Marketplace of Ideas Projects
The Rio Forum (28-29 May, 2010) of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations will showcase some of the most innovative and successful grassroots initiatives aimed at promoting mutual understanding among people and cultures. This event will be held in the presence of Heads of State, legislators from around the world, an influential network of civil society leaders, media, and corporations. The Alliance of Civilizations is looking for creative grassroots projects that spark change by:
1) contributing to mutual understanding among diverse communities and cultures
2) helping to overcome cultural, religious, and ethnic tensions
Top candidates will be invited to the Rio Forum and given an opportunity to present their initiatives during the plenary sessions. The most successful initiatives will be presented with a United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Award Prize as well as long-term continued support from the Global Fund.
How We Champion Change
The Marketplace of Ideas serves both as
1) a platform to expose innovative initiatives to media, policy makers and foundations
2) an advisory for projects on how to replicate and scale up.
The Alliance of Civilizations will provide networking venues as well as support and advice on cultural sensitivity/competency training, resource mobilization, fund raising, exposure to media, connection to policy-makers, etc.
How You Spark Change
At the Marketplace of Ideas, the UN Alliance of Civilizations showcases the most innovative initiatives that spark change in the way people of different cultures, ethnicities and religions understand one another. We seek innovators of intercultural communication; we find the next Edisons of intercultural dialogue; we sustain their light bulbs of intercultural understanding.
Network
What do you need to develop and replicate your initiative? Here is a list of governments, youth networks, foundations, media, and corporations that will attend the Rio Forum (May 28-29, 2010). The best initiatives will be invited to Rio to market, network and forge partnerships for Change!
Coming Soon
Media
AoC Affiliated Projects:
The 99
Ramadan Festival
Be Seen Be Heard Be Known
www.commonwealth.org/cypcaribbean
Respect Magazine
Qantara
One Voice
Connecting Cultures
Social Mobilization for Change through Dialogue
www.amahoroyouth-club.wordpress.com
Tools 4 Trialogue
http://www.3ff.org.uk/prog_t4t.htm
Soliya Connect Program
Intercultural Study Tips
IMC Weekend School
Education for Employment
http://www.efefoundation.org/homepage.html
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1967787,00.html
Applications
Essay Application (February 19 – April 11, 2010)
Submit a short essay telling us what your initiative needs most in order to further develop, be replicated and scaled up (ie. do you need more funding, publicity, connection with policy makers?)
Your essay should be clear, concise, and persuasive. Top candidates will be invited to the Rio Forum and given an opportunity to present their initiatives during the plenary sessions. They will also be presented with a United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Award Prize.
Your essay should be no longer than 300 words and should include the objectives, key elements and expected outcomes of your initiative. We can only accept applications in English because it is the common language of the selection committee. Please include your initiative’s name, location (if applicable), and date of initiative inception.
Some suggested themes:
- Promoting cultural diversity in society
- Encouraging mutual understanding between the Muslim and Western World
- Fostering integration of migrants in urban areas
- Advancing cultural understanding through education
- Championing Women in furthering dialogue and cooperation among cultures
- Using Technology to facilitate intercultural understanding
Essay Applications:
The Application process is now closed. Winners have been contacted directly.
9 + 1 Marketplace of Ideas 2010 Initiatives Finalists
Chapters of World Faith, Various locations, Youth
A World Faith Chapter is a self-formed and self-governed group of religiously-diverse young people tackling local community service needs. Whether it be teaching children in Delhi or volunteering for Habitat in North Carolina, Chapters apply World Faith’s interfaith community service at local levels, World Faith supports chapters by developing leadership, building partnerships with local organizations, and helping to fund these local projects.
In order to better serve existing Chapters, as well as scaling up the model by founding new Chapters, World Faith needs leaders, allies, and funders. World Faith is always searching for more social entrepreneurs to found Chapters. Allies are vital to Chapters, whether local organizations partnering in projects, or media outlets illuminating the possibility of positive religious collaboration. Finally, World Faith is in high need of funding to create better support infrastructure for existing Chapters, as well as mobilizing to help new Chapters launch.
EMAJ (Euro-Mediterranean Academy for Young Journalists): Making News not Stereotypes, Middle East, Youth/Media
EMAJ is a network of young enthusiasts for fair, sensitive and responsible journalism gathered around an annual highly intensive professional training program. EMAJ eases intercultural tensions by reporting from the inside: it creates opportunities for independent professionals to tell their stories from inside action, culture and context – in EMAJ Magazine, a unique intercultural web-based media outlet outside the wires of giant news agencies.
In order to be scaled up and replicated, EMAJ seeks support from donors, professional organizations and media decision-makers to develop its long-term strategic goals: to expand its network, refine its products, build the capacity of its members and achieve sustainability.
Forgotten Diaries, Various locations, Youth/Online Media
Forgotten Diaries is an innovative online initiative that sheds light on the most under-reported conflicts around the world. Forgotten Diaries’ unique platform fosters long-term intercultural dialogue between youth in various conflict zones, bridging religious, cultural and ethnic barriers. Forgotten Diaries also empowers youth in conflict zones, through skills training and small grants, to design and implement innovative community development and grass-roots peace-building projects and they recently made a documentary showcasing some of these projects.
