Our Words of Wisdom
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure (…) we ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? (…) Your playing small does not serve the world (…) we were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us (…) and as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
– Marianne Williamson quoted by Maxwell Adeoy, South Africa
Youth Solidarity Fund
The Youth Solidarity Fund provides seed funding to outstanding youth-led initiatives that promote long-term constructive relationships between people from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds.
The Youth Solidarity Fund was established to answer the calls to action made around the world by youth organizations since the creation of the UNAOC.
The pilot phase of the YSF was launched during the first UNAOC Forum in January 2008 and promoted until April. A total of 110 proposals from 55 countries on all continents were submitted to the UNAOC. Youth plays a critical role in the selection of the winning YSF projects; an international team of seven young people reviewed submitted proposals and made recommendations for funding. In June 2008, the UNAOC announced that the pilot phase of the YSF provided grants (up to US$20,000 each) to six youth-led organizations for outstanding projects aligned with the UNAOC’s thematic priorities.
In 2009, over 530 applications from 99 countries on all continents were submitted. A total of 18 projects were selected to receive up to US$30,000 each. In December, Project Coordinators from the winning organizations were invited to the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg for a week-long training jointly developed by UNAOC and the Council of Europe. The Project Coordinators exchanged about cultural diversity, human rights, project management, advocacy and youth participation.
For information on all the outstanding projects selected during the first and the second editions of the Youth Solidarity Fund, please click here.