THE YOUNG CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME (YCSLP)*
Acquired Skills:
Capacity Enhancement
- Advocacy and Policy Dialogue
Participants gained essential skills in advocating for their projects and influencing policy decisions. The training covered the fundamentals of advocacy, various strategies for persuasion, as well as the planning and execution of effective advocacy campaigns.
- Advanced Technologies and AI
The course provided participants with a solid understanding of artificial intelligence (AI), exploring its real-world applications and its potential to enhance good governance.
- Understanding Good Governance
Participants developed a clear comprehension of good governance, including its definition and importance. They learned how good governance fosters trust, accountability, and sustainable development, as well as its relevance across different sectors and contexts.
- Social Marketing and Campaigning
The training offered a comprehensive overview on social marketing. Participants learned to set clear objectives, identify target audiences, create effective strategies, plan thoroughly, and conduct evaluations. The module also examined the integration of AI tools in digital marketing efforts.
Guidance session
Provided civil society leaders with a comprehensive understanding of concept note writing. They learned about the different sections of a concept note and the key do’s and don’ts to consider when drafting one. This included guidance on effectively communicating the project’s objectives, activities, budget, and expected outcomes.
Project design and Development
Participants received a foundational understanding of ideation and small project design. They explored key concepts such as design thinking and the theory of change, along with practical tools like impact frameworks and PESTEL analysis.
Community Building bootcamp
The in-person bootcamp held at the ALF Secretariat headquarters in Egypt aimed to achieve three main objectives:
- Community Building: Offered a platform for young leaders to forge connections, foster a sense of community, and establish a network of civil society leaders within the EU Southern Neighborhood through team-building, networking, and leadership activities.
- Action Finalisation: Supported participants in finalizing their community-based initiatives.
- High-Level Dialogue: Organized high-level dialogues with European Union officials, DAI officials, ALF officials, and LAS officials at ALF, LAS, and EUD premises in Egypt.
Implementation of Community-based Projects (Actions)
This phase enabled civil society leaders to further enhance the knowledge, skills, and ideas acquired previously. They applied these insights to enact meaningful change in their communities, all while maintaining a regional perspective. This approach allowed young leaders to engage actively, guided by experts and mentors, with the financial support of the European Union.
Background:
The Young Civil Society Leadership Programme (YCSLP), part of the Med Dialogue for Rights and Equality II, funded by the European Union via the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), led by DAI Global Belgium, and implemented by the Anna Lindh Foundation, launched a call to engage 25 young Mediterranean leaders for its first cohort. The Programme focused on improving the skills of civil society leaders who showed potential in policymaking, policy dialogue and advocacy. The thematic focus of this first cycle was “Promoting Ethical AI for Civic Engagement and/or Participatory Governance”. The ultimate goal was to identify, building the capacity, and nurturing the establishment of a network of highly skilled and empowered youth leaders in ten EU Southern Neighbourhood countries (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Israel, and Syria).