In order to be scaled up and replicated, Forgotten Diaries seeks more publicity. Access to policy makers and media would allow Forgotten Diaries to bring further attention to the transformational role that young people can play in building a sustainable future if empowered.
Melantjong Petjinan Soerabaia, Sarabaya (Indonesia), Education/Migration
Melantjong Petjinan Soerabaia is a cultural tour tracing the Chinese heritage trails in the multi-ethnic city of Surabaya. This eye-opening experience enriches people’s knowledge about the culture of Indonesian Chinese, breaking down stereotypes and promoting diversity and co-existence. See for yourself a fascinating example of how the phenomena of acculturation can form unique cultures in terms of architecture, food, fashion, and art.
In order to be scaled up and replicated, Melantjong Petjinan Soerabaia seeks: professional human resources, financial support to make the tour more accessible to the public and to restore heritage object, and consultation on how to make this project sustainable.
Undergraduate ParliaMentors, United Kingdom, Education
The Three Faiths Forum’s Mentoring Programmes offer undergraduate students of Muslim, Christian and Jewish backgrounds the opportunity to work with leading professionals and to gain invaluable experience in their respective fields. Trios of students, one from each faith, create projects working towards positive social change while establishing new personal and professional relationships.
In order to be scaled up and replicated, Undergraduate ParliaMentors needs: funding to support more participants across the UK and internationally, and to develop other streams of the mentoring model; publicity to expose the students further, and to demonstrate the effective work between faith communities to wider society; and connections with leaders around the world to be involved and replicate these programmes.
Akili Dada, Kenya, Women/Education
Akili Dada is nurturing the next generation of African women leaders by investing in education, mentoring, and leadership training for brilliant, hard working, young women from impoverished families. Currently working in Kenya, our highly successful model extends beyond scholarships by connecting scholars to a diverse network of peers and high level professional African women who serve as mentors. Our leadership training program facilitates scholars’ growth into agents of change beginning with action in their home communities. Recognizing that poor women are underrepresented and underserved by policy-making process across Africa, Akili Dada is inspiring and empowering our brilliant young women scholars to become the kinds of leaders the continent so desperately needs.
In order to be scaled up and replicated, Akili Dada needs strategic partners to help with capacity building and infrastructure development as we share our successful model with social entrepreneurs other countries and plan to build an elite women’s leadership academy to serving the continent starting with the Eastern Africa region.
Peace Camp, Barcelona, Youth/Education
The Peace Camp is an annual fun-filled and educational gathering of a hundred 13-14 year-olds from cities all around the world, organized by Universal Forum of Cultures Foundation. Through debate, discovery, experience, reflection and fun, the Peace Campers not only learn about intercultural dialogue, social integration, citizen participation and sustainability, but also form lasting relationships with other teenagers from different cultures.
In order to be scaled up and replicated, the Peace Camp needs institutional recognition to get support for post-Peace Camp projects at the local level; and financial support to extend the camp to other cities and to introduce better technologies to improve the results of the camp.
Peaceworks, Gujarat/Kashmir (India), Arts/Education
Peaceworks is an initiative that grew out of the despair over the Gujarat carnage of 2000. Addressing the need to foster a spirit of peaceful co-existence, mutual respect across differences, and equality, Peaceworks supports youth to make positive change through the arts. This initiative illustrates that it is in the realm of attitudes and values where long-term difference can be achieved.
In order to be scaled up and replicated, Peaceworks needs funding to continue their work and go to regions where conflict is a reality for youth.
RandomKid: The Power of Anyone, Seattle/Various locations, Youth
A non-profit co-founded by New York Times op-ed pick for President (USA) in 2044, 15 year-old Talia Leman, and USA Today’s Pied Piper of youth-led initiatives, Anne Ginther. RandomKid empowers youth to work across boundaries of culture, race, creed, economic circumstance, ability and geography to solve real problems in the world – together. With a 300%-1000% return on whatever is invested in them, 12 million RandomKid youth from 20 countries have brought aid on four continents–building schools, placing wells, providing medical care, and ultimately fostering peace.
In order to spread the peace, RandomKid is offering their website technology to be replicated around the world, and adapted to all languages for all cultures.
Traveling Peace Academy, Asia, Religion/Education
URI’s (United Religions Initiative) Traveling Peace Academy builds the capacity of local leaders in conflict zones to create sustainable peace in their communities. Its methods include: training grassroots leaders in transformational conflict prevention, resolution and reconciliation; fostering cross-religious and cross-cultural cooperation for peace and community development; and building multi-stakeholder partnerships that include religious, civil society, governmental and business groups.
After a successful launch in India and the Philippines in 2009, the Traveling Peace Academy needs funding to scale up and bring this critical training to grassroots leaders in conflict zones throughout URI’s global network.
For more information on the program, please contact Mabelle Moon.