The Wellspring

The 5th World Youth Congress will be held in Istanbul from 31 July – 13 August 2010, bringing together 1000 young activists from across the world to meet and engage with their peers, exchange knowledge and experiences and create an opportunity for collaboration and partnerships.

Organisers Peace Child International and e-genclik are currently calling for application from young people aged 15-25 for the 15 positions on the Congress’s Youth Advisory Board, which will be responsible for:

• drafting assessment criteria for selecting delegates,
• developing the structure of the programme,
• contributing to the development of themes, and
• identifying potential speakers and facilitators.

The Youth Advisory Board will also be invited to recommend nominees for the Champions of Youth awards at the event.

Applicants must have a working knowledge of English, reliable access to email and internet facilities, and the capacity to dedicate 8-10 hours to Board work each month.

To apply, send a short CV (indicating nationality, age and contact details) and a one-page cover letter detailing interest in the position and prior experiences, skills and suitability for Board work.

Applications and requests for further information should be directed to the Youth Advisory Board Facilitator, Joao Scarpelini, at joao@peacechild.org.

Applications close 1 May, 2009.

For further information, see http://www.turkiye2010.org/ and download the information pack at http://www.turkiye2010.org/images/stories/docs/youth%20advisory%20board%20wyc2010.pdf.

The United Nation Environment Programme in cooperation with UNEP National Committee for the Republic of Korea will be hosting the 2009 Tunza International Youth Conference on the Environment in Daejeon, Korea from the 21 to 26 August 2009. The Conference will collectively bring together 200 young people aged 15 to 24 to learn from one another and share experiences and ideas on environmental actions.

The conference will be in three segments:

• The Global Townhall Meeting: The first segment will be a Global Townhall meeting on 21 August 2009. The meeting will bring together 1,000 participants comprising 200 youth and the 800 children who will have participated in the Children’s conference held at the same venue. The Global Townhall meeting will also include virtual participants connected via webcasting. The Townhall meeting is organized jointly with UNICEF and is supported by other United Nations agencies, NGOs and private sector partners.
• The Regional Meetings: From the 22 to 23 August 2009, the youth delegates will participate in regional meetings to discuss regional activities, share experience and develop regional actions. The session will be facilitated by representatives from the UNEP Regional Offices.
• The Conference: The main youth conference will be held from 24 to the 26 August. The theme of the conference is Climate Change – Our challenge.

The expected outcomes of the conference include commitments from youth on the actions they will undertake after the conference, regional action plans and a newly elected Tunza Youth Advisory Council. An important outcome of this particular conference is a youth statement on climate change which will be presented to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009.

For further information and to nominate online, see http://www.unep.org/tunza/youth/conferences_events/TIYC2009/.

Applications close 31 March 2009.

Office supply retailer Staples and social entrepreneurship NGO Ashoka’s Changemakers and Youth Venture programs are calling for entries to their Staples Youth Social Entrepreneur Competition. The competition aims to identify and support innovative ways young people are making life easier for others, and is open to all young people (aged 12 – 24) worldwide.

Ashoka’s Youth Venture staff will assess entries for social initiatives and programs based on innovation, social impact and sustainability to select finalists. The applications will be made publicly available, and the Changemakers community will vote online to determine the winners.

Up to 25 entries will be awarded Youth Venture grants of up to US$1,000 to launch or advance their ideas.

For further information and to enter online, see http://changemakers.net/en-us/competition/staplesyv.

Applications close 15 October, 2008.

The Center for Sustainability at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich and the International WaterCenter in Australia invite applications from young students aged 20-32 for the 2009 Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES).

The two week course will be held from 30 January – 16 February 2009 at Noosa North Shore Retreat in Queensland, and will introduce participants to the complex issues of sustainable development in a global context, while exploring issues pertinent to Australia and the greater Asia-Pacific region. The program features coursework, field trips, workshops, group work, discussions and practical learning experiences, as well as social and cultural activities, and builds on 9 years of experience successfully running YES in Switzerland, Latin America, Japan and Central and Eastern Europe and Africa.

The conference organisers will cover most of the fees associated with the course (including local transportation, board and lodging, and documents and materials), but will levy a 800 Swiss Franc (about AUD$850) participation fee from Australian participants (500 Swiss Francs for international participants). A total of 40 places are available for the course, with 25 places for students from Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, and 15 places for international students.

For further information and to apply online, see http://www.sustainability.ethz.ch/en/activities/YES_Australia.cfm.

Applications close 14 September 2008.

Well, it has been quite a while.

Since 2000, 12 August has been International Youth Day. This year’s theme is: “Youth and Climate Change: Time for Action”. No word on any domestic events for Australians – but check out the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, which runs projects all year round.

For further information on International Youth Day, see the official UN webpage at http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/iyouthday.htm. The Australian Minister for Youth, The Hon Kate Ellis MP, has a media release at http://mediacentre.dewr.gov.au/mediacentre/Ellis/Releases/CelebratingInternationalYouthDay.htm.

The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) is a group of youth organisations working to educate, empower and mobilise young Australians to take action on climate change.

The Coalition is currently accepting applications from young Australians to be part of the 20-strong Australian Youth Delegation to the 14th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP14) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held from 1 – 12 December 2008 in Poznan, Poland.

The 13th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP13) held in Bali in December 2007 set the wheels in motion for what will become, in December 2009, the Copenhagen Protocol – the successor to the Kyoto Protocol. This December in Poland marks the halfway point in this international policy negotiation.

The International Youth Caucus on Climate Change will be at COP14 to represent the voices of young people, keep negotiations on track and ensure that discussions are not hijacked by vested fossil fuel interests. The Australian Youth Climate Coalition will be coordinating the Australian Youth Delegation.

For further information and to receive an application form, email ayd@youthclimatecoalition.org. Applications close June 22 2008.

International Youth Foundation-funded social enterprise organisation YouthActionNet is calling for applications from young social entrepreneurs to fill the 20 positions in its annual Global Fellowship Program. The yearlong program includes a seven-day, all-expenses-paid, capacity-building and leadership retreat in Washington, DC, regular advocacy training, and networking, media and funding opportunities throughout the year. The program is open to young people aged 18 – 29 leading existing social projects.

For further information and to apply online, see http://youthactionnet.org/index.php?fuse=fellowmainpage. Applications close 15 May 2008.

The 4th World Youth Congress will be held at Laval University, Quebec, Canada from 10 – 21 August, 2008 (which, very strangely, will mean that the Congress overlaps entirely with the Beijing Olympics) on the theme “Youth-led Development”. It will be the next in a series of events that will bring together 600 of the world’s young activists (aged 15 – 30) in the field of sustainable development in order to demonstrate that young people are one of the most valuable resources in governments’ and international development organisations’ mission to reach the Millennium Development Goals.

At the Congress, organized by Peace Child International, World Youth Congress 2008 and TakingITGlobal, young people will have the opportunity to discuss the challenges of sustainable development, exchange best practises, submit ideas and define strategies together with government representatives.

For more information and to apply online as an individual or organisation, see http://www.wyc2008.qc.ca/.

Applications close 31 October, 2007.