Deadline: June 25, 2019
Internet Society is now accepting applications for the IGF Youth Ambassadors Program 2019. The program started in 2007 with the intent to increase participation to the Internet Governance Forum by high potential young professionals with a strong interest in Internet governance.
The goal of this program is to empower young adults aged 18 through 30 from all around the world by:
- Building their capacity through training
- Fostering a new cadre of young Internet leaders who are motivated to learn, engage, and act within their region and beyond
- Partnering with organizations to broaden the depth and breadth of the program
- Reinforcing the importance of multi-disciplinary leaders in fostering the sustainability, robustness, security, stability and development of the Internet
- Promoting youth citizenship, diplomacy, volunteerism and community service as key aspects of next generation leadership
- Broadening their experience and enabling their participation in public policy debates
- Providing them with opportunities to participate in the global Internet ecosystem and to interact and engage with the broader Internet Governance community
- Increasing their visibility and preparing them to deliver more meaningful impacts at the local, regional and global levels
- Mobilizing youth beyond Internet Governance specific topics
Benefits
- Webinar Series: The individuals who are selected as IGF Youth Ambassadors (up to 30) participate at Webinar Series led by global Internet Governance experts to deepen their knowledge, present their projects/ideas and be prepared for the IGF.
- Attending the IGF: IGF Youth Ambassadors receive support to attend the Global Internet Governance Forum, taking place in Berlin, Germany, from 25 to 29 November 2019.
- Collaborative Leadership Exchange: IGF Youth Ambassadors will attend an onsite, dynamic leadership session with Internet Society community members, youth representatives from other programs, Internet Society staff and other IGF attendees. This session takes the form of an unconference, with the agenda being crowdsourced by attendees, and breakout groups facilitated to create pockets of common interest and interaction. The goal is to build/deepen relationships and foster community around youth engagement.
Eligibility
All applicants must be:
- Internet Society Members
- Between 18-30 at the date of the IGF
- Able to present a strong motivation for Internet Governance
- Able to demonstrate interest and expertise in issues on the IGF agenda
- Comfortable with public speaking and communicating positions
- Able to demonstrate interest and experience in key Internet governance related issues
- Capable of appropriately representing the Internet Society and its views and policies as an Ambassador during the IGF
- Capable of continuing to work with the Internet Society locally after the IGF
- Fluent in English
- Able to spend a minimum of 8 hours each week during the eLearning Phase
- Ready to take part in the meetings and webinars
- Not been selected as Youth@IGF Fellow or IGF Ambassador before
The selection committee also attempts to achieve professional, geographical, and gender diversity in the overall selections.
Application
- Online Applications: The first phase of the selection process is based on Online Applications.
- 4-week Online Internet Governance Course: The applicants selected in phase 1 (up to 150 individuals) take a 4-week online course. The topics include: Internet Governance, Internet Policy Principles, Actors and Stakeholder Groups, and Regulatory Frameworks. All participants are grouped into classes, each with a dedicated expert moderator to facilitate the learning process. The top ones (up to 50) will proceed to the next phase.
- Paper Writing: The top performers during the online course phase will be required to write a paper on an existing or emerging area in Internet Governance, leveraging the learnings from the course. The individuals who submit the best papers will be selected as IGF Youth Ambassadors (up to 30).
For more information, visit Internet Society.
