You are a young person or part of a youth-led organisation in Africa, aged between 18 e 35 years, actively working on a climate mobility solution? This could be your opportunity to receive financial support of up to US$ 5,000 over the course of a year to promote your climate-focused initiatives.
Climate mobility, characterised by climate-induced migration and forced displacement, is a growing concern in Africa. Despite contributing less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the African continent bears a disproportionate burden of climate change impacts, including floods, droughts, landslides and heatwaves. In response to this pressing issue, the Africa Climate Mobility Initiative (ACMI) has partnered with renowned organisations such as UNICEF, AU, YOUNGO, MYCP and RESILIENT40 to introduce the ACMI Youth Forum in 2022.
The main objective of this forum is to empower young people to address the challenges of climate mobility and to promote meaningful youth involvement in policy and practice. The initiative aims to provide a platform for young people to address climate mobility and the difficulties faced by climate migrants and displaced communities across Africa.
The ACMI Youth Forum, in collaboration with the Global Centre for Climate Mobility (GCCM) Solutions Lab, is currently inviting applications for youth-led climate mobility projects in Africa. Eligible projects have the opportunity to secure funding of up to US$ 5,000 per project. The funding initiative, supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, reflects a youth-centred approach designed by and for young agents of change.
The mission is to unlock the potential of Africa's youth by removing financial barriers and promoting innovative solutions that increase climate resilience, enabling positive adaptation in the midst of the climate crisis.
What are we looking for?
We are looking for passionate and dedicated youth organisations, groups and individuals with innovative projects that focus on climate resilience in disaster-prone areas. Projects should address both rapid- and slow-onset climate events and meet the needs of climate migrants, displaced people, refugees and people at risk of displacement. Proposals must be aligned with at least one of the following thematic areas:
- Dealing with loss and damage
- Climate literacy in vulnerable and disaster-prone communities
- Storytelling and art for climate awareness
- Restoring ecosystems in disaster-prone areas
- Green jobs in vulnerable communities and for internally displaced people, refugees, migrants and young people
- Politics and advocacy
Who can apply?
We accept applications from individuals or youth-led organisations and groups where the majority of members fall within the 18-35 age bracket. If you are an individual or group without a registered organisation, we recommend collaborating with a registered youth organisation to submit your proposal. We also extend the invitation to other marginalised groups, including people with disabilities. The selection process will choose up to 5 projects based on eligibility and potential impact.
Reminder: To qualify, you must be between 18 and 35 years old by the deadline for enrolment and you must be from Africa. Young migrants and displaced people living in Africa or those born in Africa are strongly encouraged to apply.
How to enrol?
To apply for this exciting opportunity, follow these steps:
- Fill in the online enrolment form providing detailed information about your project, its objectives and its alignment with the fund's criteria.
- Attach the necessary documents, including a project budget, implementation plan and any additional support materials.
Registration deadline30 October 2023, 23:59 EAT
Selection criteria
Applications will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:
- Relevance to Climate Resilience: Proposals should clearly demonstrate a strong focus on climate resilience in disaster-prone areas and address the challenges faced by climate migrants, displaced communities, refugees and individuals at risk of displacement.
- Innovation and Creativity: Projects should present innovative and creative approaches to dealing with climate-induced migration and forced displacement in Africa.
- Youth Inclusion and Empowerment: Proposals must actively involve organisations, groups or individuals led by young people aged between 18 and 35. They must demonstrate a commitment to the meaningful inclusion of young people in policy and practice, empowering young people to be agents of change in addressing the challenges of climate mobility.
- Alignment with Thematic Areas: Proposed solutions must align with at least one of the specified thematic areas. Proposals must clearly describe how they contribute to the chosen thematic area(s).
- Viability and sustainability: Projects must be realistic and feasible within the allocated budget and timetable.
- Collaboration and Partnerships: Proposals from organisations led by registered or unregistered young people and individuals (unregistered organisations are encouraged to collaborate with registered youth organisations).
- Impact and scalability: Proposals must have a clear impact path, demonstrating the potential to make a positive difference to the lives of climate migrants, displaced communities and vulnerable populations. In addition, the projects must have the potential to be scaled up and replicated in other regions or contexts, amplifying their impact.
- Monitoring and Evaluation: Applicants should clearly indicate the means of verifying the results, as well as the indicators of the impact of the results. A clear communication plan should be outlined, including regular updates on progress and a final project report.
The African Climate Mobility Youth Solutions initiative is an opportunity for young Africans to create real impact and drive positive change in their communities. Apply now and be part of the solution to Africa's climate mobility challenges. Together, we can make a difference! Click here for more details.
