The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is pleased to invite youth-led organizations to apply for the 2023 edition of its Youth Solidarity Fund (YSF). The call is open to organizations from eligible countries whose work seeks to promote peace and social inclusion through improved understanding, respect, and collaboration across borders, cultures, faiths, and beliefs.
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is a leading United Nations platform for intercultural dialogue, understanding, and cooperation. It has connected governments, lawmakers, local authorities, civil society organizations, the media, and individuals devoted to promoting understanding across diverse communities.
Funding
Through a competitive evaluation process, YSF will award seed funding of up to USD 25,000 for the implementation of outstanding and impactful projects that use intercultural and interfaith dialogue and are aligned with the mandate and mission of UNAOC. YSF only supports projects that are entirely developed and managed by youth, for the benefit of the whole society, especially youth.
About YSF
YSF was established in 2008 and has responded to calls for action made by young civil society leaders worldwide on the importance of establishing funding mechanisms for youth-led organizations. To date, YSF has funded and supported 73 youth-led organizations in more than 40 countries worldwide.
In its tenth edition, YSF continues to provide comprehensive support to youth-led organizations, with a particular focus on the role of young people in promoting peace, respect for other religions and cultures, preventing violent extremism, addressing the root causes of intolerance, stigma, and discrimination, and tackling hate speech and its impact on young people. It contributes to the implementation of several global policy frameworks by engaging young people in building peaceful and inclusive societies.
Type of Project
Youth Solidarity Fund provides seed funding to outstanding projects promoting intercultural and interfaith dialogue
Proposals linked to the implementation of the
following frameworks/policies are particularly encouraged:
- Projects that support the implementation of the United Nations Security Council
Resolution 2250 (2015), 2419 (2018), and 2535 (2020) on Youth, Peace and
Security in connection to intercultural and interfaith dialogue; - Projects that support the implementation of the United Nations Secretary-general Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism by promoting intercultural
and interfaith dialogue as a prevention tool;
Projects that support the implementation of the United Nations Comprehensive
Response to COVID-19 by addressing the increased stigma and discrimination of
young people and their communities exacerbated by the pandemic; - Projects that support the implementation of the United Nations Plan of Action to
Safeguard Religious Sites by promoting respect for other religions and cultures,
the right of human beings to practice their faith in safety and peace, and efforts
to combat extremist ideologies and narratives; - Projects that support the implementation of the United Nations Strategy and Plan
of Action on Hate Speech by addressing the issues and their impact on young
people.
Eligibility
To be eligible, applying youth organizations need to fulfill every one of the following criteria:
● Be youth-led: a majority of the positions and decision-making roles within the
organizations are held by women and men between the ages of 18 and 35;
● Be a non-profit, non-governmental organization (except for national youth councils)
registered in the country of operation as a charity, trust, foundation, or association;
● Be officially registered and operational for a minimum of two years prior to the deadline
for applications with funding base and project implementation (operating in April 2021
or earlier);
● Be registered and operate in one of the aforementioned countries;
● Have a democratic governance structure and decision-making mechanism, including
consultative processes in formulating priorities and policies;
● Have the ability to demonstrate proper and consistent monitoring, evaluation, and recordkeeping of their activities, including project evaluation reports and financial accounts;
● Have a gender perspective/balance reflected in their staff, beneficiaries, and activities;
● Have no adherence to or affiliations with violent ideologies or antagonism against any
particular country, culture, religion or belief system, ethnic group, gender, etc.; and
● Did not receive funding under past editions of YSF or did not receive support through
the Intercultural Innovation Hub.
Project Requirement
All submitted projects must fulfill every one of the following criteria to be eligible and reviewed
by the Selection Committee:
● Origin: The project was developed and written by youth;
● Target Audience: The project targets youth primarily. Gender balance among project
participants are ensured;
● Objective: The project contributes to advancing UNAOC’s mandate of promoting a more
socially inclusive world by building mutual respect among people of different cultural
and religious identities;
● Management: The project is managed by a youth-led organization, responding to all
eligibility criteria mentioned above;
● Project Coordinator: The Project Coordinator is demonstrably affiliated with the applying
organization and is between the ages of 18 and 35 at the time of the application;
● Duration and Timing: The project must be implemented within 12 months of
commencing. Final reports will need to be submitted no later than one month after the
completion of the project;
● Location: Project activities are implemented in the country(ies) mentioned in the above
list (see geographical coverage section);
● Budget: The organization needs to guarantee its capacity to implement all proposed
project elements with the funds requested. The amount requested must be no more than
50 percent of the organization’s annual budget in 2022. Grants provided by UNAOC will
not exceed USD 25,000. The scope of the project and the amount requested is not
determining factor in the selection process. Projects with smaller budgets are encouraged
to apply. Please note that the average grant in the 9th YSF edition was USD 15,000. The
proposed budget will have 90 percent of costs associated with direct project activities,
and only up to 10 percent of it will cover the Project Coordinator’s salary/fees. Office rent
cost, utilities, and purchase of technical equipment (e.g., computers, copiers, printers,
cameras, telephones, etc.) cannot be part of the budget;
● English: The application and CV/resume of the Project Coordinator must be submitted in
English only;
● Registration certificate and statute: Copies of a registration certificate and a statute need
to be attached to the application form. They can be submitted in the original language
of the country where the organization is registered. Translations may be requested at a
later stage of the selection process.
How To Apply
Interested organizations can apply at the link
To be considered complete and valid, the application package must include the following and be submitted through the online application system.
Deadline
Applications close on 14 May 2023, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time in New York.
Overview
Types of opportunity: Funding
Deadline: 14th May 2023
Worth: $25,000
Open to: All Youth aged 18 to 35 years
Organizer: The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)
Country: UN – check guideline
Inquiry:
For any additional questions on YSF and this call for applications, please consult:
● Technical FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions for technical matters
● Content FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions for content-related matters
● YSF web page
● Guideline Check
