Deadline: May 3, 2019
Applications are open for the International Development Youth Forum (IDYF) 2019. The IDYF 2019 aspires to achieve how can we achieve sustainable urban development. The Forum is scheduled to hold from August 18 – 25, 2019 in Tokyo.
Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. As the trend of inflow from rural areas is still ongoing in most developing countries, it is expected that the urban population worldwide will reach 6.5 billion people by 2050, which will account for two-thirds of the total world population then. Accordingly, mega-cities are born one after another. Most mega-cities in developing countries have huge slums around their city edges. UN habitat estimates that more than 800 million people live in slum areas globally and this figure continues to increase.
Thus, there is an urgent need to deal with social problems in slums that occur due to sudden urban development such as the shortage of durable housing, the lack of access to social infrastructure, and so on. In fact, the United Nations is trying to address these issues by setting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieve sustainable urban development, one of which is Goal 11: “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”.
In response to this target, IDYF 2019 will provide opportunities for like-minded youths all over the world to seek solutions for the following issues to achieve better living standards: (1) Improving security in Rocinha, Brazil, (2) Bringing education to children in Dharavi, India, and (3) Developing water infrastructure in Kibera, Kenya.
Cost & Scholarship
If you are selected to participate in IDYF 2019, you will be required to pay 25,000 JPY, which covers your accommodation, meals, and transportation fees during the forum (August 18 – 25, 2019).
This year, scholarships will be given to up to 10 applicants who show extraordinary skills, experiences or knowledge on each of the case studies but have financial difficulties to cover only participation costs. Maximum 100,000 yen will be given based on the necessity of each individual. Applicants who wish to apply for the scholarship must claim that in the application form. Only those who passed the document screening will be invited to Skype interview.
Eligibility
- Those who are 30 years old and younger
- Those who have not participated in previous IDYFs
- Fluency in English for discussion and presentation
- Must be able to attend all programs during the forum
Desirable Attitudes
- Active in discussion
- Open-minded with creative ideas and diversified values
- Eager to tackle development problems, using the experience of IDYF2019
Application
For more information, visit IDYF.
