International Youth Forum at the
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Location
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Bali, Indonesia
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Duration |
October 9-14, 2016
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Background |
The World Culture Forum (WCF) 2016 is an initiative organized by the Ministry of Education and Culture, Republic of Indonesia, and will be held in Bali, from 10 to 14 October 2016. Previously, the 1st WCF was held in Bali, from 24 to 27 November 2013, organized and hosted by the Government of Indonesia under the patronage of UNESCO. The first World Culture Forum produced the Bali Promise, which was welcomed in the UN General Assembly Resolution 68/223 on 20 December 2013. It highlighted the power of culture as the fourth dimension of sustainable development. Several working groups and high level discussions followed, yet at the release of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 Targets, relevance and place were not given to culture.
Youths, frequently associated with immaturity or inexperience, have in fact played an important role in bringing about positive and significant changes in society. The European youth movement in 1848, the American Beatniks in the sixties, and post-colonial youth movements in Asia and Africa, to name a few, are some examples that demonstrate how youths can become a socio-political agent with a significant transformational capacity. In this spirit, efforts have been taken to position youth as an equal partner of discussion, with their own views and ideas that hold value, to involve them in solving global problems today. Main Theme The International Youth Forum (IYF) will be held in Bali for six days, from 9-14 October 2016, parallel and in conjunction with the World Culture Forum (WCF). IYF invites the participation of youths from around the world, with a particular emphasis on independent thinking and social transformation, to represent the youth voice in an effort to mainstream culture into the agenda of development. The main theme of IYF, “Youth Culture for Social Transformation and Equality” is directly correlated to the WCF theme, “Culture for an Inclusive Sustainable Planet”. Objective Through a series of activities, youths are expected to build an awareness of the importance of a cultural perspective in perceiving social, economic and political issues globally and locally. Establishing this awareness in youth will create opportunities for social change in today’s digital age, create an understanding of the global social-economic disparity, and encourage them to get involved actively in building a better society and creating a network of youths to accommodate the global youth movement to act and inspire positive changes in society through a cultural perspective. |
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Theme
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IYF participants will spend several days in a Cultural Village in Bali, and engage in a series of activities aimed to discover and develop the role of youth in building a more inclusive and sustainable world, including discussions on four sub-themes derived from the IYF main theme, namely:
1. Youth and New Engagement with the PublicThis issue will discuss the role of youth in engaging with the public. In the discussions, issues like youth apathy in the social and political spheres will be discussed, as well as contemporary concerns facing the world today and how to identify the role of youths and what they can positively contribute. 2. Youth and New Modes of Belonging This issue will discuss youths in the context of contemporary digital culture that has inevitably introduced and constructed a new concept of space and identity issues of being and becoming for youths today. With the rapid wave of information and communication technology, youths are presented with a myriad of often conflicting ideas on how to identify themselves in an increasingly borderless youth community, transcending culture and traditional boundaries of space. Consequently, this raises a need for a space to express and articulate the identity of youths. 3. Activism: Deconstructing Youth as Threat This issue will discuss the stereotype of youths and their capacity for social transformation. As an illustration, the discussion will begin by comparing and contrasting society’s general perception of youth as a threat to social order and governance with the history of youth movements where youths have taken an active role in creating a better society and standing against various forms of injustice. 4. Youth and the Problems of Socio-Economic Inequality This issue will examine how youths respond to the problems of social and economic disparity by discussing real-world examples found in society, for instance, the reality of unequal access to education. The youth participants will explore issues like transparency and equal access to education free from discrimination, in an effort to build a more ideal form of education in the interest of youths and to enhance the role of youths as cultural agents to realize socio-economic parity and social justice. |
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Prerequisites
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IYF is calling for 200 youth representatives from 50 countries to join as participants of IYF. All participants will receive full funding. In addition, we are also opening an opportunity to join IYF as facilitators who will assist coaches in facilitating group activities throughout the event. Eligibility requirements for participants and facilitators are listed below.
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Benefits
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Learn
Discover new ideas, longstanding local wisdom, and the values they stand for from cultural experts, practitioners, and leaders of cultural communities. Experience and participate in the day-to-day activities and rituals of a cultural village, and learn the distinctive rhythm of traditional village life in Bali. Share Communicate ideas and creative solutions to meet present and future problems of culture, cultural communities, and their role in perpetuating inclusivity and sustainability. Engage in thematic discussions on culture with other participants and the locals, and share the experiences of your own countries and local communities to enrich the conversation. Connect Meet and interact with other participants who hail from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds, expertise, and countries. Discuss problems and brainstorm ways to make a difference in your local community and the global population. Use the opportunity to network and build lasting friendships with the other participants of the Forum. |
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Application Deadline
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Saturday, July 30, 2016 (GMT+7)
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