Have you implemented a policy or programme which benefits young people?

Are you interested in having your initiative recognized, disseminated or replicated in other countries?

International, and public and private sector institutions and organizations are looking to increase the impact of effective initiatives which are having a real and positive effect on young people throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

To do so, best practices will be identified and disseminated in the following fields:

Education

Employment

Sexual and Reproductive Health

Prevention of Youth Violence

Poverty Reduction

Volunteer Work

Youth Participation and Leadership

Integral Youth Development (inter-sectoral approaches)

An international committee, made up of experts in the above fields, will consider policies developed by government organizations, as well as programmes implemented by non-governmental or civil society organizations (both at the national, state, municipal or local levels), in order to identify examples of best practices in terms of the following criteria:

Responds to a concrete need of the social context

Delivers tangible results and has a positive impact on young people and their communities

Involves young people in its design, implementation and/or evaluation

Works through partnerships and alliances

Is sustainable

Has the potential to be transferred or replicated

The body executing the practice is formally constituted (has at least 2 years in operation)

The end of the call for proposals is the 26th of May 2009. No applications will be accepted after this date

Gain international recognition and see your policies or programmes replicated in other countries.

A representative from each government or non-government organization will be invited to the International Meeting in Mexico, in September 2009. All expenses (transport, accommodation, and meals) will be covered by the Organizing Committee*. The meeting will provide a space for exchange with decision makers from different sectors.

The practices which are selected will be widely disseminated among the institutions that make up the committee and an important network of partners throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, initially, and could be implemented in other countries subsequently. They will also be published online and in print.

The policy or programme will also have a greater impact, be identified as an example, and its work will have a positive and lasting impact on the development of young people.

* Organizing Committee:

SEP (Ministry of Public Education); IMJ (Mexican Institute of Youth); SEJUV (Government of the State of Colima through its Ministry for Youth); CONALMEX (Mexican National Commission for UNESCO); UCOL (University of Colima); CYP (Commonwealth Youth Programme – Caribbean Centre); IDB-IDB Youth (Inter-American Development Bank); OAS (Organization of American States); OECD (Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development); OIJ (Ibero-American Youth Organization); EVAC (Espacio Vinculación AC); FLACSO (Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales); IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation); OAS-Trust for the Americas; YABT (Young Americas Business Trust); ECLAC (United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean); ILO (International Labour Organization); PAHO (Pan-American Health Organization); UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization); UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund); UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund); and UNV (United Nations Volunteers).