Call for Applications: Indigenous Youth COVID-19 Response Small Grants Programme UNESCO and Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact

Indigenous youth are just like all of the other young people in our region: facing a time of key life transitions, uncertainty about the future and increasing personal freedom. In addition to navigating these new aspects of life, young people from indigenous communities face a range of unique political, social, economic and cultural challenges. When it comes to education, employment, and health, they are on average more marginalized and without access. With the spread of COVID-19, these problems have become even greater.

Over the past several decades, both UNESCO and the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) have committed themselves towards working towards empowering indigenous communities and youth. While AIPP has worked to ensure that the rights of indigenous persons living in their 12 member countries are protected, UNESCO has actively promoted the preservation and learning of indigenous cultures and languages, and it is currently leading the International Decade of Indigenous Languages. In 2018, both organizations came together to form the Asia Indigenous Youth Platform (AIYP), a network of young indigenous leaders from 11 countries in South and Southeast Asia who are committed to addressing the issues and concerns of indigenous youth in in their communities.

The Asia Indigenous Youth Platform (AIYP), with support from UNESCO and the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), has established a small grants program that will enable indigenous youth (ages 18-35) to access small financial grants to facilitate their work. Depending on the scale of their projects, grant recipients will receive up to 3,000 USD to implement COVID-19 response projects in their countries or communities over a period of three months. Grant distribution will be determined by UNESCO, AIPP, and members of the Asia Indigenous Youth Platform (AIYP).

1.Basic Criteria for Projects

At the very minimum, the projects proposed should meet the following criteria:

• Provide practical and effective solutions to addressing the needs and challenges of Indigenous youth and/or communities as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic, in the areas of education, health, access to information and technology, indigenous languages, food security, human security, and entrepreneurship/employment, and livelihoods.
• Be led and/or managed by Indigenous youth or indigenous youth organizations (including clubs, networks, and branches of larger indigenous organizations) that are based in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, or Vietnam.
• Must fall under the category of knowledge/trainings, advocacy/awareness raising, and/or innovation/solutions. This is not an emergency relief aid fund, and projects that propose the direct production and dissemination of food and medical aid will not be considered.
• Can be implemented and completed within three months.

2. Criteria for Applicants

Both informal groups and organizations/networks are encouraged to apply and multiple organizations wishing to collaborate on a project are also encouraged to apply and can apply as ‘Organizations for the grants.[1] At the very minimum, these candidates should meet the following criteria:

For group applicants:

• Must be young indigenous persons (between the ages of 18 and 35)

•  Must be working in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste or Vietnam

• Must have experience working with communities and experience in community development/engagement.

• Must be able to effectively communicate in the national language of the country they’re working in, but also the language of the communities they wish to support

• Must be able to provide written proof that they are working together as a group (such as a sheet with signatures, etc.)

• Experience with volunteer management and fundraising desired, but not required

For applicants applying as organizations/networks:

• Must be an indigenous youth organization/network, and/or a local or national-level organization that addresses indigenous youth issues (branches of international NGOs do not qualify).

• Must be working in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste or Vietnam

• Must have experience working with communities and community development/engagement

• Must have experience successfully managing project and initiatives that address issues facing Indigenous youth.

• Must be able to effectively communicate in the national language of the country they’re working in, but also the language of the communities they wish to support

• Must have proven experience managing project or donation funds[2]

• Experience with volunteer management/coordination and fundraising desired, but not required

• Experience working with international NGOs and/or UN desired, but not required

3. Selection Process for Grant Applications

Proposals for grants must be submitted no later than 28 August 2020 at 23:59 PM (Bangkok Time). Applications will then be reviewed by a Steering Committee consisting of members of UNESCO, AIPP, and AIYP.

PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINK TO APPLY. APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN 28 AUGUST AT 23:59 PM (BANGKOK TIME)

Click here for grant application.

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[1] Groups can be defined as several people working together on a project or activity. This is different from “organization,” which typically means a formal entity/structure with defined objectives, rules, etc. For example, AIPP is an organization, whereas several friends who are developing a campaign together independent of any formal organization are a group.

[2] You will need to provide proof of this in your application.