Spire seeks participants for a climate change & youth project in Malawi

This summer you have the opportunity to join a new and exciting project in Malawi! The project is about on youth engagement and climate change advocacy and will be carried out together with Malawian and Ethiopian youth.

­We are looking for two Spire representatives who will travel to Malawi to participate in a week-long event. This is an exciting opportunity, which is open for both old and new members of Spire!
The event in Malawi will focus on how youth can engage in advocacy work related to climate change, and will consist of seminars, workshops and lectures, as well as a one-day field trip to learn about the consequences of climate changes locally. The two participants from Spire are expected to take an active role in developing the detailed content of the event together with the international committee in Spire, and the Malawian and Ethiopian participants. 
Spires’ long-term partner organisation in Malawi – Network for Youth Development (NfYD), and youth from three Ethiopian NGOs working in the field of sustainable development and popular participation in development, will take part in the event in Malawi. Among the Ethiopian organisations, we wish to discover the potential of forming a new partnership with a youth organisation in Ethiopia.
During the preparation period, from the Norwegian participants are selected to the time when they travel, they will need to spend around five hours per week to plan a program for the stay, gain an understanding of developmental issues in the participating countries, take part in bi-weekly meetings in the international committee, communicate with the main participants from Malawi and Ethiopia, and also prepare a presentation of Spire.
Back in Norway, the two participants from Spire will write a report on the trip and the results of the event. They will also hold a seminar on experiences from their travel for other Spire members.
The two participants we are looking for are:

• New or old members of Spire who are planning to be active in the organisation for at least six months from the project is being carried out;
• Between the age of 18 and 28;
• Independent, with organisational experience or other relevant working experience;
• Interested in youth participation and advocacy work, especially in the field of climate change policy;
• Able to communicate in English both in speech and writing;
• Available to travel to Malawi for approx. ten days in July, and to spend the time required for preparations beforehand and concluding work after the travel.

We can offer you:

• International project experience – both in planning and executing a project;
• To learn about what possibilities and challenges youth in Malawi and Ethiopia encounter in their advocacy work compared to Norway;
• The opportunity to learn more about developmental and environmental issues in Malawi and Ethiopia (and Norway);
• A unique experience in laying the grounds for a successful organisational partnership between the youth organisations;
• Knowledge on how to build and run democratic youth organisations;
• The opportunity to learn more about NfYD and Spire as organisations;
• Coverage of travelling and living expenses during the project period;
• Experience in working with English as the project language;
• Assistance and collaboration with your preparations before the project.

If you are interested in participating, please send us a short application (maximum one page) explaining your motivation for taking part in this project and the reasons why you would make a good representative from Spire. We are also open for answering any further questions about the project.
The deadline for sending applications is 21st of April to the project coordinator Ingvild Mangerud: Ingvild.Mangerud@gmail.com. Questions can also be sent to this address.