United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Fellowship for Young Leaders in MENA and EUNA Regions 2018

Application Deadline: 8th April 2018

Eligible Countries: Countries in Europe, North-America (EUNA), the Middle East and North-Africa (MENA).

About the Award: The UNAOC Fellowship Program 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 Program was created to recognize the need for better understanding between peoples and societies from the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and North America.
By exposing participants to new ideas and perspectives, and by immersing them into culturally diverse environments, the Fellowship Program 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.

Type: Fellowship (Professional)

Eligibility: 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 38 years old.
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 1^st 1983 and December 31^st 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 1^st 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 1^st 1983 and December 31^st 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 1^st 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.

Selection Criteria: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.

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Program: 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.

Duration of Program: 15 days in June or July 2018 as scheduled by UNAOC. Final dates will be confirmed 4 weeks before departure.

How to Apply: Please submit your complete application no later than Sunday April 8^th 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.

Apply

Visit Program Webpage for details

Award Provider: UNAOC

Important Notes: Please note that ONLY shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We will disregard any emails requesting a follow-up.