Deadline: 1st November 2023
Registration for the Roma MED Youth Policy Lab 2023 are now open. The MED Rome 2023 Dialogues are promoting the 7th edition of the Youth Forum. The Youth Policy Lab supports the development of solutions developed by young people on the climate crisis in the wider Mediterranean, participating as a global showcase for innovative ideas by young people.
The innovations will be supported by Rome MED Dialogues and key international partners (UNDP Rome Centre; the OECD Training Centre on Public Governance; Youth4Climate, UNIMED - Union of Mediterranean Universities and the CMCC Foundation) to develop and scale up their innovative policy ideas to tackle a climate crisis.
The selected Policy Lab participants (a number between 15 and 20) will draw up an official document with actionable policies that will be shared with high-level policymakers (ministers, institutional leaders and the business community) from the wider Mediterranean region who will meet for the 2023 Rome MED Dialogues and can be presented at COP28 in Dubai at a dedicated event in the Italian pavilion.
Thematic Focus
The climate crisis has become a major challenge on both sides of the Mediterranean. Climate change has adverse effects all over the world, increasing, for example, the frequency of extreme weather events and causing higher global temperatures, with far-reaching impacts on all sectors of societies and their economies. Despite being a multi-faceted concept, the climate crisis, among other things, recalls the fact that the climate and environmental manipulation taking place around the world is having differentiated impacts according to specific local vulnerabilities and is causing imbalances in the regional and domestic orders. Socio-economic and political systems are not prepared to deal with the dramatic consequences.
The young generations involved in the fight against the inequalities of climate change and in promoting mitigation and adaptation measures are key players in climate action. Young people have managed to make their voices heard, putting the climate crisis under the spotlight. But this action requires greater efforts, since multiple factors prevent and disrupt access to the policy-making framework. This year's edition of the "Youth Policy Lab" will once again emphasise the importance of the voice of young generations - as those most affected by the multiple crises that have erupted around the world in recent years. While young people face and deal with the climate crisis and geopolitical tensions at local, regional and global levels, it is critical and urgent to question whether the vision of "leaving no one behind" (still) resonates today and how to "leave no young person behind". Driven by these crucial questions, the Youth Policy Lab will address the potential of Mediterranean co-operation in the fields of climate change and promote the role of youth in this field.
Benefits
The selected participants will benefit from
- Exclusive access to webinars and workshops supervised by experts from the Rome Med Dialogues network.
- Workshop dedicated to the Youth Policy Laboratory.
- Exclusive access to the Rome MED 2023 Dialogues (2 to 4 November).
Cost
- Travel costs (economy flights) and accommodation for up to three nights in Rome will be covered by Roma MED Dialogues.
Eligibility
They are looking for young and motivated experts, academics and students who are passionate about the climate crisis to join the Youth Policy Lab!
Candidates must:
- Be between 21 and 35 years old;
- Whether from North Africa, the Middle East or Europe;
- Have at least a first university degree (BA or MA) or equivalent qualification;
- Have a strong interest/experience in climate crisis and climate co-operation in the Mediterranean;
- Excellent command of the English language.
Application
Entries must include:
- An up-to-date CV (max. two pages, including information on the candidate's academic background and relevant professional experience;
- A short video (max. five minutes) to explain the candidate's motivation for participating in the "Youth Policy Lab 2023"; their idea on how to tackle the climate crisis, providing a relevant example and space for action. Please note that your statement must be innovative and ambitious.
