Association of African Students in Austria and African Diaspora Youth Network in Europe Call for Participants Deadline 15th April 2015 African Diaspora Youth Forum in Europe 8-11 June 2015 Vienna, Austria Organized by The Association of African Students in Austria (VAS Austria) and the African Diaspora Youth Network in Europe (ADYNE), in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), North-South Centre of the Council of Europe (NSC) and Dreikönigsaktion (DKA). Türkenstraße 3/3, 1090 Vienna, Austria, Tel.: +43 676 3833467, Email: office@vas-oesterreich.at www.vas-oesterreich.at
1. Background on ADYNE & VAS Austria The Association of African Students in Austria (VAS Austria) is a pier association of ADYNE (African Diaspora Youth Network in Europe), which currently comprises 7000 members and reunites 120 associations. We work with different organizations to: Enhance youth participation and reinforce the development of ADYNE s and VAS platform, Reach out to policy makers in implementing youth policies, Help shape the life of young African immigrants living in Europe. Offer Strategic Support for capacity-building, networking and Good Practices. ADYNE and VAS offer seminars, training courses and publications/ reports which try to improve and better represent the interests & needs of young Africans; as well as increase their active participation by carrying out capacity-building programs & activities. African students studying abroad face several challenges: bordering on networking, culture, and language, as with most European countries, English is not the first language. The facility of employment, integration issues and the contribution of those young people in the development of Africa is the fundamental idea of ADYNE and VAS. 2. Background on the African Diaspora Youth Forum in Europe The African Diaspora Youth Forum in Europe is aimed at addressing the needs and concerns raised by members of VAS and African Youth in Diaspora organizations across Europe. Youth unemployment becomes a challenge for governments and a nightmare for a young generation and remains a barrier for the young generation in Africa and Europe. There is an urgent need to face this matter on developing innovative solutions. 2
More than 75 million young people are unemployed internationally and this number is getting bigger in Africa, as it remains the youngest continent of the world with the highest number of unemployment among youth 1. The large unemployed youth population indicates a lost development potential since African governments has failed to benefit from its young people s contribution. In this regards also comes, difficulties in finding and sustaining decent employment, a diminished lifetime of unproductivity and thus making it even more challenging to face poverty, hunger, health, social and economic issues. However, the limited number of jobs is only part of the problem. The educational and institutional systems still fail to provide the youth generation with the skills to meet up the needs of the job or global market. High unemployment is also due to the lack of effective policy implementations. To date, most policies that have been executed failed to function at the structural causes of youth unemployment on national levels. This includes lack of targeting the formal education system, post-school training, public employment and deployment programs, entrepreneurship interventions and business innovation. In this context, VAS organizes a Forum where both leaders of the world and youth meet to discuss and work on ways to create solutions and opportunities for the young generation to be agents of development. The youth, after series of intense discussions, bring in their recommendations that are addressed to leaders and governments whom take it into consideration according to their national conditions and implement it in order to meet the demand of the young generation. VAS structures this Forum to be strongly interrelated with the capacity of African and European in diaspora to act and take responsibility for shaping the economic development of their communities, thus providing them a platform to tactically improve their skills, expertise and knowledge on how to access decent jobs and indeed the global market. The event of this year will be focusing on the three following areas: Foundational skills: the Forum will enrich the foundation of skills through analysis, communication, capacity building, project coordination and development, problem solving skills, creativity and leadership that can be transferred and adapted by the youth in their process of looking for jobs and shaping the African continent. Sustainable cooperation: our Forum is the focal point of a sustain common collaboration between Africa, the Diaspora and Europe, working together in confronting the economic crisis by promoting innovation, expertise, improving the situation of youth in diaspora, enhancing workers knowledge, skills, access to the labor market, enlarge professional competences, as well as meeting the SDGs goals and enhancing the values of social integration, cohesion, and sustainable industrial and economic development. Youth Participation at all levels: in areas like economic and political levels, our Forum will create the medium where youth and leaders from Europe and Africa can 1 ILO, http://www.ilo.org/global/research/global-reports/global-employment-trends/youth/2013/lang-- en/index.htm, consulted the 06.02.2015 3
