UNAOC - 9th Young Peacebuilders Programme in the South Caucasus and Central Asia

UNAOC is inviting young leaders from the South Caucasus and Central Asia to apply for the 9th edition of its Young Peacebuilders Programme. Designed for young people aged 18 to 25, this peace education initiative equips emerging leaders with practical skills, peer networks, and sustained mentorship to advance peace and social cohesion, strengthen intercultural and interfaith dialogue, and contribute to the prevention of violent extremism in their communities.

Are you a young person (aged 18-25) from the South Caucasus and Central Asia? This is your call to action! Join us to tackle violent extremism and violence by building inclusive societies that promote understanding and respect among cultures and religions.

• Are you between 18 and 25 years old? *
• Are you a citizen of a South Caucasus and Central Asia** (SCCA) country, and do you currently live in this region?
• Are you interested in participating in an intercultural learning experience with other young people from  the SCCA region to advance peace?
• Are you part of a youth-led organization, network or initiative?
• Do you want to strengthen your ability to contribute to peace and social inclusion in your community, country, and region?
• Are you at the beginning of your peacebuilding journey and keen to learn more?

* To be considered eligible, applicants must be born between September 2001 and September 2008.
** Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Selection of participants

Participants aged 18–25 will be selected based on merit, evaluated by their motivation, relevant experience, and potential to disseminate and apply lessons learned.

The selection committee will ensure balanced representation across age, gender, geography, and diverse backgrounds. Special attention will be paid to including youth from marginalized or disadvantaged groups.

Eligibility criteria (all requirements must be met in order to be considered eligible):

• Age: Applicants must be 18–25 years old. To be considered eligible, applicants must be born between September 2001 and September 2008.
• Region: Applicants must be citizens of AND currently reside in one of the following SCCA region countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, or Uzbekistan.
• Organization: Applicants must be actively involved (e.g., as staff or volunteer) in a non-governmental, non-for-profit, youth-led organization, network, initiative, or movement (led by youth for the benefit of youth). They must also have the capacity to consult with and reach a wide audience of young people, including those at the grassroots and community levels.
• Commitment: Applicants must demonstrate a strong commitment to diversity, pluralism, nonviolence, and the fostering of peaceful and inclusive societies.
• Language: A command of English (intermediate to fluent) is required for effective participation in the online phase and the in-person workshop.
• Prior Experience: Applicants must not have previously participated in any UNAOC programmes. This includes the Summer School, Youth Solidarity Fund, Intercultural Innovation Hub, PLURAL+, PeaceApp, Youth Event at the UNAOC Global Forum, Fellowship Program, Young Peacebuilders, #YouthWagingPeace, Sport and PVE youth fora, EDIN, #DigitalGamesforPeace, and Sport for One Humanity.
• Passport: Selected applicants must possess an international passport valid until at least December 2027. Failure to provide a copy in due time will result in the cancellation of participation.
• Application: The application must be duly completed and submitted by the deadline, containing all supporting documentation requested. Applications that are incomplete or submitted in languages other than English will not be reviewed or considered.

Selection criteria:

• Motivation and contribution to the programme: the applicant demonstrates that she/he is highly motivated to complete all parts of the programme.
• Interest in themes: the applicant shows some experience in issues related to intercultural dialogue, peacebuilding, and preventing violent extremism through examples of initiatives he/she is part of or demonstrates a great interest in getting involved in this set of issues.
• Experience and potential: the applicant is at the beginning stages of his/her involvement or career in the field of peacebuilding and has specific goals to improve his/her skills and contribute to peace.
• Outreach: the applicant and his/her organization have the capacity and motivation to absorb and disseminate the lessons learned back to their community, organization, and to a wider network or audience.
• Future impact and follow-up: the applicant expressed his/her strong commitment to conducting personal peace initiatives in their community during the implementation phase and beyond.

Costs covered by the organizers

All selected youth participants will be provided with:

• Round-trip travel (international or domestic flight, economy class) to the city of the face-to-face workshop and to the city of the symposium;
• Accommodation in the city of the face-to-face workshop and the symposium;
• Meals and coffee breaks during the official duration of the workshop and the symposium;
• Shuttles or reimbursement of transportation to/from the airport and hotel in the city of the face-to-face workshop and  in the city of the symposium;
• Reimbursement of visa fees (if applicable) and travel insurance.

Costs covered by the participants

Youth participants are responsible for all domestic transportation to and from airports, including travel for visa appointments. Additionally, participants must cover all personal and incidental travel expenses, such as equipment, meals beyond those provided, souvenirs and other discretionary costs.