Do you know someone who’s fighting tooth and nail for human rights and world peace?

3 May 2020

By Nicole Borg

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Human rights are treasures to be safeguarded if we are to ever have a peaceful world where the whole of humanity can have a dignified life and children can envision a bright future.

The JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) Awards aim to recognise 10 young people (afed 18-40) coming from different sectors of society who have proven themselves to be true leaders of positive change. One such award is the ‘Contribution to Children, World Peace and/or Human Rights’.

This award recognises those individuals who are using leadership skills to strive towards the end of poverty, hunger, and other inhumane conditions in order to lead to a more peaceful future. The award also recognises those outstanding individuals who have greatly contributed in the bettering of the lives of the world’s future, our children.

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Past Winner – Andrew Sciberras

The past winner of this award (previously named Contribution to Peace and Human Rights) was Andrew Sciberras. Dr Andrew Sciberras has been working within the human rights field, where freedom of expression is involved, ever since he was a student. He published his doctoral thesis on the subject, which advocated the abolition of archaic censorship laws. In 2016 he was appointed by Government to revise the Maltese criminal laws on pornography, obscenity and blasphemy, with a view to enhancing free speech in the arts. He has been nominated in particular for his significant input to the Media & Defamation Bill as well as his work through the organisation Front Against Censorship, in order to propose amendments to SLAPP Actions which has not been enacted by legislators to date. He has also advocated for the rights of migrants and asylum seekers, especially when it comes to integration.

10 JCI Malta TOYP winners to be nominated for an Award in Johannesburg

The JCI Malta version of the TOYP Awards will lead the 10 chosen winners to be nominated for the JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World Programme (JCI TOYP) where they will compete with nominees from all around the world to win this same award, but on an international scale! Next year, the awards ceremony will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa in November.

TOYP History

The original TOYP program was developed by Durwood Howes, President of The United States Junior Chamber of Commerce during 1930 – 1931. He conceived the idea of recognising outstanding individuals by publishing a yearbook entitled ‘America’s Young Men’ which highlighted the work of 12 exemplary leaders each year.

The United States Junior Chamber officially adopted the program in 1938. Since 1952, numerous JCI National Organisations have established their own Outstanding Young Persons Programs. Past recipients of national awards include well-known personalities such as Orson Welles, Howard Hughes, Nelson Rockefeller, John F. Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, Gerald Ford, Benigno Aquino, and many more, all named before the age of 40 and before they had achieved national prominence.

In 1983, JCI officially adopted the JCI Ten Outstanding Persons of the World Programme. Since then, JCI has honoured hundreds of individuals from more than 50 nations.

This award is sponsored by Global Mindset Development.