Watch: ‘Heroes’ – Cyrus Engerer Honours Activism Of Steve Zammit Lupi And Moviment Graffitti At The European Parliament
Maltese MEP Cyrus Engerer has given a major shout-out to local activist independent Ħaż-Żebbuġ local councillor Steve Zammit Lupi and NGO Moviment Graffitti for their significant acts that stopped the uprooting of 12 Ficus trees that stood in the Mosta Square for decades.
“The action of one young activist brought the biggest of changes,” Engerer said last Friday in an address to 650 university students in the EU Parliament’s Strasbourg hemicycle about the protection of the environment and the fight against climate change.
The main point that Engerer was trying to get across is that you are never “too small, too young, or too alone” to bring change”, and to illustrate that, he spoke about Zammit Lupi’s Facebook post that ignited most of Malta to stand up and fight against the Mosta Local Council’s decision.
“Change starts with every single one of us standing up and speaking out,” he began.
“This week in my country, a young activist who has already defied all odds and got elected to his town’s local council without the backing of any political party got to know that in the town of Mosta the only 12 trees there for decades in the village square were going to be uprooted.”
“He took to Facebook, wrote about it, and started a movement across the country that led authorities to change their mind.”
“Steve Zammit Lupi’s call for action led citizens to respond, from those who live close to the square to those across the country; NGOs like Moviment Graffitti with heroes like Andre Callus and also a few of us politicians.”
“The action of one young activist brought the biggest changes.”
This, he told the students, is what needs to be done next year.
“Use your votes in the ballot not as a tool, but as an environmental revolution,” he concluded, referring to the upcoming MEP elections.
The action was co-financed by the European Union in the frame of the European Parliament’s grant programme in the field of communication. The European Parliament was not involved in its preparation and is, in no case, responsible for or bound by the information or opinions expressed in the context of this action. In accordance with applicable law, the authors, interviewed people, publishers or programme broadcasters are solely responsible. The European Parliament can also not be held liable for direct or indirect damage that may result from the implementation of the action.
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