Youth-led projects: From ideas to actions

For the first time in its 12-year history, the outcomes of the 8th Youth Forum to be presented to the 37th session of the General Conference (5-20 November 2013) will include, besides strategic recommendations, 15 youth-led action projects (3 projects per each of the 5 UNESCO regions).

The 15 action projects will be selected by the young Forum delegates and will receive the “8th UNESCO Youth Forum Label”. The label is a guarantee of quality and excellence of the projects, which will have to be in line with UNESCO’s priorities. It will provide their initiators with opportunities to mobilize funds, partnerships and international visibility, also recognizing grass-roots action and engagement by young women and men across the world. More concretely, the label will be the starting point of the projects implementation process over a period of up to two years, thereby constituting a key outcome for the Forum’s follow-up.

WHAT SHOULD THE ACTION PROJECTS FOCUS ON?

The submitted action projects should propose innovative and feasible action for development, by and for youth, tackling youth-related issues. They should contribute to the general theme of the 8th UNESCO Youth Forum, under which they should address one of the following seven specific themes, stemming from the youth consultations conducted by UNESCO from February to April 2013:

1. Social Inclusion
2. Civic Engagement and Participation
3. Intercultural Dialogue
4. Social Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation
5. Violence and Conflict Prevention, and Consolidation of Peace
6. Democracy
7. Skills Development

WHO CAN PROPOSE PROJECTS?

• Youth-led organizations, associations or entities;
• Young members of youth-focused organizations (18-35 years of age), on behalf of these organizations;
• Young entrepreneurs with an established NGO or enterprise, in particular social enterprises.

HOW WILL THE SELECTION PROCESS TAKE PLACE?

• 15 July – 12 August 2013: Submission of action projects
• 13 – 31 August 2013: – Verification by UNESCO’s Secretariat that the projects meet the established criteria
• 2 – 30 September 2013: Pre-selection and shortlisting of 45 projects (9 projects per region) by an International independent jury composed of youth and experts in the relevant fields.
• 1 – 28 October 2013: Online posting of the shortlisted 45 projects which are made available to the youth delegates of the 8th UNESCO Youth Forum who can further debate on them online.
• 29 – 31 October 2013: Examination and debate on the 45 projects during the Forum to select 15 projects (3 per region) that will receive the “8th UNESCO Youth Forum Label”.
• 5-20 November 2013: Presentation of the 15 projects to the 37th session of the UNESCO General Conference alongside with the strategic recommendations

Read more and submit your projects here.