Picture This: We Can End Poverty

Picture This: We Can End Poverty is a global photo contest seeking to show— in a positive way— what people around the world are doing to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight goals agreed on by world leaders to halve extreme poverty by 2015.

The eight Goals are:

• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Achieve universal primary education
• Promote gender equality and empower women
• Reduce child mortality
• Improve maternal health
• Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
• Ensure environmental sustainability
• Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Contestants must enter either as professionals or amateurs, not both.

The 2010 contest will include a People's Choice Award where the public will vote for their favourite photo online through this website. Click here to vote.

The winning photos will be exhibited during the UN MDG Summit and UN General Assembly in September, 2010 in New York, when world leaders will meet to recommit and redouble their efforts in the fight against extreme poverty.

Contest organizers: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with Olympus Corporation, The Agence France-Presse (AFP) Foundation and the UN’s Department of Information(DPI).

More about the contest

Click here for more information about the MDGs

Rules and disclaimers

Essay4Asia

Essay Theme: Towards a United, Peaceful and Sustainable Asia: The Need and the Way(s) Forward

Calendar

July 5, 2010 - Deadline for submissions

July 5 – 15, 2010 – 10 Finalist will be announced, Jury to decide the winners

August 19, 2010 - Award Ceremony at the Closing Session of the Asian Youth Assembly 2010

Background and Introduction:

The Asian region is home to 60% of the world’s human population, and is regarded as the cradle of civilization, with some of the earliest cultures on the planet originating here. The region stretches from the frigid Arctic to the sweltering equator; and straddles six times zones. Asia is home to the extremities of the planet, both human and natural. The diversity of the human population resident within this continent is unparalleled on Earth.

Today, the Asian region is faced with challenges of a scale never experienced before. Lasting peace remains elusive as armed conflicts based on religion, nationalism, ethnicity, land and natural resources occur ceaselessly across the continent. These conflicts lead to the killing of thousands and cause millions more to be captured in the tentacles of poverty and hunger. Illiteracy and a lack of quality education undermine the ability of people to gain meaningful employment and to achieve a good and satisfactory standard of living. Lack of access to basic services is causing immense suffering, especially amongst marginalized populations and poor people, while ineffective, disorganized   and non participatory governance and political institutions are further impeding development. Environmental degradation is reaching epic proportions, with pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases constantly on the rise, deforestation occurring faster than ever before, and natural resources being plundered relentlessly. The Millennium Development Goals, global objectives of development to be achieved by the year 2015, seem to be much further away than their targeted year of achievement, particularly because of the lack of progress made by Asian countries in achieving sustainable development. A range of challenges are hindering the attainment of a high standard of living and human development in Asia, whilst also creating an ecological footprint that far exceeds the carrying capacity of the region

In this context, people from across the continent have recognized that cultural affinities, values and destines are intricately interlinked, as are regional challenges. They have recognized that it is important to rethink and evaluate the progress made so far, and to come together to influence the way forward, to overcome these challenges and to shape the destiny of the continent.

Young people today constitute a very large percentage of the population of the Asian region. Increasing economic prosperity and social mores are transforming the attitudes and lifestyles of youth. Consumerism and capitalism are converting youth into fast emerging key players in the overall emissions of greenhouse gases. Young people therefore have a very major responsibility on their hands, not just because of their voluminous contribution to climate change and unsustainable growth, but also because they are the ones that will face the repercussions of their actions when they experience the adverse impacts of climate change in the future.

This Essay competition seeks to get ideas, proposal and solutions that will work for Asia in the 21^st Century and find ways to inspire other young people to be part of bringing ‘the Change’ they want to see locally, nationally and regionally.

The Organizers, Global Citizens for Sustainable Development further wants to ensure through their programme, Youth-Led Development Initiatives (YLDI) that these proposals shape into action-oriented programmes.

