Call for Applications:Young leaders using sport as a tool for Development and Peace
UNESCO is searching for young leaders from Asia and the Pacific to participate in
the 2019 Sport & the SDGs youth FUNSHOP: a three-day event specially designed to
advance the capabilities of youth activists who are using sport as a tool for sustainable
development and peace.
Participants in the Funshop will have the opportunity to become members of the UNESCO
Youth and Sport Task Force, a vibrant network of young leaders established in November
2017 following the first Sport Funshop held in Manila, Philippines.
Sixty outstanding young leaders from various countries around Asia-Pacific will
join the Korean youth to participate in intensive workshops, sport activities and
networking events over three days in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The selected applicants
will be the primary Funshop participants and are expected to contribute to all the
activities. This includes the core breakout sessions focused on gathering youth
perspectives on issues and opportunities that shape the sport for development sector.
Aligned with UNESCO’s Operational Strategy on Youth 2014-2021, the priorities and
specific thematic topics to be covered will be decided by the current Task Force
members, together with UNESCO. The 2019 Funshop will be generously supported and
hosted by the Lee Seung-Yuop Baseball Foundation, established by Mr Lee Seung-Yuop,
the much adored Korean baseball hall-of-fame champion.
The Funshop will take place in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 5 to 8 September 2019.
Sport is explicitly recognized as an enabler for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development and is an important tool for achieving a variety of positive individual
and societal outcomes.
The use of sports to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is gaining momentum
globally. Across Asia and the Pacific, a growing number of young activists are using
sport to facilitate social change, pursuing aims such as the prevention of violent
extremism, empowerment of women and girls and climate change action, using a wide
range of methodologies. These initiatives are innovative and creative and hold great
promise to inform and shape policy development.
Access to and participation in sport and physical activity is recognized as a fundamental
human right in the UNESCO Sport Charter and is an effective tool in the fight against
the rising levels of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). UNESCO is the lead UN agency
mandated to protect and promote sport and is dedicated to advancing the contribution
of sport to sustainable development and peace.
Who Can Apply?
Are you between 18 and 30 years old and an advocate for sport for development? Do
you run or work in a sports-based organization? Are you a leader in your community?
If yes, then apply now for the UNESCO Sport and the SDGs (Sustainable Development
Goals) Youth Funshop which is Supported by the Lee Seung-Yuop Baseball Foundation.
UNESCO is the lead UN agency mandated to protect and promote sport and is dedicated
to advancing the contribution of sport to sustainable development and peace.
Application Submission Deadline
1st June, 2019
Benefits
- Return flights to Seoul from the closest city to applicants
- Accommodation and meals during the 3-day event
- Local transportation in Seoul to the event venue
Eligibility Criteria
Young leaders will be selected from countries across the Asia-Pacific region to
participate in the Sport & the SDGs Youth Funshop. To be eligible to apply, applicants
must meet the following criteria:-
- Aged between 18 – 30 years (as of 31 December 2019)
- Leading or playing an active role in a sports-based social project
- A resident in an Asia-Pacific country