It is a global appeal to young people aged 15 to 29 who are interested in the role that sport can play in preventing violent extremism through policy development, innovative programs, knowledge sharing, and awareness-raising.
Application deadline: December 24, 2020
Consider applying to be one of the selected participants in this first UN-led online youth consultation on preventing violent extremism through sport (to be held January 20-21, 2021) if you:
- They are between 15 and 29 years old.
- It aims to contribute to the advancement of sport, promoting social inclusion, ensuring lasting peace, and preventing radicalization and violent extremism.
Note: It is considered an asset if you have experience in leading or participating in communication campaigns, information campaigns, organizing sporting events, or political work.
In keeping with its unwavering commitment to the inclusion of youth and sport in maintaining and promoting peace and security, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) will convene an interactive youth consultation to provide an open and inclusive collaborative platform for young players to prevent violent extremism through sport. The event will take place from January 20-21, 2021, as part of the “Global Programme on Security at Major Sporting Events and Promoting Sport and its Values as a Tool for Preventing Violent Extremism,” implemented by the United Nations Office for Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), in partnership with UNICRI, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), and the International Centre for Sport and Security (ICSS).
The forum will seek to dissect the factors that discourage meaningful youth participation and propose viable recommendations to address them, while creating a safe space for dialogue with Member States on how to improve the integration of young people into decision-making processes; and collaborate and collect contributions from young leaders to develop a range of products related to the prevention of violent extremism through sport, including:
- A global awareness campaign to say no to terrorism, while promoting the use of sport and its values as a tool to prevent violent extremism: the campaign will have a global dimension and will aim to have its greatest visibility at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (to be held in 2021) and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
- A guide for policymakers to promote the role of sport and its values in preventing violent extremism and radicalization.
- Training manual for organizers on how to leverage sporting events and competitions to prevent violent extremism.
- An app for organizers on how to leverage sporting events and competitions to prevent violent extremism.
Eligibility criteria (all conditions must be met to be considered eligible)
- Age: must be between 15 and 29 years old. To be eligible, candidates must have been born between January 20, 1992 and January 21, 2006, or between January 20, 2006.
- Region: no geographical restrictions.
- Commitment: To demonstrate your commitment to diversity and pluralism, non-violent, peaceful and inclusive societies, and to adhere to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the principles and values of the Charter of the United Nations.
- Language: The working language of the event will be English. No translations will be available.
- The application is duly completed, submitted within the stipulated deadline, and contains all the requested supporting documents in connection with the resource. Applications or semi-complete applications submitted in languages other than English will not be reviewed or considered.
3. Selecting participants
Due to limited availability, participants will be required to go through a selection process that will take into account the relevance of their application, their experience, motivation and interest, and their potential contribution to the discussions. Whenever possible, the selection committee will ensure a balance in terms of age, gender, geography, and diversity of backgrounds (cultural, educational, professional) among the selected participants. The selection committee will be composed of representatives from program partners, youth-led structures, and relevant actors in the field.
The selection criteria
- Motivation and contribution to the program: the candidate demonstrates a strong motivation to contribute and collaborate in the development of the outputs.
- Interest in the topics: the candidate demonstrates some experience and knowledge (or a strong interest in engaging) in issues related to intercultural dialogue, peacebuilding, the prevention of violent extremism, and/or sport for development and peace.
- Future impact and follow-up: the candidate expresses a strong commitment to engaging more in the issues and has the ability to consult with and reach a wider group of young people, audiences or networks, including at the local and community level.
- Experience and potential: experience in developing policies and guidelines, designing innovative applications, implementing awareness and communication campaigns, and/or organizing sporting events is an asset.
The word/character limit for each question on the application form must be met. The application system automatically counts words and characters.
Provisional schedule
- Deadline: December 24, 2020
- Review of the appointment: before January 8, 2021
- Selected participants will be notified starting January 11, 2021.
- Event dates: January 20-21, 2021
For more information:
Visit the official page for the first online youth consultation. Regarding the prevention of violent extremism through sport.
