The student wing of Moviment Graffitti – Studenti Graffitti – have observed the statements made in the past few days by Former Chief Justice Joseph Said Pullicino and KSU about the lethargy and lack of critical thinking by University students both within the Faculty of Law and the wider student community. The KSU was reacting to the criticism made by the Former Chief Justice regarding the lack of courage of students to the political upheavals of the past few years. The student body admitted that this was an issue within the university and vowed to take action.
Moviment Graffitti has been a Senate-recognised student organisation since the 1990s and has been ever-present on the University campus as one of the leading voices of change and critical thinking. Studenti Graffitti have consistently spoken about the lack of new ideas and impetus to grow an organic political student movement.
In last year’s – Vuċi Ġdida – Kokka Convention – organised by the same KSU, members from Studenti Graffitti pointed out several structural issues within the student body that were leading to a growing distance between students and their supposed union. Some of the points mentioned were the bureaucracy and lack of initiative in taking strong political decisions, lack of involvement of students in key decisions taken by KSU, insensitivity to the socio-economic issues faced by several students and the lack of will in tackling them. We also noted that certain student organisations were being sponsored by big businesses which stifles their work.
Year after we have seen a University students’ union which promises action but takes none. The growing elitist attitude within the student body is worrying as it makes it harder for students to communicate with them. The student body has become a privileged club, where only friends of friends are allowed to have a say in the running of the organisation. Ultimately, the concerns of students about University-related issues such as the quality of lectures and the method of assessments and their own personal economic problems are being neglected as student organisations are often absent in defending the students, instead appeasing the respective faculties.
Studenti Graffitti calls for a systematic and attitudinal change to KSU – in the way it approaches the issues related to the University and the way it communicates with its own students. The only way our University can have a robust and fervent political student movement is by listening to students and taking real political action.
Ir-reazzjoni ta’ Studenti Graffitti għall-kummenti dwar l-apatija fl-Università
Il-fergħa tal-istudenti tal-Moviment Graffitti – Studenti Graffitti – tieħu nota tal-istqarrijiet tal-eks Prim Imħallef Joseph Said Pullicino u l-KSU dwar il-letarġija u n-nuqqas ta’ ħsieb kritiku tal-istudenti tal-Università kemm fil-Fakultà tal-Liġi kif ukoll fil-bqija tal-istudenti. Il-KSU kien qiegħed jirreaġixxi għall-kritika tal-eks Prim Imħallef fir-rigward tan-nuqqas ta’ kuraġġ li wrew l-istudenti fil-konfront tat-turbulenzi politiċi ta’ dawn l-aħħar snin. L-organizzazzjoni tal-istudenti ammettiet li din hija problema fl-Università u wegħdet li ser tieħu azzjoni.
Moviment Graffitti ilu rikonoxxut mis-Senat bħala organizzazzjoni tal-istudenti sa mis-snin disgħin u tul dan iż-żmien dejjem kien preżenti bħala vuċi prominenti għall-bidla u l-ħsieb kritiku fl-Università. Studenti Graffitti kemm il-darba ġibdu l-attenzjoni għan-nuqqas ta’ rieda u ta’ ideat ġodda sabiex jinbena moviment politiku organiku tal-istudenti.
Matul l-avveniment tal-KSU Vuċi Ġdida – Kokka Convention tas-sena li għaddiet, membri ta’ Studenti Graffitti ġibdu l-attenzjoni għal bosta problemi strutturali fl-organizzazzjoni tal-istudenti li qegħdin jirriżultaw f’iktar distanza bejn l-istudenti u l-unjoni li suppost tirrappreżentahom. Uħud mill-punti msemmija kienu l-burokrazija, in-nuqqas ta’ ħeġġa li jittieħdu deċiżjonijiet politiċi sodi, in-nuqqas ta’ involviment tal-istudent fid-deċiżjonijiet ewlenin tal-KSU, in-nuqqas ta’ sensittività għall-ħafna problemi soċjoekonomiċi li jiffaċċjaw bosta studenti u n-nuqqas ta’ rieda li dawn jiġu indirizzati. Ġbidna l-attenzjoni għall-fatt li bosta organizzazzjonijiet tal-istudenti huma sponsorjati minn kumpaniji kbar li joħonqu xogħolhom.
Sena wara sena din l-organizzazzjoni tal-Università twiegħed azzjoni imma ma toħodhiex. Apparti minn hekk, huwa inkwetanti l-fatt li l-attitudni elitista tal-KSU qiegħda tkompli tikber u tbiegħed l-istudenti milli jikkomunikaw. Dan il-korp tal-istudenti sar club tal-privileġġjati fejn huma biss il-ħbieb tal-ħbieb li għandhom ir-riedni tat-tmexxija tal-organizzazzjoni. Fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, it-tħassib tal-istudenti dwar kwistjonijiet relatati mal-Università u l-problemi personali u ekonomiċi tagħhom qegħdin jiġu injorati għaliex l-organizzazzjonijiet tal-istudenti ħafna drabi mhumiex hemm biex jiddefenduhom imma biex jaġevolaw il-Fakultajiet rispettivi.
Studenti Graffitti jitolbu bidla sistematika fil-mod kif il-KSU jindirizza kwistjonijiet relatati mal-Università u kif jikkomunika mal-istudenti. L-uniku mod kif l-Università jista’ jkollha moviment politiku tal-istudenti ħaj huwa billi tisma’ lill-istudenti u tieħu azzjoni politika reali.