More details about the Asian Citizens Assembly 2010: www.asianassembly2010.org.in

Essay Theme: Towards a United, Peaceful and Sustainable Asia: The Need and the Way(s) Forward

Write an essay about the role of youth in shaping a united, peaceful and sustainable Asia. Today’s youth have the mindset and attitude of being the global citizens of the world and are very much inclined to Think G-local (Global-Local), Act G-local, with this inclination, try to address the following questions:

 1.  Identify and briefly present the challenges young people face as citizens (local, national, regional, global) and issues concerning G-Local Governance and provide solutions.
 2.  From a youth perspective, identify the underlying issues that prevent the full inclusion of youth in shaping the Regional (Asian) development agenda.
 3.  In your view, what can young people, working with their peers, community, local authorities and municipalities do to increase youth participation in reshaping Asia?
 4. We encourage you to focus on some or all of] the five themes of the Asian Citizens Assembly 2010: i.e., Ethics, Equity, Education, Ecology, Economy (of Solidarity) and share your personal experiences and practical solutions.

Essay Guidelines:
 1. The International Essay Competition is open to all young people, students and non-students alike, between the ages of 18 and 29, from all countries of the world. (For proof of age, all participants must submit the first page of their passport copy by email.)
 2.  Essays should be typewritten and be no more than 2,000 words.
 3.  Essays must have a cover page indicating, essay title; name of author, postal address, telephone number, e-mail address(s), nationality, sex and age as of August 18, 2010.
 4.  All essays must be submitted by e-mail in PDF or MS Word format, with the cover page and essay sent together as one document in English to the essay competition mail essay4asia2010@globalcitizens.org.in

 5.  Essays must be written by one person. Co-authored essays will be disqualified.
 6.  Essays must be original and unpublished

Awards: The following awards will be given respectively:
1st Prize: *Roundtrip economy ticket to attend the Asian Citizens Assembly 2010, Youth Assembly (18^th – 19^th August) and Asian Intergenerational Assembly (20^th to 22^nd August) in Bangalore, India

2nd Prize: *Roundtrip economy ticket to attend the Asian Citizens Assembly 2010 Youth Assembly (18^th - 19^th August) and Asian Intergenerational Assembly (20^th – 22^nd August) in Bangalore, India

(Note: * The Organizers will send the invitation letter for visa processing but it’s the winner’s responsibility to obtain his/her his visa on time for participation at the Assembly. )

3rd Prize: Digital Camera

4th Prize: A set of Prize Winning Water Photographs from the World Youth Water Alliance.

http://www.asianassembly2010.org.in/node/32

Grants, scholarships, internships, funding, volunteers

http://www.iccrom.org/eng/news_en/2010_en/field_en/misc_en.shtml#grants

The Butterfly Effect Project

Support 9 Filipino volunteers as they venture into 6 months of life-changing experience through voluntarism and cultural exchange.

The Butterfly Effect Project aims to mobilize the youth to promote and support volunteering through Global Xchange. This project seeks to advance the knowledge and awareness of the youth, by encouraging them to participate in meaningful activities to serve as a generative force in human resource development committed to the values of volunteerism, social transformation, equity and diversity.


http://thebutterflyeffectproject.com/

I Am A Changemaker: Social Enterprise Business Plan Competition

Deadline Extended to 15 June 2010

THE CALL


We are looking for a new breed of entrepreneurs who dream up innovative solutions to help solve problems in their communities.



This new breed of people are called Social Entrepreneurs - a distinct group of individuals with a definite and more positive attitude towards entrepreneurship.


Social Entrepreneurs* act as change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss and improving systems, inventing new approaches, and creating solutions to change society for the better.

They change the face of business by spotting social problems and issues and find innovative ways to address them.
They are ambitious and persistent, tackling major social issues and offering new ideas for wide-scale change.
Rather than leaving societal needs to the government or business sectors, social entrepreneurs find what is not working and solve the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution, and persuading entire societies to take new leaps.


Are you a social entrepreneur? Do you have a groundbreaking idea in mind? Do you have what it takes to mobilize people and resources to create wide-ranging social change?


If so, we invite you to join now. It starts with an idea to make the world a better place. There is nothing as powerful as a new idea in the hands of a social entrepreneur.



