fairer and sustainable future.
Nina Debono Curmi and Jamie Lee Callus opened the conference, followed by key note speaker Żebbuġ Mayor Steve Zammit Lupi, whilst artist Joe Farrugia captured the students’ ideas on canvas, creating a visual representation of their voiced concerns and suggestions. His artwork will travel to schools across the country as well as to the head offices of MESGA’s Members, continuing to inspire others.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established by The United Nations in 2015, with the aim of becoming a blueprint for building a better and more sustainable future for everyone. They tackle global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. These 17 interconnected Goals emphasise the need for collective action to ensure no one is left behind, with a target to achieve all the SDGs by 2030.
