Malta hosted one of the five preparatory forums in April 2019 held in the run-up to the summit which focused on youth, education and mobility. 

The forum entitled “Investing in a Mediterranean Generation” brought together mostly youths from the region who spoke about their aspirations for the region. Maltese civil society representatives attended these five fora and have already received positive reactions from potential development partners, as the press release says.

President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron engaged with the ten Chefs de File, including Simone Borg from Malta, the main representatives of civil society from each participating state that spoke on their experiences and their aspirations for the future, according to the DOI press release.

The Maltese Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion Carmelo Abela, who was accompanied by Malta’s Ambassador to the Republic of France Helga Mizzi, highlighted the significant role played by civil society in this process, placing emphasis on youth potential and on the need to seize this opportunity to open up space for youth-led initiative in the region. 

At the end of the summit, Mr Abela held a courtesy meeting with the recently appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Algeria Sabri Boukadoum, wherein they discussed the enhancement of bilateral relations.

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“In my opinion, it all boils down to one word: results. Does coaching work? Yes, it does. How do we know? We see, and critically, we can measure the results using science-based tools,” Ms Martin tells BM. “As I see it, the bottom line is that coaching has produced and continues to produce significant results, without which companies would simply be unwilling to invest. Without evidence to support their investment, companies would look elsewhere for their desired results,” she adds.

Coaching — as an industry — is growing fast. Advocates say the activity can be a powerful resource and vehicle for growth, development and change for individuals, as well as businesses. As life is speeding up, leading to a hastier business world than ever, Ms Martin sees coaching as an “invaluable support” rather than a “crutch”. In her own words, “essentially, coaching is like consulting your inner compass and using the knowledge you find there to align cognition, emotion and behaviour.”

Nevertheless, coaching is not an instant cure; the client’s involvement is crucial. Additionally, the relationship between the coach and the coachee, the time invested in coaching and related activities, as well as belief in the process, are key elements for success. Ms Martin says that both the parties of the coaching process should share what she tags as “strong rapport” as a solid foundation. Also, in today’s culture of always being busy, coaching should be scheduled for slots of undivided attention, which often means prioritising well. What she pinpoints as the factor of “buying-in” basically means the coachee’s commitment and ownership of the process; as having a coach is not a stigma nor would be the sign of weakness. With these building blocks in place, coaching is likely to bear tangible fruit.

Ranging benefits

Given that all the aforementioned factors are established, benefits are expected on a wide spectrum, according to Ms Martin. “From a leadership perspective, coaching goals range greatly, often encompassing a focus such as improving communication, productivity and professional relationships, identifying and leveraging strengths, improving cognition and moving from reactivity to proactivity in challenging situations — to name but a few. Crucially, the benefit which produces long-term change and further development is heightened self-awareness — the point from which sustained change can flow,” the professional says.

“Sometimes people have a result in mind but are not sure how to get there, how to propel themselves forward. Coaching assists them in sifting through their options to find their own golden ticket,” says Ms Martin.

“Coaching helps bring them to their psychological and behavioural tipping point, cut off all other possibilities, find the best route forward, and enable them to make their goals become a reality,” she adds.

At the same time, in order to boost operations of a business, leaders must have an understanding of where they are. “Before embarking on any journey, knowing your starting point is central to calculating the voyage. Assessing the present reality — leaks, current fuel, strengths and weaknesses — help us better establish what is needed to get us to our desired finish line,” Ms Martin describes. Although the destination might not always be clear, establishing a desired outcome is as necessary as establishing the starting point.

“Start and end point clear? Now let’s decipher the best route to get there — assessing potential risks, obstacles, challenges and mishaps. Self-awareness is the starting point of any great journey of personal or professional change,” Ms Martin says.

Facing challenges

The quickly-changing business world brings grave challenges to leaders, who need to be at the top of their game. As Ms Martin talks about it, this really is the survival of the fittest, with coaching serving as a mental, emotional and cognitive workout to maximise “fitness” for modern leadership challenges.

“Social, political, geographical, economic challenges; it is certainly not an exaggeration that the current pace of change across various spheres is phenomenal, bringing with it a great opportunity and of course, a great challenge for individuals, leaders and organisations alike,” Ms Martin says. Therefore, the most important challenges leaders need to face today include engagement, redefining leadership and communication.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, Business Leaders Malta is organising the Breakthrough – From Good to Great conference by Business Leaders Malta on 14 June at Teatru Manoel, Valletta. If you want to hear what Ms Martin has to share, come and see her in action at the event.

Business Leaders Malta started life as an alliance between three diverse companies in 2009 — Mdina International, Jugs Malta and Konnekt, fusing capabilities, experience, professionalism and creativity to pursue their original goal of creating a forum where thought leaders and professionals could come together to share knowledge and ideas

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“The public the chance to get a taste of what the LifeCycle participants experience at the gruelling challenges organised annually in aid of renal patients in Malta,” the press statement says.

Three professional bikes, which have been used on past LifeCycle Challenges to Zambia, Tanzania and Oman, were set up at Nescafé stand, where participants were able to cycle on a static base for few minutes in return for a donation.

LifeCycle Founder Alan Curry thanked all those who took part, and the sponsor Nescafé 3in1 for making this another great event at raising money and awareness to help improve facilities for renal patients.

