The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is launching the Call for Applications for Young Peacebuilders 2022 taking place in Latin America and the Caribbean.

UNAOC project activities are fashioned around Youth, Education, Media, Migration, and Women as Peace Mediators. UNAOC recognizes the critical role that programming and policymaking in these areas can play in reducing polarization and identity-based tensions and in helping to build bridges between communities.

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Benefits

• Learn about negative stereotypes and how to critically analyze them to reduce their prevalence
• Understand different perspectives in identity-based conflict.
• Also, gain tools to develop solutions at local, national, and regional levels and transform conflicts peacefully
• Identify push and pull factors creating conditions conducive to violent extremism;
• Develop competencies to use different forms of media or expressive arts as a way to create alternative narratives, reduce polarization as well as promote social inclusion;
• Learn how to successfully design and run your project.
• In addition, access to regional and global peacebuilding networks
• Raise the visibility of your innovative and effective peace work in the field.
• Moreover, the long-term goal is the integration of young peacebuilders in governmental peace processes/policies.

Eligibility

• Youths between 18 and 25 years old
• a citizen of a LAC country and/or currently living in this region
• Also, interested in taking part in an intercultural learning experience with other young people from LAC as well as improving your actions to promote peace
• A part of a youth-led organization, network, or initiative
• Is willing to increase your ability to contribute to peace and social inclusion in your community, country, and region
• Moreover, you should be in the beginning stages of your involvement in this type of work and want to learn more

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Program components:

Part 1: online phase (2 months).

Participants access the course through an online collaborative platform provided by UNAOC. UNAOC and other trainers facilitate the modules of the curriculum, giving an opportunity to participants to get to know each other prior to their first in-person meeting. They also start getting exposed to tools and concepts, engage in discussion, and start reflecting on their peace actions.

Time commitment: 4 to 5 hours per week to complete the modules (some work can be completed offline).

Part 2: face-to-face workshop (9 days).

All participants travel to complete the training and experience how peacebuilding is successfully implemented through 1 or 2 local field visits. They also work on the development of their own action plan.

Time commitment: one week (6 working days + 3 days for travel, arrival, and departure activities).

Part 3: applied learning (+/- 3 months).

 Participants are guided by UNAOC’s professional trainers and stay connected with other participants through the online platform while reporting on the implementation of their projects.

Part 4: results sharing symposium (2 days).

A selected group of participants is invited to travel and participate in a symposium during which they share their experience, lessons learned achievements, and recommendations with a broader audience of practitioners, policymakers, media, and the general public. They also engage with this audience on topics related to intercultural dialogue, peace, and security. Others will contribute online.

Time commitment: 2 days (2-day symposium) + 2 additional days for those who travel.

Timeline

• February-March 2022: call for applications
• By April 30, 2022: selected participants are notified
• June-July-August 2022: selected participants take part in introductory online modules (part 1)
• September 2022: participants travel to take part in the face-to-face workshop in Spain (part 2)
• September-October-November 2022: participants commit to conduct peace activities in the three months following the workshop (part 3)
• November-December 2022: Results-sharing symposium at a location to be determined

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Costs Covered by the Organisers

• Round-trip travel to the city of the face-to-face workshop and to the city of the symposium;
• Accommodation in the city of the face-to-face workshop and (for those selected) the symposium
• Meals and coffee breaks during the official duration of the workshop and (for those selected) the symposium
• In addition, shuttles or reimbursement of transportation to/from the airport and hotel in the city of the face-to-face workshop and in the city of the symposium.

Selection criteria:

• Applicant demonstrates that she/he is highly motivated to complete all portions of the program.
• The applicant shows some experience in issues related to intercultural dialogue, peacebuilding, and preventing violent extremism through examples of initiatives he/she is part of or is demonstrating a great interest to get involved in this set of issues.
• Also, the applicant is at the beginning stages of his/her involvement or career in the field of peacebuilding and has specific goals to improve his/her skills and to make a contribution to peace.
• Applicant and his/her organization have the capacity and motivation to absorb and disseminate the lessons learned back to their community, organization, and to a wider network or audience.
• Moreover, the applicant expressed his/her strong commitment to conducting personal peace initiatives in their community during the implementation phase and beyond