YSF supports projects that promote peace and social inclusion by enhancing mutual understanding, respect and collaboration across borders, cultures, faiths and beliefs.

Now in its eleventh edition, YSF continues its comprehensive support to youth-led organizations, with a particular focus on the role of young people in promoting cultural and religious pluralism, peace and mutual respect, preventing violent extremism when and as conducive to terrorism, addressing the increased stigma and discrimination, fostering respect for different religions and cultures, as well as tackling the root causes of polarization and identity-based conflicts.

Through this support, UNAOC helps implement key global policy frameworks by fostering meaningful youth engagement in building peaceful and inclusive societies. To qualify, projects must be entirely developed and managed by young people for the benefit of society, especially youth.

Funding Information

• YSF provides seed funding of up to USD 25,000 to implement impactful youth-led projects that advance intercultural and interfaith dialogue, and are aligned with the mandate and mission of UNAOC.
• Duration: The project must be implemented within 12 months of commencing.

Eligible Projects

• Proposals linked to implementation of the following frameworks/policies are particularly encouraged:
  • Projects that support the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 (2015), 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020) on Youth, Peace and Security in connection to intercultural and interfaith dialogue;
  • Projects that support the implementation of the Security Council resolution 1325 and the ten subsequent Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace and Security by enhancing women’s participation in conflict prevention and mediation processes;
  • Projects that support the implementation of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, and the Pilar I of the UN Counter-Terrorism Global Strategy (A/RES/60/288) by promoting intercultural and interfaith dialogue as a prevention tool;
  • Projects that support the implementation of the United Nations Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites by promoting respect for other religions and cultures, the right of human beings to practice their faith in safety and peace, and efforts to combat extremist ideologies and narratives;
  • Projects that support the implementation of the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech by addressing the issues and their impact on young people.

Eligible Countries

• Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Argentina; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belize; Benin; Bhutan; Plurinational State of Bolivia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Brazil; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; China; Colombia; Comoros; Congo; Costa Rica; Côte D’Ivoire; Cuba; Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; El Salvador; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Eswatini; Ethiopia; Fiji; Gabon; Republic of the Gambia; Georgia; Ghana; Grenada; Guatemala; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; India; Indonesia; Islamic Republic of Iran; Iraq; Jamaica; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kiribati; Kosovo; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Lebanon; Lesotho; Liberia; Libya; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Maldives; Mali; Marshall Islands; Mauritania; Mauritius; Mexico; Federal States of Micronesia; Republic of Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nauru; Nepal; Nicaragua; Niger; Nigeria; North Macedonia; Pakistan; Palau; State of Palestine; Panama; Papua New Guinea; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Rwanda; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Samoa; Sao Tome and Principe; Senegal; Serbia; Sierra Leone; Solomon Islands; Somalia; South Africa; South Sudan; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Suriname; Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; United Republic of Tanzania; Thailand; Timor-Leste; Togo; Tonga; Tunisia; Türkiye; Turkmenistan; Tuvalu; Uganda; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; Viet Nam; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe.

Eligibility Criteria

• Youth-led organizations registered and operational for at least 2 years in one of the eligible countries;
• Registered youth-led organizations with projects entirely developed and managed by youth.
• To be eligible, applying youth organizations need to fulfill every one of the following criteria:
  • Be youth-led: a majority of the positions and decision-making roles within the organization are held by women and men between the ages of 18 and 35;
  • Be a non-profit, non-governmental organization (except for national youth councils) registered in the country of operation as a charity, trust, foundation, or association;
  • Be officially registered and operational for a minimum of two years prior to the deadline for applications with funding base and project implementation (operating in June 2023 or earlier);
  • Be registered and operate in one of the aforementioned countries;
  • Have a democratic governance structure and decision-making mechanism, including consultative processes in formulating priorities and policies;
  • Have an ability to demonstrate proper and consistent monitoring, evaluation, and record-keeping of their activities, including project evaluation reports and financial accounts.

Evaluation Criteria

• A Selection Committee will conduct a final evaluation and scoring of the short-listed proposals based on the following criteria:
  • Objectives:
    • The project aims to improve understanding and cooperative relations among nations and peoples across cultures and religions and to help counter the forces that fuel polarization and extremism;
    • The project promotes the values of peace and development
  • Activities:
    • The project includes activities aiming to build positive and long-term collaborative relationships between youth of different cultural and religious backgrounds, therefore contributing to a long-term peaceful coexistence in society;
    • The project contains elements of intergenerational partnership and dialogue
  • Relevance:
    • The project is appropriate to the local context and targets the local audience; it represents good value for the requested funds, with a clear and appropriate budget
  • Quality:
    • The organization undertook an in-depth analysis of problems/risks and set a consistent intervention strategy. The application is concise and provides responses to all questions or sections; it includes insightful arguments and an engaging narrative
  • Impact and Multiplier Effect:
    • The project will have a significant impact on the ground. The multiplier effect is outlined, and target audiences are clearly identified – priority is given to projects that have the potential to reach youth communities that would not otherwise have a chance to participate.

Application Requirements

• The application form, completed and certified by the applicant’s organization;
• A copy of the registration certificate of the applicant’s organization;
• A copy of the statutes/by-laws of the applicant’s organization;
• An organizational chart depicting the ages of key decision-makers within the organization;
• A biography of the current Executive/Managing Director, showing the date of birth (one page maximum);
• The resume/CV of the project coordinator (two pages maximum);
• A picture or scan of the project coordinator’s passport identification page. If the project coordinator does not have a passport, upload his or her national identification card.

For more information, visit UNAOC.