discuss and express the needs of the young generation and thus enhancing their participation in the political and decision making process through peaceful dialogue. The leaders will then answer the inquiries of the youth and take into consideration their recommendations. This program implemented by VAS Austria includes activities such as: Panel discussions to meet young leaders who have established their own business initiatives; to see the possibilities of a career in Austria/Europe; to get more information about starting a business as well as the special skills needed; Training courses and opportunities for youth and African Diaspora whom will have the opportunity to meet and have dialogue with experts, leaders and youth like to discuss, ask and learn innovative practices on how to face the unemployment issue by developing their skills; Formulation of a set of recommendations expressing the matters to be tackled by leaders from Africa and Europe; Meeting experts and the youth to transfer knowledge establish contacts and get to know how to work together in achieving the set out goals; New partnerships should be a possibility for the youth in keeping in contact with others, connect them in a better way and thus a chance for a worldwide networking. The Forum will provide the opportunity for young people to discuss practical ways of actively contributing to the political, social and economic integration of Africa. The resolutions will also aid policy makers and other stakeholders in formulating effective policies. For VAS, it is a request to offer a possibility for young African students in cooperation with their partners and some African embassies to build capacity and dialog. 3. Background on UNIDO The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that supports industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environment sustainability in developing countries and economies in transition. The Organization draws on four mutually reinforcing categories of services: technical cooperation, analytical and policy advisory services, standard setting and compliance, and a convening function for knowledge transfer and networking. 2 UNIDO s vision is a world where economic development is inclusive and sustainable and economic progress is equitable. The Organization focuses on three main thematic areas: Poverty reduction through productive activities, Trade capacity-building, Energy and environment. 2 UNIDO,, consulted the 07.08.2014 4
UNIDO envisages that the implementation of the Regional Program will complement the efforts of African governments to drive industrial development, promote domestic investment for competitive growth and build partnerships between public and private stakeholders for sustainable investment policies implementation. 3 4. Mission of the Forum The Forum aims to: Contribute to the reduction of youth unemployment rate and improve the access to decent jobs as well as raise the spirit of entrepreneurship among young people through the implementation of activities and programs. 5. Objectives of the Forum The concrete objectives of the Forum are to: Empower Africans in the Diaspora to face the unemployment issue and enable them to contribute in the economic development of their home countries through discussions and trainings. Develop a common understanding of the situations, challenges and advancements faced by young people from Africa living in Europe. Promote youth entrepreneurship and skills development to achieve inclusive and sustainable industrial and economic development, in the social, micro, small and medium enterprises. Create new opportunities to boost the social responsibility, integration and social entrepreneurship by enhancing Africa/Europe Youth Cooperation projects. Establish a connection among young people, policy- makers and our social partners in Austria, Europe and Africa to empower youth development in both regions. 6. Profile of Participants The participants in this Forum are representatives of African Student Organisations in Europe, Diaspora Organisations, development NGOs, Development Organisations and youth worldwide and are working / interested to work directly with African Diaspora youth. The Forum is open for residents of member-states of all continents. African Diaspora is a huge focus, but we connect all Diaspora youth from all over the world. Concerning participants and their profile: 3 I.D.E.A. Newsletter Issue 1 December 2009, http://www.unido.org/fileadmin/user_media/publications/newsletters/idea_11_2009.pdf (consulted the 07.08.2014) 5
Should be from any origin or working/interested to work directly with the African Diaspora youth community, or playing an active role within a youth organization, network or service at local, national or regional level, and plan to continue this work in the near future; Should have any other origin working or interested to work directly with the African Diaspora youth community; Aged between 18 and 35; Have already some qualification or experience in terms of international youth work. Be committed to attend the full duration of the Forum. Be able to work and communicate in English or French. The selection process will take into consideration organisational, gender and geographic balance. 7. Logistics The VAS Austria will do its best to fully cover the international travel costs of some participants from Europe and partially from other countries. Selected participants will receive an invitation to participate in which the conditions for travel reimbursement will be outlined. Board and lodging will be assured by the organizers for the entire duration of the Forum (including breakfast and dinner). It is expected that participants/organizations support the expenses related with local transports in the home country and transit. 8. Forum Fee The Forum will have a participation fee of 30 (thirty euros), which will be paid during the Forum. 9. Deadline for Applications All candidates fulfilling the criteria and interested to participate should send the enclosed Application Form to corinne@vas-oesterreich.at and to office@vas-oesterreich.at by the 15 th April 2015. Only participants from Austria have the possibility to send their enclosed Application Form by 15 th May 2015. Selected participants will receive an invitation letter as soon as possible after the deadline. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/africanyouthdiaspora or www.vas-oesterreich.at. 6
Deadline for submission: 15 th April 2015 Application sent after deadline will not be considered 7