Youth Initiative Application Form – 2016

Youth Initiative (YI) application form 2016

Here’s a checklist before applying to the YI:

• Visit the YI website at www.yiddd.org and read through the contents. This includes the about section of the YI and a highlight of events and reports by YI members of 2014.
• Like and follow the YI Facebook page. (Search for Youth Initiative- YI)
• Get rid of your apathy and ready with a selfie worth a Youth Representative.

Procedure for application:

To apply to the YI, make sure that you read the documents requested in the checklist. After reading these documents, you can proceed to fill out the questions below. To do that, please be informed that there isn’t any space on this application form for your answers. Therefore, you are requested to type the answers in a separate document and attach it in the email. Make sure you put the correct question numbers in your sheet.

After you have finished answering this application, send in your document to ziwang12@gmal.com

Please attach a selfie in your email. After application, we will acknowledge your application and will send you a reply in 2 weeks. If you are selected, please be aware that you will have to attend an interview to further facilitate your answers.

As a reminder, here is a short summary on the YI:

What is the Youth Initiative?

The Youth Initiative is a non-partisan, informal setting for Youth of Bhutan to engage in realising the Democratic vision for Bhutan. It offers a group of youth selected based on their applications, the opportunity to be trained in debate, deliberation, provides a hands on approach to policy making and to take community-based action. At the end of their training, these youth organise a Parliamentary style sitting in which they discuss and deliberate on issues they consider important to the nation.

Why join the YI?

Besides providing you with a platform to share your concern, the YI also presents you with an opportunity to meet new people, intellectuals and also interact with the members of the parliament to engage in discussions about the national goal of democracy.

It hones your skills by training you in debate, dialogue, policy-making, representation, community-based action etc. Once you have selected the issues that your want to advocate for, together with rest of the team you will spearhead local actions to address and solve that issue.

Training Workshop- a brief summary of your training:

If selected to the YI, these are a 7 main topics for your training workshop:

1. Debate: Different from institutionalised versions of “debate”, the YI wants its members to be trained in constructive debate that will have no clear winner, but which will lead to answers/resolutions for problem solving.
2. Dialogue: The YI is a democratic body built to facilitate conversations on issues that matter. For this purpose, there is not greater tool than dialogue between friends, family, colleagues and the citizenry.
3. Policy-making: As it stands, the YI is also guided in its affairs by selected members from the parliament. These parliamentarians also organise lectures to YI members (during the training workshops) on topics like bill-drafting and policy-making. This facet of the training is to encourage a trend of citizens understanding political literacy and using that keep the Government in check. However, the YI is a third entity that only deliberates on issues and presents resolutions to the general public. These resolutions will not necessarily be taken up by the government.
4. Media Literacy: As media becomes larger and takes hold off Bhutan on grander level than ever before, it is important that we all equip ourselves with tools to fend off attacks from apathy and indifference. To that effect, every YI member is trained in news and media literacy. This helps us understand the difference between what is on screen and what is reality. This can give you the ability to make educated guesses about news and politics off screen.
5. Action: The YI is initiating change at two levels: Policy and Action. We believe that a combination of the two will likely yield in the best results. For the latter, YI members are trained in research skills and methods. This allows you to make sure what you are saying is backed by facts and your opinion is formed on educated thinking. Action also penetrates into your post-sitting period. For example, after discussing that there was a shocking lack of reading culture in Bhutan, our Education committee of 2014 initiated the Reading for Fun campaign. The YI calendar is divided into two halves of 5 months each. In both halves, only 1 month is spent on training and policy-making, the other 4 months is dedicated entirely to Action.
6. Representation: While you are trained, YI members need to remember that they represent the Youth of Bhutan. And in this capacity, you need to represent their opinions just as well as you do yours. To that effect, you will be trained in becoming good representatives.
7. Facilitation: For all the trainings that the YI provides you, we want you to take those ideas back to whoever you represent and train them in the same matter. And so, you will be trained in becoming future trainers.

If you have read all of the above, proceed to answer the following:

1. Name:
2. Age:
3. School/institution/employment status:
4. Have you visited the YI website?
5. Do you follow the YI Facebook page?
6. What do you know about the YI? (Please provide your opinion based on what you know presently)
7. How did you hear about the YI?
8. How many hours a week can you give to the YI in 2016?
9. Why do you want to join the YI? (minimum 100 words)
10. Describe any technical skills you possess OR Attach your resumé with this application.
11. Have you ever volunteered with any other organisation? What did you do? For how long?
12. Do you think it’s necessary for Youth to be involved in politics? Why?
13. How do you spend your free time? How should other youth spend theirs?
14. [Personal Essay] Write an essay on a topic of your concern (on an issue that you feel is very important and relevant to Bhutan)

The Youth Initiative (YI) is guided by the Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy (BCMD). BCMD is one of the first registered Civil Society Organisation (CSO) in Bhutan that strives towards promoting a culture of vibrant democracy in Bhutan by strengthening public discourse and spreading media literacy. For information about BCMD on www.bcmd.bt
Once completed forward the application to this email address –  ziwang12@gmail.com

The application process closes on the 20th of December, 2015 so Hurry Up!

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