Call for applications

• 10 – 19 July 2019, Caux, Switzerland
• Applications open: Friday, 15 March 2019
• Deadline for applications: 10 April 2019
• Selected participants will be notified by 30 April 2019

About the programme

The Young Ambassadors Programme (YAP), under the aegis of Tools for Changemakers, will bring together 35 young Europeans who aspire to take an active role in transforming society. A 10-day journey will take the Young Ambassadors through an intensive training programme that will inspire deeper conviction about Europe, equip them with the reflective and practical tools to build sustainable change, and connect them to a supportive network of similarly engaged young people.

The training will explore the dynamic relationship between personal change, sharing stories and exchanging experiences, taking focused action and space for reflection. The journey will continue during the Tools for Changemakers forum, during which the Young Ambassadors will resurface from the deep dive of the training programme and engage with forum participants of different ages and backgrounds. The forum will have a practical focus, alongside the Caux Forum’s particular emphasis on space for reflection, personal change and dialogue. It will equip the Young Ambassadors with the tools they need to take an active role in social transformation on a local, national or international level.

The objectives of the Young Ambassadors Programme are:

• To train and equip a new generation of young Europeans with practical skills, integrity and sensitivity to the diverse perspective of others
• To develop a network of young Europeans willing to be actors for positive change in their communities and countries
• To create opportunities for further cooperation and collaboration and follow-up activities between participants and Alumni
• To contribute to and promote a richer mutual understanding of beliefs, values, identity, history and cultures through a collective learning experience
• To empower the participants to take an active role in their communities and equip them with tools for social transformation

What we offer

• A training programme that will support your efforts in transforming your community and will equip you with tools for social change, dialogue and peacebuilding 
• An opportunity to grow in your understanding of leadership and commitment 
• A unique experience in the Caux Palace Conference and Seminar Centre, as a place of reflection that provides opportunities to listen to others and to oneself 
• The opportunity to become part of a European community of young changemakers who are working towards change, starting with themselves, and supporting each other in this process 

Upon graduation, the Young Ambassadors will join a community of over 180 alumni. Alumni will have the opportunity to join further training and programmes specifically designed for their needs. 

Who should apply?

Young people aged 18-30

• who demonstrate a strong interest in or active participation in civil society initiatives, NGOs, political organizations and structures 
• who are citizens or residents of Switzerland, Sweden, UK, Romania, Germany, Turkey and Ukraine 

People from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply, including recently arrived migrants, as well as representatives of minority communities. 

Costs

The cost of the programme is almost entirely subsidized by our funders. Participants from Switzerland, Sweden, UK, Romania, Germany, Turkey and Ukraine (the partner countries in the project) are expected to pay the 50 CHF registration fee plus a 150 CHF contribution fee towards the programme.

If you would like to apply but you cannot afford the contribution fee, please email us. Event-related travel costs will be reimbursed (up to 400 CHF/person for participants from Sweden, UK, Romania, Germany, Turkey and Ukraine, and up to 50 CHF/person for participants from Switzerland).

Participants from other countries than the partnering ones are warmly invited to apply and participate, but there are no secured funds to cover their costs, and they will be expected to cover the total participation costs (1,200 CHF + 50 CHF registration fee), together with all related travel expenses.

This cost covers: 

• A full ten days’ training programme of discussion groups, reflection groups, training tracks, plenaries, evening entertainment and cultural events 
• Meals and refreshments (three meals a day plus coffee/tea breaks) 
• Accommodation in two-, three- or four-person rooms in the Caux Palace Conference & Seminar Center 
• Participation fee 
• Handout pack
• Access to conference materials and conference facilities 
• Certificates of participation in YAP and in one of the training tracks offered by Tools for Changemakers, as chosen by the participant

Participants in the Young Ambassadors Programme are expected to:

• Arrive in Caux no later than 4.00 pm on 10 July 2019 and stay until the end of the programme at 4.00 pm on 19 July 2019 

• Have a high standard of spoken English 
• Be ready to share about the challenges of social-cohesion, identity and trust in their communities (however big or small) and be ready to take initiative after the training programme
• Actively participate for the entire duration of the project 
• Comply with visa requirements (where applicable) 
• Pay a 150 CHF contribution fee + 50 CHF registration fee 

Application procedure and selection process 

We will select suitable candidates based on their personal motivation and their demonstration of high interest or active participation in initiatives and projects related to Europe. Selected participants will be notified by email by 30 April 2019. They will need to finalize their registration by paying the registration fee (50 CHF).

The Young Ambassadors Programme began in 2015 as an additional component to the Addressing Europe’s Unfinished Business (now Tools for Changemakers) conference and has been running every summer since. The Young Ambassadors Programme bases its methods on over 70 years of trustbuilding work by Initiatives of Change around the world. 

• To apply click here.
• If you have questions, email YAP@cauxforum.org 
• Find out more about YAP 2018
• Find out more about Tools for Changemakers 2019 
• To read reports and stories from our past events click here.

ILLP aims to deepen understanding of links between land degradation and human security and to build the trust needed for effective collaboration on the ground and in ‘land-peace partnerships’. As a programme of Initiatives of Change International, it inspires, equips and connects people to address world needs, starting with themselves.

Among other activities, each year ILLP organizes the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security, part of the Caux Forum, in the Swiss village of Caux, in collaboration with Initiatives of Change Switzerland, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The CDLS is much more than an annual Dialogue. It is located at the centre of a growing network of practitioners working on every aspect of human security and ecosystem restoration. They support each other, inform each other, and collaborate with each other.

Meet some of the people who have been impacted by the CDLS in the past years:

• Patrick Worms: World Agroforestry Centre Nairobi/Kenya: Hard issues in a magical setting
• Alan Channer: A film-makers call to "land, lives and peace"
• Sai Kishore Nellore: Empowering small farmers
• Ash Domah: A passion to green the dessert
• Iman Al Ghafari: Starting from the individual in Syria
• Ian Barasch: Prophet of green compassion
• Ben Callison: Loving more than the solutions
• Jennifer Helgeson: The magic of Caux
• Alan Laubsch: Restoring nature's superheros
• Hartmut Behrend: Combatting climate change in Mali
• Chau Tang Duncan: Bridging the financial divides
• Conrad Sangma: Meghalaya's lighthouses of sustainable development
• Aibanshngain Swer: Protecting Meghalaya's water sources
• Tom Duncan: Empowering communities to restore mangroves
• Nhat Vhuong: Plucking water from the air