Youth Portal for the Latin America and the Caribbean - First Convention of the GYM for AOC

For the first time, representatives from youth organizations interested in joining the GYM for AOC will meet to discuss and make decisions regarding this structure’s governance as well as its action plan for the coming year.

Synergies with the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue
The first convention of the GYM for AOC will be held in conjunction with the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue (WFIC), an event also organized by the government of Azerbaijan in collaboration with a number of regional and international partners. The WFIC will take place on April 7 and 8, 2011 and will address the conceptual, governance, policy and practical aspects of the challenge of intercultural dialogue. The WFIC will welcome the participation of leaders and public figures, heads of international organizations, heads of state or government, ministers of culture and cultural ambassadors, parliamentarians and diplomats, mayors and other local-authority figures, representatives of non-governmental organizations and enterprises, media, etc.

All youth participating in the GYM for AOC convention will be invited to take part in the WFIC. Such an approach will allow networking between youth and other participants to the WFIC as well as the mainstreaming of youth’s voice in the results of the WFIC.

The draft agenda for the GYM for AOC has been merged with the agenda of the WFIC. Please note that this is only for information purposes: the final agenda will be communicated to confirmed participants.

A certain number of youth will be selected to act as panelists in some of the WFIC sessions. If you are interested in being considered to act as a panelist for one of the WFIC sessions, please use the GYM for AOC application form (see below) to convey this information to us. The names of youth interested in being panelists for the WFIC will be forwarded to the organizers of this event who will make the final selection of participants according to regional, gender and sectoral balance.

In addition, a few youth organizations with UNAOC-supported projects (e.g. Youth Solidarity Fund winners and Marketplace of Ideas winners) will be invited to make presentations to all WFIC participants.

Identification of participants
A maximum of 150 youth representatives from all over the world will be invited to take part in the first convention of the GYM for AOC and the WFIC. The UNAOC and the Azerbaijan government want to ensure that a broad range of interested youth organizations are engaged in this event and process. Therefore, a two-pronged application process is put in place:

1. Nomination: Regional Youth Platforms should nominate youth representatives for their region. If your organization is a member of a Regional Youth Platform, please contact them regarding the nomination process.

2. Selection: In addition, the UNAOC will welcome applications as part of an open call targeting other key UNAOC youth partners not members of the Regional Youth Platforms.

The combination of the youth nominated by the Regional Youth Platforms and those selected via the call for application will constitute the total number of youth representatives for each region. Regional, gender and sectoral balance will be respected in the final selection of participants.

For both avenues of the application process, youth representatives interested in taking part in the first convention of the GYM for AOC and the WFIC must respond to these eligibility criteria:
• Be a member or representative of a youth-led organization (e.g. national youth council, student organization, youth NGO, etc.) mandated to make decisions regarding the organization’s involvement in the GYM for AOC and its activities
• Have good knowledge of cross-cultural understanding and UNAOC priorities
• Have a good track record regarding youth work at the local, national or international levels
• Be committed to taking an active role in the GYM for AOC and its year-long working
• Be between 19 and 35 years old
• Be able to communicate effectively in English (oral and written form)
• Have a current valid passport that will be valid for at least 6 months after the event (for visa issuance)

For both selection processes, the application form needs to be completed. The application form is in RTF form and needs to stay in this format when sent back to the UNAOC. The application form needs to be sent to the UNAOC by Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at the very latest. Applications reaching the UNAOC after this date will not be considered. Incomplete applications or applications not respecting word limits will not be considered. Applications need to be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it A receipt confirmation message will be sent within 48 hours.

By March 9, 2011, the final list of participants will be developed and a confirmation message will be sent to nominated or selected youth representatives. During the month of March, participants will be contacted by a representative from the Government of Azerbaijan regarding their visa, international travel and accommodations.

Financial support available
To facilitate youth participation in both the WFIC and the GYM for AOC, the following resources are made available:
• Local accommodations for a maximum of 150 youth representatives from abroad
• Meals for all youth representatives
• Local transportation to and from the venue for all youth representatives
• Participation in a cultural program for all youth representatives
• Waiver for the visa fee

In addition to this, there will be international airfare support for at least 50 youth representatives from outside of OIC countries who absolutely need their airfare covered in order to attend the events. This additional support will be offered on a competitive basis.

For questions about this event, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it