Application Deadline: April 19, 2024
Restless Development is looking for dynamic, committed and passionate young people to join Restless Development as Youth Mobilisers on the Youth Power in action to end violence against children. The government of Colombia, in partnership with the Government of Sweden, WHO, UNICEF and the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on ending violence against children, will host the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference to End Violence Against Children in November 2024. This signifies an historic opportunity to drive progress on this issue, which affects 1 in 2 children on the planet – as we move past the halfway point of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Restless Development views this opportunity as one that must accelerate progress on policy change in ending violence against children and catalyse resources into this crucial, global effort. In collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), we seek to work with young people to ensure that their voices and views are central to, and positively disrupting, these pivotal discussions. Each young person will receive a stipend of $350 to recognise their expertise, time and engagement in this project, which may also make it more financially viable for them to fully participate. Young people from diverse backgrounds, and those with lived experience of violence, are highly encouraged to apply. To ensure that they will be able to thrive in the role, an assessment of any special needs will be conducted to make sure that all participants fully participate without difficulty.
Key Responsibilities:
- Participate in Youth Power Labs via online sessions which will enhance their capacity on a range of skills from safeguarding to advocacy to communications.
- Participate in regular collective meetings at intervals agreed with the group.
- Engage in a youth-led, co-creation space where they can work together.
- Design their own national level plans of action to engage decision-makers on the issue of ending violence against children ahead of the Global Ministerial Meeting.
- Jointly create a plan for global level youth-led advocacy focused on the Global Ministerial Meeting.
- Identify and connect with national alliances already doing work relating to ending violence against children, to ensure that their actions both add impact to existing work and draw on this work.
- Engage in actions that might include more formal meetings or regular dialogues with government decision-makers and officials, child rights activists, children’s forums and clubs.
- Connect to other initiatives happening within the global Youth Collective and can connect with, and mobilise – other young people in their country or region to ensure sustainability in their campaigns and advocacy, working on issues in order to strengthen the overall approach.
- Representatives from the group will also be invited to attend the November ministerial meeting, they will also work with the organising committee to ensure youth leadership within the agenda and opportunities for the young people to share their perspectives with high level attendees.
- Ensure that they are aware of the outcomes of the ministerial meeting and to ensure – where possible – that they can continue with their work, should they be keen to.
- Participate in Leadership Lab virtual discussions to engage in conversations, bringing together cohorts of (young) experts to share their perspectives and expertise.
Skills and experience
Essential:
- Are between 18-24 years old.
- Are passionate and driven about youth development and the role of young people as partners and leaders in decision-making.
- Are a young person (ideally) based in any WHO “Bright Spot” Argentina, Brazil, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, Honduras, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, Malawi, Nigeria, Oman, Peru, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Uganda, UK, USA and Zimbabwe.
- Can communicate in either English, Arabic, Spanish or French both written and spoken
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Desirable:
- Have enough time and capacity to commit to the programme from start to finish.
- Passionate about addressing violence against children and advocacy.
- Have some expertise or experience in knowledge/understanding of violence against children.
- Already working with a national partner/s, or you represent in national structures to address violence against children either at local, regional or national level.
- Young people from diverse backgrounds – including young people with lived experience of violence – are strongly encouraged to apply for this opportunity.
How to Apply
- Please submit your CV, cover letter (using no more than 750 words) and a 30 seconds video that provides tangible examples of how your skills, knowledge and experience will support your ability to perform the key priorities outlined in the above terms of reference.
