What is Youth leadership programme?

UNDP Arab states launched Youth leadership programme on 2015 to harness the potential of youth to contribute to the achievement of 2030 Agenda for sustainable development

UNDP over the last 6 years has been working to help young people become engaged citizens, innovative problem-solvers, effective leaders, and successful makers of change. YLP Supports and empowers young women and men change-makers to design and implement innovative, impactful, and sustainable development solutions.

It focuses on the development of youth’s capacity for analytical thinking and social innovation in the pursuit of achievement of the SDGs, particularly in the following four thematic pillars: social cohesion, good governance, gender equality, and economic empowerment.

In addition, YLP likes to encourage partnerships among youth initiatives and to strengthen networking, knowledge-sharing and coalition building of youth across Arab Countries. By the end of the programme, the young participants are expected to be strong advocates for the SDGs and to have begun implementation of their innovative ideas for social change.

What is Youth leadership programme objective?

• Promote and support innovative thinking and leadership among youth.
• Build networks of young men and women who are able to create change and have a positive sustainable impact in their communities, countries and region.
• Showcase the achievement of young women and men as change-makers in their communities.
• Accelerate the implementation of pioneering solutions for sustainable development.

The expected outputs are:

1. Strengthening the capacity and skills of youth-serving organizations, enabling them to train youth in their respective countries to become effective political and civic leaders, social and climate innovators and change-makers.
2. Increasing awareness of mental Wellbeing during the times of the pandemic and beyond.
3. Exploring experiential learning techniques for enhancing youth training.
4. Expanding training in essential skills training (communication, self-organization, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, to support youth on their path towards leadership and engagement.
5. Consolidating and expanding YLP’s network of youth-serving partner organizations to strengthenthe ecosystem for youth-led innovation for development in the Arab region.
6. Co-creating change-makers’ pathways with youth-serving organizations and youth on an expanded approach to youth capacity building needs.

What is YLP7 theme for this year?

This year, the aim of the Workshop and Consultation is to address that need by co-creating each of the four pathways: social entrepreneurs, community builders, policy shapers, or increase their capacities as job seekers with the YSOs (Youth serving organizations). Additionally, dedicated training will be offered in experiential learning and throughout the year will be followed-up with regional webinars on specified training needs identified during the Workshop by the YSOs. Therefore, the Workshop and Consultations of YLP this year will be predominately about exposing the concepts of and co-creating the four-pathways.

Who is eligible to apply for this programme?

If your age was between 18-29, Iraqi, Fluency in Arabic or English is an asset, You don't have to be experienced just be highly motivated and interested in social change to support your community then you're applying to the right programme!

What are the benefits of this programme?

By participating in this Programme you'll have the chance to develop your leadership potential, learn and practice more about SDGs, develop your skills in problem solving approaches and methodologies improve your advocacy and presentation skills, and become a member of a dynamic network of young leaders and innovators.

Where can we attend these workshops?

UNDP is working hard to be adaptable regarding the current pandemic and social distancing situations. there will be multiple backup plans as online workshops, webinars, hackathons, also  UNDP partners from youth serving organizations are planning to implement workshops in 9 states covering most of north and south of Iraq as it includes (Baghdad, Basra, Anbar, Diyala, Salah Aldin, Nineveh, Kirkuk, Sulaymaniyah, and Erbil)  

How can I Apply to this Programme?

You can easily apply by filling the form in this link.

Who are our partners?

Our partners for this year are 9 active youth serving organizations interested in youth capacity building, supporting their community growing youth leadership skills from all over Iraq. Experienced in achieving sustainable development goals and trained by the UNDP country office and regional hub on multiple tools to enhance and grow youth capacity.

Our partners are (IOT maker, Field Ready, Knowledge gate, Mosul Space, Science Camp, Kurdistan relief association (KRA), Leaders for change, Iraqi Dental Students Association-IDSA, and Harmony).