UNHCR has opened the application for the Youth Initiative Fund 2019. In 2019, its seventh year, the YIF was initiated by the Division of International Protection in Geneva to support community-based protection projects imagined, designed and led by young people. Since 2014, the YIF has supported more than 100 youth-led projects globally that have addressed protection challenges including sexual and gender-based violence, peaceful coexistence, child protection, and psychosocial well-being.

The YIF is unique in that it targets and builds upon the existing capacities and capabilities of young people, rather than focusing on vulnerabilities. The YIF creates an enabling environment that provides young people with space and support necessary to become active protection actors within their communities and helps them build life skills that strengthen resilience. This is achieved through the realization of three main objectives:

• Participation: Young people have genuine opportunities for community participation and opportunities to affect decision-making processes, especially in the area of protection;
• Empowerment: Young people learn about project management, use their initiative, evaluate options, learn to make informed decisions and choices, developing and enhancing leadership skills;
• Innovation: Young people develop innovative, youth-appropriate protection solutions to addressing personal, group and community challenges.’

The maximum funding allocation per project is US$ 10,000; there is no minimum.

Eligibility

• Open to youth groups
• Projects that have been previously funded may apply, but must demonstrate how continued funding will add value to their current project.

Projects should take into consideration the following approaches:

• Community-Based Protection and Capacity Development:
  • Young people should be encouraged and supported to imagine, research, design and implement projects based on protection concerns they identify within their communities.
  • Projects should be community based, and should incorporate a learning component that helps to further develop young people’s capacities in areas such as life skills, business or community work.
  • Capacity development should be sustainable so that acquired skills and knowledge remain in communities after the project.
  • Projects may also wish to support young people to develop relationships with host community groups and groups from their own or other communities to promote peaceful coexistence and address discrimination and xenophobia.
• Innovation and Partnerships:
  • Initiatives should aim to address identified needs and use the preferred delivery method of the young people, while providing opportunities for young people to further develop their capacities and skills.
  • Young people should be supported to use arts, sports and music as vehicles for learning and addressing protection objectives.
  • Projects may also seek to provide opportunities for some young people to be trained and work as mentors, trainers, facilitators and young leaders to encourage a multiplier effect.
  • Where possible, young people should be supported to identify and partner with a broad cross section of stakeholders within and outside of their community to promote an integrated approach, learning opportunities and sustainability.

Application Procedure

There are 2 forms and one log frame to be completed. The youth group/s should develop the main proposal and a basic log frame, based on the template and guidance provided.

The participating office should then complete the online submission form, and attach the forms completed by young people, as well as a photo of the process4 and any other supporting documents. Countries with multiple operations may submit more than one proposal. Each project proposal submission should contain a complete set of documents – two forms and a log frame – one to be submitted by UNHCR online with the proposal and the log frame to be attached.

A panel in Geneva will review the proposals and select those to be supported. Projects should be implemented before 31st December 2019.

Proposals can be submitted in English or French.

Application Link