World Urban Forum, Brazil

UN-HABITAT is looking for young people aged 15–32, from all over the world, to help capture the youth perspective on issues of urbanization at the upcoming World Urban Youth Assembly and World Urban Forum in Brazil, March 19-20, and March 22-26, 2010.

You must be highly literate in English, with outstanding writing skills and the capacity to absorb, analyze and organize large quantities of information from diverse perspectives, and to prepare coherent and informative reports. You must be actively engaged in youth-led development activities focused on sustainable urbanization, and have a commitment to being an active part of crafting solutions to the many challenges posed by urbanization, especially those impacting youth.

How to Apply:

Prepare your responses to the following four questions, respecting the word limits indicated for each question. Your responses will be judged on coherence and organization of thought, relevance of content, and accuracy (including spelling and formatting). Your answers must be typewritten and in MS Word or PDF format, and emailed to the contact person indicated below.

Short Essay Questions:

1. What is your motivation for applying to be a Youth Rapporteur for UN-HABITAT at the Fifth Session of the World Urban Forum? (max. 150 words)

2. What specific experience and skills do you have that makes you well qualified for this role? (Do not simply copy your CV here; your answer must give concrete examples that are relevant to the requirements of this role.) (max. 200 words)

3. The theme of this year’s World Urban Forum is “Right to the City: Bridging the Urban Divide”. What does this mean to you? Why is it relevant to youth specifically? What are some of the challenges faced by youth in today’s cities? What are some possible solutions to these challenges and why would they be effective if adopted? (max. 750 words)

4. What are some of the strategies you will use to ensure that you will successfully manage the role and responsibilities of being a Youth Rapporteur? (max. 150 words)

Please send your answers, along with your up to date Curriculum Vitae, which should clearly show how your skills and experience match those needed, to wuyarapp@unhabitat.org by 10 February 2010.

If selected, you will be expected to source funding to cover your travel to and accommodation at the Youth Assembly and Forum. You will also be required to dedicate time to prepare prior to the conference, estimated to be five hours per week beginning mid-February 2010. You will need to remain in regular contact with the UN-HABITAT World Urban Youth Assembly planning committee through a designated point person.

Please note that the deadline for submissions is 10 February 2010. Selected applicants will be notified no later than 20 February 2010.