21/01/2024 – 4th Migration Youth Forum (at Global Forum for Migration and Development Summit)

Location: Geneva, Switzerland and online
Date: 21 January 2024
Dates of capacity building workshops: online sessions throughout January 2024; exact dates to be confirmed
Dates of the GFMD Summit: 22-25 January 2024

Participants: Young people, including young migrants and refugees, representatives of civil society organisations led by or working for youth, researchers, entrepreneurs, young decision makers from national and local governments, professionals, volunteers, activists, leaders – all under the age of 31 and strongly committed to working with and for migrants in their communities. We aim for a balanced representation and an inclusive and diverse Forum when it comes to gender, age, socio-economic background, culture, ethnicity and geography.

Objectives: The Migration Youth Forum aims to provide a platform for young leaders, activists, and advocates to come together and discuss pressing issues related to migration, refugees, and displaced populations in preparation for their participation in the GFMD Summit. Specifically, it focuses on:
● Capacity building: Provide youth a space to consult and consolidate their priorities in order to effectively advocate on issues of migration
● Empowerment: Amplify young people’s voices at official decision-making processes and equipping them with the necessary skills to launch or scale their own initiatives
● Multi-stakeholder Collaboration: Create strong networks and synergies across youth peers as well as relevant institutions from governments to UN agencies and civil society

Eligibility criteria:

• Age Range: Be between 18 and 30 years old (inclusive) at the time of participation at the Youth Forum and the GFMD Summit. No exceptions.

• Country: youth from all countries are eligible to apply.

• Thematic expertise: Youth Forum participants must have a track record of relevant leadership, research and/or community impact in the area of migration and development. Preference will be given to youth with lived experience of migration (migrants, IDPs, diaspora, refugees, asylum seekers etc).

• Language: In order to meaningfully participate in all discussions and capacity building workshops, in-person participants should have at least an intermediate level of English (CEFR B2 level). Online participants should be conversant in either English, Spanish, French, and/or Arabic.

• Commitment: Be able to fully commit to actively participate during the Youth Forum and/or GFMD Summit, as well as in any preparatory and post-event activities.

• Application Process: Duly fill out the online application form and submit it before the deadline (September 30, 23:59 CET)

• (For in-person attendees only) Ability to Travel: Be in a position to travel to the host country (Geneva, Switzerland). This includes having a valid passport, necessary travel documents, and possibly obtaining a visa if required. (Please note: MYCP will be supporting selected applicants in obtaining visas such as through providing them with official invitation letters, accommodation assistance, etc. but MYCP is not able to guarantee the issuance of visas to any applicant)

Application link: https://forms.gle/9fRSJGvjKSJgcxaZA 

Deadline to apply: 30 September 2023 23:59 CET

Funding: We will provide scholarships for a limited number of in-person participants considering their socio-economic background. The scholarships will cover their trip to Geneva and stay for the duration of Migration Youth Forum and the GFMD Summit. We will also support exceptional candidates in raising funds for their participation if needed. To be considered for the scholarship or fundraising support, we kindly request you to duly fill out the designated section within the application form. If you’re not applying for the scholarship, you can still join as a self-funded participant or an online attendee.

To maintain the integrity of the scholarship selection process, we have established a rigorous evaluation procedure. This process has been designed to ensure that the scholarships are awarded to the most deserving applicants, taking into account a variety of factors including financial need, commitment to the forum’s and MYCP’s goals at the GFMD, the overall quality of the application, background of the participant, and the potential impact of the applicant’s future projects. In addition, we highly encourage applicants to explore alternative sources of funding such as through external grants or subsidies from various organisations. In this regard, MYCP has reached also out to its key partners in providing additional funding and sponsorship opportunities for youth to take part in the event.

Key partners: The Government of France, Global Forum on Migration and Development, International Organization for Migration,