Deadline: October 2, 2014
IDEA Middle East & North Africa (MENA) is inviting young people aged 18 to 28 from the region to take part in the first Regional Youth Forum (RYF) which takes place from 22 to 27 December 2014 in Tunisia. The MENA Regional Youth Forum 2014 is a pilot youth event in the form of training and a debate and policy competition. It is designed to engage young people who are active in civil society, debate and public policy activities in on-going debates on issues of importance to the MENA region and the global community.
About
Young people are invited to apply for a place at the RYF as part of a team representing the university or youth organization they are associated with. The objective of the Forum is to promote youth participation in the democratic process, specifically engaging young people in national and regional decision-making processes. It also aims to build the capacity of young people in argumentation and debate techniques.
In the first phase of the program selected teams from each country will attend a debate and public policy training session in their country of residence. Following this training session the teams will draft a policy brief on an issue of their choice that affects youth in the region, as preparation for the Regional Youth Forum event in Tunisia.
The Forum is composed of a debate competition and a policy competition, in addition to workshops and a public discussion panel. Two language tracks, Arabic and English, are available for participating teams. The teams in each track will compete for two titles: ‘best debating team’ and ‘best public policy proposal’.
Why you should participate
- To engage in a discussion and debate on topics of regional and global importance to young people
- To sharpen your advocacy skills
- To learn to write effective public policy briefs and receive expert feedback
- To receive training from experienced debate and public speaking coaches
- To join a growing regional and global debate and public policy community by interacting with participants from all over the region
- To allow your institution to build a long term partnership with IDEA and benefit from its expertise in debate education
Costs and Benefits
IDEA MENA will cover the cost of training materials, travel (including visa application) and a full board accommodation for each participant in the Forum. IDEA MENA will not be responsible for any other costs that the participant may incur to participate in the Forum (e.g. costs for a valid passport, private consumption, additional beverages, or other incidental costs before, during or after the Forum), unless otherwise agreed by IDEA MENA.
Eligibility
- Any team of five university students, aged 18 – 28, currently enrolled in an accredited college or university in the MENA region, as well as recent graduates, can apply. These teams need to be affiliated either with their educational institution, or with a youth organization and ideally be active in contributing to civil society activities.
IDEA MENA’s selection criteria include:
- active civic engagement of team members
- leadership potential
- debate experience
- team diversity
- thoughtful and creative essay piece.
IDEA MENA will take into consideration the team’s affiliated institution’s capacity to host a local training event during the first phase of the Forum (adequate space for a 2-day training event involving 20 debaters; board or Flip Chart).
MENA Countries
IDEA MENA operates in 19 countries in the region: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Application and More Information
To apply, click here for English or click here for Arabic.
For further information in Arabic, please refer to the FAQs. For more information in English, visit MENA Regional Forum FAQs