HOW DOES IT WORK?



I am A Changemaker operates like a business plan competition, awarding seed capital directly to the best social enterprise idea that best meets our criteria.
It provides a vehicle for taking innovations from idea to reality, and is a real-world exercise for improving your skills in:

Starting a Project/Business
Pitching ideas to possible investors
Building networks

No matter what your idea may be, we challenge you to unleash your ideas, energy and idealism to affect positive social change in our society. The only limit to the range of projects eligible for the award is your ambition and imagination.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/philippines-common-know-our-projects-current-projects-i-am-a-changemaker.htm

Australian Leadership Awards

How to apply for an ALA Scholarship

Applications for the 2011 intake open on 10 March 2010 and close on 30 June 2010.

Note: You must read the Australian Leadership Awards Scholarships Handbook carefully before filling in an application.

You may submit your application online or by mail.

Make sure you meet the eligibility requirements and that you have all the required supporting documentation. AusAID will not consider ineligible or incomplete applications.

All information provided in support of your application for an ALA Scholarship must be true and correct. AusAID reserves the right to verify the contents of academic transcripts and other claims made by you. If you are found to have submitted false, incorrect or misleading information, AusAID will disqualify you from the ALA Scholarships Program at any time.

Application requirements

• Applications, either hard copy or online, received after 30 June 2010 willnot be considered.
• Only one application per person is permitted. If more than one is submitted, the applicant will be considered ineligible.
• Hard copy applications should be typewritten and signed.
• Applications or documentation sent by email or fax will not be considered.
• Ineligible or incomplete applications will not be considered.

A complete application consists of:

• One (1) completed application form, accompanied by
• One (1) set of supporting documentation (verified true copies, not originals.)

Note: Follow up supporting documentation provided after the application is submitted will not be considered.

Applying online

The preferred application method is online at the Online Australian Scholarships Information System (OASIS) website. When you register online, you will be required to answer some questions to establish your eligibility. You will then be given a unique ALA Registration Number, Username and Password.

You do not need to submit your application immediately. You can update your draft application form as well as attach and update supporting documentation up until 30 June 2010. Once you submit your application you cannot do anything more with it.

Applying by mail

You may apply by mail if you cannot access the internet. Printed application forms can be obtained from the appropriate Australian High Commission, Embassy or their Managing Contractor, or you can download the form.

Completed hard copy application forms and supporting documentation must be received by 30 June 2010 by the appropriate Australian High Commission, Embassy or the Managing Contractor that has been nominated to review applications from your country of citizenship.

Application links

Online Australian Scholarships Information System (OASIS)	Online registration Online application
ALA Scholarships—Documents	OASIS User Manual Application form Handbook Referee report template AusAID’s letter to institution
Contact list	Addresses of Australian Embassies, High Commissions or their Managing Contractors

Verified true copies

To verify a document as a true copy, you should present the original document and the copy to a Commissioner of Oaths, Public Notary or other formally recognized authority in your home country. This official should sight both documents and verify with a stamp and/or a signature that the copy is a true copy of the original document. You will have to pay any fees charged by officials for verifying documents.

If you are submitting an online application, you should scan the verified true copies of your supporting documents (not the originals) and attach them as PDF files with your application.

