Background

Background

In December 2015, the Security Council adopted the groundbreaking Resolution 2250, on Youth, Peace and Security. For the first time, the UN Security Council recognized the positive role young people can play in conflict prevention, the prevention of violent extremism and peacebuilding. The Resolution was championed by Jordan, and adopted unanimously.

UNSCR 2250 mandates the Secretary-General “to carry out a progress study on the youth’s positive contribution to peace processes and conflict resolution, in order to recommend effective responses at local, national, regional and international levels,” and to present the results of the Study to Member States of the United Nations. The Arab States Consultation in December 2016 was the first of a series of regional consultations for the Progress Study. It brought together 62 youth from various Arab States to consider common challenges and suggestions to promote youth participation in peacebuilding.

In the Arab States, over 60 percent of the population is under the age of 30, and the current youth generation is historically the largest youth population this region has witnessed over the past 50 years, making up 30% of its population of 370 million.

The Consultation not only aimed to inform the Progress Study and the Regional Roadmap, but also to identify youth participants who could mobilize continued action. Some of the youth representatives have continued their dedication to a working group that supports the creation of the work plan for the upcoming media campaign on youth in peacebuilding.  The campaign aims to facilitate dialogue between youth and decision-makers to promote more inclusive and integrated programs, policies, and peace processes in the Arab States.

The December 2016 Consultation in the Arab States was created to mobilize young peacebuilders in the Arab region to explore the potential and assess the bottlenecks facing youth-led peacebuilding initiatives. It aimed to promote the role of youth in sustaining peace in national peace processes and at the community level.

Following the Consultation, a regional level discussion is encouraged to promote an enabling environment at the national level, through the media and other stakeholders, for shifting the discourse and opening up opportunities for youth to effectively participate in peacebuilding processes. To further promote this goal stated in the Consultation’s concept note, UNDP and UNESCO are co-leading an effort to give select identified youth peacebuilders working in the Arab States the platform to share their experiences and promote youth participation in peacebuilding processes. UNDP and UNESCO are including youth in the planning process to ensure that their voices are reflected in the upcoming media campaign.

In order to support the youth and the preparation for the campaign, UNDP is seeking an intern to start in mid-July 2017 to support content creation, social media strategy, and social media analysis. The campaign will launch in August 2017. This campaign seeks to clarify youth’s priorities and the main peace and security issues facing youth in the Arab States. The campaign will call for inclusion and further enable a platform and environment for youth to participate in peacebuilding locally, nationally, and regionally.

The campaign will utilize traditional media as well as social media sources. In the region, the number of Facebook and Twitter users has increased by nearly 50 percent in 2014 alone It is important to capitalize on the widespread use of social media and combine it with traditional media sources in order to influence youth and other communities and raise awareness and promote advocacy for youth’s voices to be included in peacebuilding and sustainable peace processes.

Duties and Responsibilities

Competencies

Competencies

• Demonstrates the familiarity with concepts in development with education related in International Affairs, Law, Humanities or a related field.
• Demonstrates strong experience with communications and media campaigns.
• Skills in various design programmes, especially photo and video editing softwares.
• Demonstrates strong writing skills in both English and Arabic. Has ability to write in style that is accessible to a broad audience
• Contributes to team spirit, and demonstrates willingness to integrate ideas of others into own thinking. Remains composed under stress
• Is a self-starter who demonstrates drive to achieve results in timely manner and to seek and find solutions to any problems encountered; makes efficient use of available resources; demonstrates ability to multitask

Required Skills and Experience

Education: Enrolled in a graduate programme (second university degree or higher), in the final academic year of a first university degree (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent), or start the internship within one year of graduation in communications, international relations/international development, law, public policy, humanities or related areas.

Experience: Prior knowledge in UN related work is very useful. Extra-curricular activities related to volunteering and development is a plus.

Languages: Working proficiency in English and Arabic is required. Fluency is preferred.

Interns are considered gratis personnel. They are not staff members. Interns are not financially remunerated by UNDP. The costs associated must be borne by the nominating institution, related institution or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or by the student, who will have to obtain financing for subsistence and make his or her own arrangements for travel, accommodation, visa, etc.

Candidates who are selected must submit the following documents:

• Official letter from the University confirming enrollment in a graduate-level degree programme or the final academic year of a first university degree programme;

• Copy of school transcript;

• Letter of endorsement from a faculty member who has worked with the student in the recent past and who is knowledgeable on the student’s performance;

• Medical Certificate of good health;

Copy of the proof of medical and life/accident insurance valid for the location in which the internship will be carried out.