The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) has announced the latest recipients of its Youth Solidarity Fund (YSF). A rigorous evaluation process of 1,508 applications helped identify five youth-led organizations based in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to receive financial and capacity-building support to implement their projects.
The selected youth-led organizations present creative approaches to building peaceful communities through intercultural and interfaith dialogue with great potential for positive impact on their communities. The five winners join a group of 68 other youth-led organizations that have been selected since the creation of YSF in 2008.
UNAOC supports projects that reach out to and connect marginalized youth from different socio-economic, cultural, and religious backgrounds to foster broader and transformative engagement of all types of youth while working to reduce polarization in communities.
In addition to seed funding, YSF recipients will receive technical support to strengthen the implementation of their projects. For the second year, UNAOC is partnering with Search for Common Ground to facilitate a capacity-building programme based on the Youth 360 methodology, providing online workshops and mentorship.
Established in 2008, YSF responded to calls for action made by youth-led organizations worldwide on the importance of establishing funding mechanisms for youth. Today, as the global agenda increasingly speaks of youth’s participation and contribution to peace, development and security, YSF remains one of the leading UN support mechanisms to young people working with them to realize the Sustainable Development Goals and drive positive change in their communities and societies.
The 2021 Youth Solidarity Fund Recipients are:
1. Stitch the Split of Peace by Health and Rural Development (HARD) Balochistan, Pakistan
2. Bridging the Past, Present and Future by United World College Alumni Association Malaysia/Architects of Diversity, Malaysia
3. “Learning to Live Together” Digital Toolkit by Tech Tribes, Jordan
4. Breaking Down Borders Africa Toolkit Series by The Leaders Who Dare to Dream Foundation, South Africa
5. Youth Peace Dialogues by Association Development by Young People (ADYP), Burkina Faso
Read more about each project at https://www.unaoc.org/2021/07/youth-led-organizations-recipients-of-youth-solidarity-fund/