LifeCycle organises bike challenges in different countries to generate funding for the needs and care of kidney disease patients and their families. The foundation’s work focuses on three major areas; raising awareness, supporting treatment and research, and working hand in hand with the medical staff of Mater Dei Hospital’s Renal Unit.

This year, the LifeCycle Challenge is being organised for the 21st time, and it will be taking cyclists on a 2,000-km route from Vietnam to Laos and Cambodia ending at the World Heritage site of Angkor Wat temples. Training for the challenge starts this month.

The LifeCycle Foundation was founded in 1999 in Malta to create awareness and generate support for patients suffering from end-stage renal disease, according to the official page of the foundation. This year the challenge will take place between 9 September and 23 September across Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

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The LifeCycle Challenge for 2019 and 2020 is organising two three-day events, where participants will ride stationary bikes, turning every five minutes of cycling into a €2 donation each.

The first event takes place at the University of Malta from 13 May, Monday, to 15 May, Wednesday, at the Main Quadrangle of the university. The venue will be open from 09:00 to 16:00 every day.

The second event takes place at the city gate (opposite the Maltese parliament building) in Valletta from 16 May, Thursday, to 18 May, Saturday. The venue will be open from 09:00 to 14:00 every day.

LifeCycle organises bike challenges in different countries to generate funding for the needs and care of kidney disease patients and their families. The foundation’s work focuses on three major areas; raising awareness, supporting treatment and research, and working hand in hand with the medical staff of Mater Dei Hospital’s Renal Unit.

This year, the LifeCycle Challenge is being organised for the 21st time, and it will be taking cyclists on a 2,000-km route from Vietnam to Laos and Cambodia ending at the World Heritage site of Angkor Wat temples. Training for the challenge starts this month.

“As part of our Nescafé 3in1 sponsorship we are offering the public the chance to be part of LifeCycle Challenge,” said Alfred J. Borg, Marketing and Corporate Communications Manager at Nestlé. “As much as LifeCycle Foundation has from its very inception sought to instill respect and dignity for renal patients, their families, and the rest of the community through various educational initiatives, Nescafé too seeks to instill respect from the plant, to the farmer, to the community, and ultimately to our consumer,” he added.

“Our aim is to involve sports enthusiasts and the public of all ages, to experience cycling and, at the same time, help us improve the lives of kidney patients. The more people can join us on this stunt, the more we can extend our support. Thanks to our sponsor Nescafé 3in1, we are able to bring the LifeCycle experience closer to the public,” said Alan Curry, LifeCycle Founder.

The LifeCycle Foundation was founded in 1999 in Malta to create awareness and generate support for patients suffering from end-stage renal disease, according to the official page of the foundation. This year the challenge will take place between 9 September and 23 September across Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

Donations to the Nescafé 3in1 LifeCycle Challenge 2019 are open and can be provided via sms: 5061 7370 = €2.33; 5061 8920 = €6.99; 5061 9229 = €11.65; or via a call to 5160 2020 =€10, 5170 2005 = €15; and 5180 2006 = €25.

Bank details are the following:
Swift code: VALLMTMT
IBAN number: MT 18 VALL 22013000000014814521017
Bank name: Bank of Valletta
Account number: 14814521017.

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The ship’s maiden call marks the start of a regular cruise schedule for MSC Bellissima with weekly port calls in Valletta until November. The 315-metre ship is the fourth of 17 cruisers which are set to come into service under MSC’s newbuild plan, the press statement says.

MSC Cruises tagged the event as a key milestone in its strategy. “Malta has always been important to MSC Cruises, and our partnership started many years ago,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises Executive Chairman. He added that since the first ships arrived at Malta in the late 1990s, Valletta has performed well in their Mediterranean itineraries.

“Last year alone our cruise ships made 75 calls to Malta, bringing over 300,000 of our passengers to the Maltese shores, helping to generate a meaningful benefit for the local economy. Today, MSC Bellissima is our fourth cruise ship to have Valletta as her port of registry, and our newest ships all proudly fly the Maltese flag around the world,” he added.

“We are proud to welcome MSC Bellissima on her maiden call to Valletta Cruise Port, and to be welcoming her on 33 other occasions in our scenic, historic port, throughout her inaugural season in the Mediterranean this summer,” said Stephen Xuereb, Valletta Cruise Port’s CEO and Global Ports Holding COO.

“Valletta has positioned itself on the cruise map through close collaboration with all key players, and a drive for excellence. On behalf of both Valletta Cruise Port and Global Ports Holding, we congratulate MSC Cruises on their achievements and look forward to many more years of fruitful cooperation and partnerships,” Mr Xuereb added.

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During their meeting at the Ministry for Finance in Valletta, the two parties discussed fintech and blockchain economic opportunities, as well as Malta’s programmes of collaboration with European and North African countries.

Dr Mikuriya has been Secretary General of the WCO since 2009, and he provides leadership and executive management for the global Customs community’s priorities, the DOI says.

Permanent Secretaries Alfred Camilleri Joseph Caruana, Dr Paul Debattista, Chief of Staff at the Ministry for Finance, Malta Customs Director General Joseph Chetcuti, and Director International Affairs Ian Muscat were also present for the meeting, according to the DOI report.

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