ASEAN YOUTH VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME

The Development of ASEAN Youth Eco-Leaders through Volunteerism and Community Engagement

Let’s work together for an Eco-ASEAN!

WHO: 50 ASEAN Youth Eco-Leaders – nationals of ASEAN countries, aged 18-30 years old (within the year 2015), fluent in the English language, passionate about the environment and serving communities in need, preferably with experience/ training in water supply, rural development, sanitation and wastewater, and committed to implementing a project that can potentially benefit his/ her own community’s environment.

WHAT: On its second run with the theme of Environment, the ASEAN Youth Volunteer Programme is replicating in Cambodia through a joint partnership between Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), in collaboration with USAID, ASEAN Secretariat, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysia, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Cambodia, and UN Volunteers.

For 1 month, 50 volunteers will be equipped with leadership competencies through workshops and hands-on activities as they work each other and local communities to discover the ASEAN identity and the role that ASEAN youth can play in the community, with a specific focus on the environment.  On site, they will engage the Krakor Floating Village in projects related to water sanitation, personal hygiene and waste management. When they head back to their home countries, they are expected to carry out their own community projects that will contribute to the conservation of ASEAN’s environment. Successful proposals will be awarded seed grants with a maximum value of USD2,000.00.

WHEN: 2-29 August 2015

WHERE: Cambodia

*The first 4 days will be spent near the Royal University of Phnom Penh. 2 weeks will be spent on project site – at Krakor Floating Village, otherwise known as Kompong Luong, at Pursat province which is 4 hours away from the city centre.

HOW: Apply through this online form: http://ayvpform.asiaengage.org. The closing date of application will be midnight GMT, 08/03/15. Only shortlisted volunteers will be notified.  There will be phone interviews conducted for shortlisted candidates, who will also be asked to submit an academic or professional recommendation letter. The selected participants will be notified after 1/06/15.

OTHERS: Organisers will cover the 2-way flight, local accommodation at a guest house, local transport (by bus and motor boat), food and insurance of selected participants.  Halal food will be served for Muslims, and vegetarian food upon request.

For inquiries, you may email ayvp@ukm.edu.my. Keep posted on our interesting updates and teasers by visiting our Facebook page www.facebook.com/AYVPAsiaEngage.

 

Detailed Selection Process

The Selection Committee comprises of the AYVP Secretariat, and its strategic and local partners i.e. academicians from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Royal Universiti of Phnom Penh, representatives from USAID Asia, ASEAN Secretariat, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysia, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Cambodia, UN Volunteers Cambodia, the SOMY focal points of each ASEAN member state (national ministries of youth counterparts) and other local partners.  Please note that apart from the criteria, the committee will also take country and gender distribution into consideration.

The following are the points for selection for each round:

TECHNICAL KNOCK-OUT

1. Completed application form
2. Legitimate nationality and age (nationals of the 10 ASEAN member states, aged 18-30 years old)

ROUND 1 SELECTION

1. Educational background and work experiences related to Environment Conservation and/or community development preferably with training in water supply, rural development, sanitation and wastewater

ROUND 2 SELECTION

1. Passion displayed on personal and project essays
2. Applicants with an existing platform/ organisation with which he/she can execute the planned project will be given preference
3. Applicants who fair poorly in writing in English will be eliminated.

Ideal characteristics of a project essay:

Positive Impact on the Community: To what extent will the project positively affect the community?

Multi-stakeholder partnerships: Will the project demonstrate purposeful relationship building with diverse stakeholders (e.g. youth organisations, universities, NGOs, industry, government agencies, etc.)?

Sustainability of the project: Will the project empower the community by creating ‘champions’ to carry on the project?

FINAL ROUND. Phone Interview and Recommendation Letter

1. Effective communication in the English language
2. Commitment for the entire duration of the programme
3. Ability to work in a multi-cultural team
4. General suitability of personality and motivations