Young Women Knowledge and Leadership Institute (YOWLI)

3rd International Youth Training

Dec 2010 - Jan 2011

Dakar, Senegal

Mobilizing Youth on Public Policy Monitoring:

Accountability for Economic and Social Rights

The Young Women’s Knowledge and Leadership Institute (YOWLI) is one of the 3 Flagship programs of AWOMI. The other flagship programs are the African Women Economic Education and Empowerment Fund (WEFU) and the Accountability Tracking Program (ACT). YOWLI was set up to enable young women and men of African descent to widen their leadership horizons, enhance their knowledge base and actively engage in monitoring and fighting for social justice. YOWLI is a space that supports innovative ideas that challenge anti human rights strategies and propel organizing for social transformation.

This memorable event brings together every other year, during a one month training event in Senegal, young women and gender sensitive young men from Africa and its Diaspora. These young people are selected on the basis of their recognized Leadership in their communities. YOWLI participants include groups that are often excluded in international gatherings. There are representatives that are able to engage in informed discussions on different issues that hinder the growth and development of young Africans today. They include the physically challenged, those living with HIV, Human Rights activists, and young people from rural settings and informal urban settlements and those youth coming from armed conflict zones. After each YOWLI conference, one or two YOWLI graduates among those displaying the strongest leadership capacity is selected by AWOMI to join the Dakar office to contribute in the planning and organization the next YOWLI. In order to keep the momentum and support youth movement building, AWOMI supports post YOWLI activities in terms of research, information sharing, outreach and networking. AWOMI also supports YOWLI graduates in their employment search, school application and career development. Several YOWLI graduates have joined AWOMI as intern or staff members.

AWOMI hereby invites applications for the 3rd edition YOWLI to be held for 3 weeks, Dec 2010 to Jan 2011 in Senegal.

Given the challenges of the global financial and economic crisis and the food and energy crisis, we hope that this program will bring together young activists interested in or and working on social justice issues including young economists, for an intensive skills development on accountability tracking and movement building towards social transformation. Focus will be on the human rights framework for economic and social, in particular the Beijing platform for Action and the International Conference on Population and Development; skills for setting up social justice in youth organizations; advocacy and organizing; cultural networking and entertainment.

COST OF ATTENDANCE:

For participants who will be fully funded by the program, the following will be provided: economy round trip air travel, accommodation during the course and the conference, meals during the course and the conference, course materials and conference materials. Participants who will fund themselves will cover all the above at a cost of (7,500 USD) which is the total cost for attending the training. However, applicants will be supported in mobilizing resources for their participation.

Eligibility Criteria:

· Applicants must be African or from the African Diaspora.

· Applicants must be between 18 - 25 years old by 31 Dec 2010.

· Tolerance; Leadership skills, critical thinking, and creativity

· Language requirements: the program will be held in English and French (French speaking candidates are expected to have a conversational level of English)

· Applicants must be affiliated to women or youth lead Non Governmental Organization.

If you/your organization are interested in participating in the YOWLI 2010 and do meet the above criteria, please fill out the application form below and send to by 30 May 2010.

YOWLI 2010 Application Form

Application Deadline: 30 May 2010

Name _______________________________________________________ Date of Birth ____________ Gender _________

E-mail __________________________ Phone ______________________ Mobile__________________

Citizenship _____________________ Country of Residence______________________________________

Do you need to apply for a visa for Senegalese entry __________________ Marital Status ____________

Relative contact in case of emergency _______________________ Contact Phone ___________________

Occupation ______________________________________________________

Employer ________________________________________________________

Have you carried out or participated in research exercise? What was the topic? Who was your supervisor? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you live in urban or rural setting? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List any foreign languages you speak and your level of proficiency (List) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Education (beginning with the current or the most recent institution attended) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How did you hear about the YOWLI program ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why are you interested in YOWLI? (max. of 300 words) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you know about public policies that affect your life? What do you think of Poverty Reduction Strategy Programmes (PRSPs)? What do you know about MDGs? (max of 500 words) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What has been your level involvement with these processes? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is your vision of change in gender equality in the next 10 years? How are you contributing to bringing about change (max. of 500 words) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cite 3 development challenges facing Africa Why did you chose them?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Application Checklist

In addition to sending this completed application form, please include the following as attachments:

1. Copy of a valid ID (passport, national ID card, goverment issued)

2. A photo ID ( max. 400kb - INCLUDE name and “YOWLI2010” in subject when sending email attachment. Send email to and cc.

3. Your current CV, including high schools you have attended, training programs you participated in and all employment;Your affiliated organization’s profile (kindly include all the relevant details about your organization such as email, website,landline phone number, name and mobile number of contact person)

4. Letters of Recommendation:

Letter of recommendation from your organization

Letter of recommendation from two of your peers

Letter of recommendation from your mentor

In signing this application, I acknowledge that if I have omitted pertinent information, or have submitted inaccurate or false information, AWOMI has the right to refuse or rescind admission.

Signature of Applicant___________________________________________________ Date________________________________

We look forward to hearing from you. The final selection of the countries, organizations and participants remains the prerogative of AWOMI. All Applicants will be subjected to a fair and objective selection process. AWOMI will not guarantee a response to non-selected candidates. Please consult the website to check on final candidate selection dates.