Deadline: December 12, 2014
Applications are now open for the 2015 Young Leaders Visitors Programme (YLVP). The Swedish Institute’s Young Leaders Visitors Programme is an intercultural leadership programme that aims to lay a foundation for dialogue and knowledge sharing among young leaders from the Middle East, North Africa and Sweden, who work for social change.
The YLVP is designed to provide the participants with new skills, broadened networks and innovative tools to strengthen their work to drive social change in their respective contexts. The participants are visionaries who are in a position to make a difference. They are young, open-minded leaders in Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank-Gaza*, Yemen and Sweden who are actively working for democracy and human rights within the spheres of society, culture, politics and media.
During and after the programme the participants will be part of an active network that will boost creativity and support their personal and professional development, while also laying the platform for a more connected future. Since the launch of the YLVP in 2008, the programme alumni network has grown to comprise 200 young leaders.
Program Details
The YLVP integrates the following areas:
- Leadership training: personal development and group dynamics from an intercultural perspective, encouraging creative initiatives as well as co-operation. The leadership training is carried out through lectures, workshops, reflection sessions and a variety of work tasks and collaboration.
- Social media: training in innovative technologies as tools for shaping public opinion and for building networks that promote knowledge sharing and openness. The social media training is carried out through workshops, practical assignments and group projects.
- Knowledge exchange and inspiration: new perspectives on how to drive development and change processes in the field of transparency, democracy and human rights. The knowledge exchange is facilitated through interactive workshops with fellow participants and with speakers and inspirers working actively in these areas.
- Practical experience: practical assignments and projects run throughout the programme in combination with study visits to relevant Swedish institutions and civil society organisations that work in the sphere of culture, society and politics.
The programme comprises of four weeks of intensive work divided into two modules:
- Module 1: YLVP in Sweden (17 May-5 June, 2015)
- Module 2: YLVP in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region (21-27 November, 2015)
Cost of Program and Benefits
All costs related to accommodation, food and transport during the YLVP are covered by the Swedish Institute. The Swedish Institute will also arrange and pay for your air travel to and from Sweden and to the location of the second module of the programme in the MENA region.
Participants are responsible for obtaining their visas in good time before departure to Sweden and other relevant countries. The Swedish Institute will contact all concerned embassies in order to facilitate the application process.
Eligibility
To apply to Young Leaders Visitors Programme you have to:
- Be an engaged leader within the spheres of society, culture, politics or media (for example project managers, youth leaders, journalists, bloggers, activists, youth politicians, cultural workers, civil servants, lawyers and pedagogues).
- Work actively for democracy and human rights.
- Be between 20-32 years old (at the time of the start of the programme).
- Have a good working knowledge of both written and spoken English.
- A citizen of Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank-Gaza*, Yemen or Sweden
*Including Palestinian Jerusalem ID holders from East Jerusalem
How to Apply
Apply by filling out the YLVP Application Form 2015 and submit it through their Application portal together with your CV in English. Please note that applications submitted by email are not accepted. Only applicants who have submitted a complete application will be considered for the programme.
A complete application consists of:
- A completed YLVP Application Form 2015 in English, including your contact details and the contact details of two reference persons.
- An updated CV in English
- A photo (not compulsory)
If you have any questions regarding the application form, please send and email to ylvp(a)si.se.
For more information, visit the The Swedish Institute’s Young Leaders Visitors Programme.