http://www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/ala_apply.cfm

A Green Future: Asia and Europe Growing Sustainably

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

1-3 September 2010, Munich (Germany)    The Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum) 2010 Conference “A Green Future: Asia and Europe Growing Sustainably” will be held in Munich, Germany, on 1st to 3rd September 2010. The ENVforum co-organisers, namely, the Asia-Europe Foundation, the Hanns Seidel Foundation, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, the Swedish Environmental Secretariat in Asia and the United Nations Environment Programme, welcome proposals for workshops to be organised during the period of the conference. Up to ten workshop proposals will be selected by the ENVforum co-organisers. Financial support will be available to successful workshop hosts in the form of travel and accommodation subsidies for a select number of workshop speakers and/or selected participants from Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) countries. The final selection of speakers and participants will also be done by the ENVforum co-organisers, in order to ensure a balanced representation of all ASEM nationals at the conference. CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES The conference presents an effort to provide a platform for meaningful Asia-Europe exchanges via policy dialogue, co-operation and engagement with private and civil society actors.  Specifically, the conference intends to: 1. Contribute to sustainable Asia-Europe co-operation at the bi-regional level; 2. build trust and confidence between Asian and European countries around     major policy debates and international discussions; and, 3. develop action-oriented recommendations for the ASEM process and     provide a voice for ASEM in international policy dialogue (including in the     upcoming the Rio+20 Earth Summit 2012). CONFERENCE FORMAT The above-mentioned objectives would be translated into cross-cutting questions for up to 10 different workshops held over a period of three days. Such a format provides space for in-depth discussion of various aspects and implications of scarce resources in present and future settings. Workshops could be organised along the following themes: Green Economy Sustainable consumption and production; water; renewable energy; or climate change mitigation Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Marine environment; Forestry; REDD+; climate resilience /adaptation; food security; and bioenergy (includes biofuels) Environmental Governance Environmental education; global funding / capacity building; trust- and confidence-building in policy debates and multilateral environmental agreement (MEA) negotiations; and environment outlooks The workshop-based approach of the conference will allow participants to engage in in-depth discussion of topics that are of particular interest. In addition, plenary and other public sessions will be held to provide a more comprehensive overview and further enrich the dialogue. The final outcome will take into account both the various discussions generated during the conference as well as conclusions from previous ENVforum roundtables. This should result in a set of relevant action-oriented recommendations with an outlook to the future and concrete proposals for joint action that can be useful to ASEM governments at the local, national, regional and bi-regional levels. It will be disseminated through channels contributing to ASEM summit in October 2010 in Brussels, Belgium, the UNFCCC COP 16 in Mexico City, Mexico, as well as other international fora. Moreover, the conference is designed to catalyse stronger Asia-Europe action, contributing towards the ASEM agenda, as the world gears toward the Rio+20 Earth Summit 2012. PARTICIPANTS Approximately 150 ASEM nationals who are experts in the different areas of sustainability, development and the environment in Asia and Europe are expected to attend. They will be representatives of government, civil society and the business community. The final selection of speakers and participants will be done by the ENVforum co-organisers, in order to ensure a balanced representation of all ASEM nationals at the conference. WORKSHOP PROPOSALS FormatInterested organisations are invited to submit a maximum four-page proposal for a possible workshop idea, following the proposed format in ANNEXE 1. Selection Criteria Workshops should be prepared in joint co-operation of at least one Asian and one European organisation. Workshops should cover the topics relevant for both regions. Proposals should include a section to elaborate how the proposed topic is most closely related to one or more of the three conference topics, namely, the green economy; biodiversity and ecosystem services; and, environmental governance. It is recommended to include the perspectives of different stakeholders by encouraging their participation as co-hosts or speakers/participants for the proposed workshop. Submission Documents Workshop proposals should be submitted along with the Memorandum of Understanding(s) among the partner institutions (please indicate leading institution). DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION Interested organisations should submit workshop proposals by e-mail for further consideration by 25th April 2010. SUPPORT FROM THE CO-ORGANISERS Successful workshop hosts will be eligible for the following support from the ENVforum co-organisers: Extensive networking opportunities with relevant experts in the different areas of sustainability, development and the environment in Asia and Europe. Secretariat support prior, during and after the conference. Travel subsidies (i.e. point-to-point economy airfare and airport transfers) for a select number of workshop speakers and/or participants from ASEM member countries. Accommodation support for a select number of workshop and/or participants from ASEM member countries. Local hospitality for all workshop participants. The publication of conference proceedings that will disseminated widely among relevant stakeholders in ASEM member countries. ENQUIRIES AND SUBMISSION All enquiries and submissions must be addressed to:           Ms Grazyna Pulawska           Project Executive, Intellectual Exchange           Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)           31 Heng Mui Keng Terrace 119595 Singapore           Phone: +65-6874-9710           E-Mail: env@asef.org http://www.asef.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=198