United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Fellowship Programme 2018, USA
History
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) was established in 2005 as a special political initiative of then Secretary-General Kofi Annan, co-sponsored by the Governments of Spain and Turkey. A High-Level Group of experts was formed by the Secretary-General to explore the roots of polarization between societies and cultures, and recommend a practical programme of action to address the issue. The Report of the High-Level Group provided analysis and put forward practical recommendations, which forms the core of the UNAOC implementation plan. In 2013, Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser became UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, operating with the UNAOC Secretariat from New York City.
The UNAOC Fellowship Programme was launched in 2010 with the aim to build bridges between cultures and societies through dialogue and cooperation, and to reinforce the global commitment to live together in mutual tolerance and respect. The Programme was created to recognize the need for better understanding between peoples and societies from the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and North America.
Objectives
The Fellowship Programme aims at fostering intercultural exchange and interfaith understanding by engaging with young civil society leaders and professionals from Europe, North-America (EUNA), the Middle East and North-Africa (MENA). Framed around two-week exchange trips between EUNA and MENA countries, the Programme sends participants from each geographic area to their counterparts’ region.
The Fellowship provides participants with first hand exposure to diversity and with the opportunity to experience cultural immersion while interacting with a wide range of local actors and partners. In every country visited, participants are being provided with crucial comprehension tools to help them understand the plurality of their surroundings, and to get an extensive grasp of host countries’ culture, politics, society, religion, media and more.
By exposing participants to new ideas and perspectives, and by immersing them into culturally diverse environments, the Fellowship Programme aims at challenging perceptions and deconstructing stereotypes. Building on that, participants become then better equipped to position themselves as informed stakeholders and to develop cross-cultural partnerships while bridging divides between peoples from different faiths and cultures.
The Selection Process
Participants are selected for their potential in shaping opinion and taking strong initiatives within their community. In their applications, candidates have to demonstrate a strong interest – backed by concrete ideas – to engage with peers and partners from the countries they are going to visit, and propose positive and innovative models of intercultural cooperation.
Candidates have to show a level of professional accomplishment in intercultural dialogue and in the theme chosen by UNAOC, through their involvement in politics, civil society, media, local community organizations, faith based associations, grassroots initiatives, academia, think-tanks, arts, and any other fields relevant to the objectives of the Fellowship Programme.
Applicants have to meet two eligibility criteria in order to apply. They have to be nationals of EUNA or MENA countries and be between 25 and 35 years old.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible as EUNA candidates, applicants must be:
- Nationals from the United States, Canada, or a country member of the Council of Europe (plus Belarus)
- Born between January 1st 1983 and December 31st 1993
- Fluent in English
- Working directly with youth in the field of peace-building and/or the prevention of violent extremism.
- In possession of a passport valid at least 6 months beyond June 2018 (January 1st 2019 and beyond)
- Available to travel for a period of 15 days in June or July 2018 as scheduled by UNAOC. Final dates will be confirmed 4 weeks before departure.
- Must not have participated in any UNAOC programme.
To be eligible as MENA candidates, applicants must be:
- Nationals from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, State of Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, or Yemen.
- Born between January 1st 1983 and December 31st 1993
- Fluent in English
- Working directly with youth in the field of peace-building and/or the prevention of violent extremism.
- In possession of a passport valid at least 9 months beyond October 2018 (August 1st 2019 and beyond)
- Available to travel for a period of 15 days in October or November 2018 as scheduled by UNAOC. Final dates will be confirmed 4 weeks before departure.
- Must not have participated in any UNAOC programme.
The jury will only evaluate applications meeting all of the above-mentioned criteria.
Evaluation and Selection
Candidates meeting all the eligibility criteria will have their application reviewed by a jury composed of UNAOC staff, experts working in the fields of youth development, peace-building and the prevention of violent extremism.
The jury will be looking for candidates with strong interest in learning more about other cultures and societies. To be selected, participants should also express their motivation in developing cross-cultural collaboration with peers and partners from different countries.
The jury will also be assessing professional accomplishment in the fields of youth development, peace-building and the prevention of violent extremism, and will look for applicants with a potential in shaping opinion and taking strong initiatives within their community.
The jury will also make sure that the final selection is:
- Gender balanced
- Region balanced between participants from North America, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East
- Limited to two participants per country
- Professionally balanced with no more than a third of participants working in the same sector or industry.
To preserve the above-mentioned balance and to ensure the quality and diversity of participants, the selection jury will select the next highest scoring candidate to replace the lowest scoring redundant candidate.
Shortlisted candidates may be contacted for a short Skype or phone interview.
Instructions
Please submit your complete application no later than Sunday April 8th 2018 at 11:59 PM EST
- Only fill in the following application if you meet all the eligibility criteria mentioned above
- The application is to be completed in English only
- The application is to be completed truthfully and in its entirety
- Make sure to attach all the documents required
- Resume must be in English
- Do not attach anything else but the documents required
Only complete applications meeting the eligibility criteria and submitted before the deadline will be considered.
Disclaimer: UNAOC reserves the right to not select any applicants, or to cancel the Fellowship Program for any reason. UNAOC accepts no liability for cancelling the Fellowship Programme or for anyone’s failure to receive actual notification of cancellation.
For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://fellowship.unaoc.org/?utm_source=ARMACAD.info&utm_medium=ARMACAD.info