Deadline: 20-Jan-23
UNESCO has announced the applications for Youth Essay Contest on Enabling Intercultural Dialogue in East Africa.
Recognizing the potential for Intercultural Dialogue and the need for better data in this area to effectively tackle pressing global issues, UNESCO has developed the UNESCO Framework for Enabling Intercultural Dialogue in partnership with the Institute for Economics and Peace. Including data from over 160 countries, the Framework serves as a guide on how best to improve the structures, values and processes that enable Intercultural Dialogue.
Following an extensive research consultation process, the Frameworks was designed using a two-level approach to evaluate the macro- and micro-levels enabling conditions of effective Intercultural Dialogue. The Framework includes 9 domains consisting of 21 indicators. Five structural domains focus on those aspects that reflect the systemic elements of society at the social and institutional levels, defined by policies and legal frameworks. They include: Stability and Non-violence, Governance and Citizenship, Freedom of Expression, Horizontal Equality and Social Cohesion. Four supporting domains focus on the principles, values and competencies that impact actions, policies and activities of Intercultural Dialogue based on individuals’ interaction and engagement, as well as Intercultural Dialogue working ‘on the ground’. These domains are Inclusion and Representation, Leadership and Organisation, Linkages and Coherency, and Skills and Values.
Awards
- The best three (03) essays: A round trip from home country to participate in the UNESCO Regional Launch event in Nairobi, Kenya, including accommodation; a UNESCO Certificate; opportunity to make a presentation of the essay during a dedicated session of the Launch event; publication of the Essay on the UNESCO Website; Hard copy of UNESCO publications “We Need to Talk: Measuring Intercultural Dialogue for Peace and Inclusion” (2022).
- From the 4th to 20th best Essays: A UNESCO Certificate of participation; Opportunity to participate online and contribute to the event; publication of the Essay on the UNESCO Website.
Details
Through this intellectual challenge, you are invited to:
- Read UNESCO Global Report on We Need to Talk: Measuring Intercultural Dialogue for Peace and Inclusion;
- Demonstrate understanding through use in your Essay of any one or more of the nine (09) structural and principle domains of the Framework;
- Using the Framework, present concrete examples from your context of how absence of dialogue, exclusion, discrimination, marginalization and others factors impede better understanding and sustainable peace at community, national or regional levels;
- Formulate clear recommendations that looks into structures, values, behaviours, and processes needed for dialogues to work as an instrument for enhancing social inclusivity and building/sustaining peace in East Africa. You may want to focus on and address any one or more of issues such as:
- Misunderstandings based on racial, ethnic, cultural or religious/belief differences, etc.;
- Intolerance, marginalization or discriminations due to disability, sexual orientation, belonging to a minority group, hate speech, etc.
- Inequalities and divisions rooted in political, economic, or social disparities, etc.
Eligibility Criteria
- Be a young researchers or young experts aged between 18 — 35, and a national from any of the 13 Member States covered by the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa (Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda).
- Language: The essay can be submitted in English or French
- Novelty/Innovation: Essays must be original, innovative and unpublished. Already published works as well as plagiarized entries will be disqualified. If you use quotations, please include the reference at the bottom of the essay (references are not included in the word count).
For more information, visit UNESCO.