Deadline: 25-Aug-23
The Embassy of the United States in Kathmandu announces an open competition to organize workshops, seven Nepal-specific provincial Model United Nations (MUNs), and a comprehensive South and Central Asia (SCA) Regional MUN conference in Kathmandu.
The conference will empower university level students from the SCA region with skills and knowledge to become leaders in the region’s economic, political, and civic development. The U.S. Embassy in Nepal is looking for an implementer to organize MUN conferences through a cooperative agreement.
Goal
- The United States Embassy in Nepal supports initiatives that promote democracy, increase economic prosperity, and create resilience. To achieve those goals, young Nepalis need access to tools and resources to support their communities and country. The conference should be organized around several major themes relevant to the SCA region.
- Proposals should include a plan to contact alumni of prior conferences and consult with subject matter experts to solicit input in determining those themes. Potential options could include but are not limited to: economic growth, regional integration, good governance, and cybersecurity.
Objectives
- This project has the following objectives:
- 200 young students from the region demonstrate during the MUN conference and over 500 young Nepali students demonstrate during the 7 provincial MUN workshops, increased public speaking skills, and knowledge of democratic values and practices rule of law.
- Encourage future participation in international fora.
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: 12 months
- Total available funding: $80,000
- Anticipated program start date: October 1, 2023
Expected Activities
- Design and implement a 5-day residential MUN conference for 200 participants between May to August 2024. Applicants are required to include opening and closing events, welcome reception, and expert speaker’s sessions, in their proposal.
- Conduct a series of MUN workshops in various areas in Nepal and in the region.
- Conduct 7 provincial MUNs in all seven provinces of Nepal with at least 50 participants at each province.
- The program should include substantive interaction with U.S. Government representatives as well as non-government organizations, businesses and think tanks that focus on regional priorities and bring experts for the sessions on chosen agendas.
- The program should also include experiential learning days, enabling delegates to immerse themselves in relevant areas of the host-country’s community, as pertains to the thematic areas.
- The program will not include the travel expenditure of international delegates in the budget.
Project Audience(s)
- Primary beneficiaries for this project are youth aged 20-30 with the following demographic variables.
- Gender: At least 50% of the participants should be female.
- Geographic location: University level students from across the South and Central Asia Region and all seven provinces of Nepal should be covered in terms of geographic representation.
- Age group: between the age of 20-30
- Level of Education: Bachelor’s degree or above.
- Language: Participants should be able to discuss high level issues in English.
- Diversity: Selected participants should reflect Nepal’s cultural, religious, ethnic, and social diversity.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations
- Civil society/non-governmental organizations
- Think tanks
- Note: Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.
Ineligibility Criteria
- This opportunity will not support:
- Projects relating to partisan political activity;
- Charitable or development activities;
- Construction projects;
- Projects that support specific religious activities;
- Fund-raising campaigns;
- Lobbying for specific legislation or programs
- Scientific research or surveys;
- Commercial projects;
- Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization;
- Projects that duplicate existing projects; or
- Illegal activities.
For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Nepal.