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Announcement: Innovations Award
The Innovations Award Adjudication Committee wishes to inform all those who participated in the competition that the due to the high volumes of applications received, the adjudication process is still going on. Further updates will be provided in the next 3 weeks.
Background
The Innovations Award is one of the four (4) windows of funding through which Amkeni Wakenya extends support to Civil Society Organizations under its Grant Making mandate. The Innovation Award is a one-off monetary reward to young people who submit an award winning essay or DVD that demonstrates innovation, clarity of thinking and creativeness.
The Innovations Awards are aimed at rewarding young people for their innovative ideas in promoting governance at the national or local level.
The Context
Kenya witnessed unprecedented levels of violence during the period that followed the disputed 2007 General Elections. While the majority of Kenyan youth are peace loving, some also played an unfortunate role as perpetrators of violence. On the flip side, some were also victims of the violence while many more were subjected to investigation and trial as suspects. While peace has largely returned, the level of insecurity occasioned by problems facing youth such as unemployment, lack of opportunities, low levels of skills and educations, and other social problems. This is happening against the backdrop of decades of awareness campaigns by CSOs and development partners. It is becoming increasingly clear that large sections of youth remain marginalized, disenfranchised, disaffected and excluded from mainstream development activities, especially the area of democratic governance.
The new Constitution recognizes the youth as a category of persons whose concerns must be taken into account in the application of the Constitution. Article 55 calls on the State to take measures, including affirmative action programmes to ensure that the youth have access to relevant education and training, to have opportunities to associate , be represented and participate in political, social, economic and other spheres of life; access to employment and they must also be protected from harmful cultural exploitation.
In this regard, Amkeni Wakenya is proposing to launch the Youth for Democracy Innovations Awards to achieve the following objectives;
a) Provide platform for youth to get share their ideas on the Democratic Governance Priorities for Kenya
Target Group
The award would be targeting youth between 18-24 years from all parts of Kenya
Amkeni Wakenya’ s Youth for Democracy Innovations Awards is envisaged as a new form of awards which will be used as a platform for working with Youth, and will reward work that is innovative, creative and deals with issues of accountability, transparency and the expectations which the new Constitution generates among young people. The Award also aims to excite and elicit new innovative ideas of involving youths in contributing to Democratic Governance reforms in the country.
Categories of Award
Essay Writing and DVD
In pursuit of Amkeni’ s objective of encouraging innovation in fostering knowledge based good governance culture among the youth in Kenya, Amkeni proposes to encourage this vibrant and dynamic generation of Kenyans to discuss and debate Democratic Governance related issues through an Essay Competition or DVD presentation for youth aged between 18 – 24.
a) Essay: Through the essay competition, the Youth will be encouraged to: Identify both the explicit and implicit Governance issues and/or challenges within the country / community and how these issues or problems impact on the national level governance and quality of life generally.
b) DVD presentation – either as an individual or group – should be no more than 5 minutes, and should be original – could be in Swahili or English.
Suggested topics:
1. What does the Constitution mean for the youth of Kenya? How can they use it to better not only their lives but the lives of all Kenyans?
2. Heroes of our time: Who is your Kenyan hero and what significant contribution have they made towards improving democratic governance in Kenya country? What can the youth of Kenya learn from them?
3. Do you think Kenya can achieve the MDGs by 2015? What are the obstacles we face and how can they be overcome?
4. What role can the youth play in cultivating a more democratic Kenya?
5. In what way can we use Kenya’s diverse and rich culture to not only helps us achieve our development and governance goals but also unifies us as a people?
Methodology:
Youth across Kenya are invited to submit either a written entry of 3,500 words, typed in double line spacing, using point 12 and not less; and/or DVD o entry. Handwritten entries will be accepted, but they have to be legible. The submitted entry should address ONE of the above issues. The Award:
There will be 7 awards as follows:
Overall winner $2,000
Essay: First
2nd
|
Essay Category |
DVD Category |
Amount $ |
|
First |
First |
1,500 |
|
Second |
Second |
1,000 |
|
Third |
Third |
750 |
The winners will also be presented with commemorative plaques.
The Overall Winner will get an additional $500 to make the total $2000
The essay with the most innovative ideas will be facilitated to develop the idea into a project. The youth will be attached to a mentoring CSO for that purpose.
Youth in Democratic Governance Awards Night:
The winning Essays will be celebrated at a Youth in Democratic Governance Awards Night. This will be held in the month of February, 2012.( Tentatively 24th February, 2012)
The Panel
For this Award to be transparent, inclusive and reflect the views of Kenyan Youth, it is proposed that a Panel of Judges drawn from the following organizations:
a) Youth Representative
b) UNDP
c) Youth representative – (Stakeholder Reference Group SRG (1)
d) Amkeni Wakenya – PM
e) Editor –Media
Time Frame
The award will run for a period of 6 weeks. From 5th December to 13th January, 2012.
Submission should be Hand Delivered to:
The Chairman
Innovations Award
UNDP Amkeni Wakenya
Third Floor, Mayfair Suites
Parklands Road Nairobi
Or Sent to:
The Chairman
Innovations Award
UNDP Amkeni Wakenya
P. O Box 30218, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
For more information refer to www.amkeniwakenya.org or on Face book : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amkeni-Wakenya-UNDP/
Or send enquiries to amkeniwakenya@unedp.org or Rebecca Muniu on rebecca.muniu@undp.org or on 020-3748578.
Amkeni Wakenya’s programme development and implementation of activities is informed and overseen by a dynamic and inclusive governance structure.
_Amkeni Wakenya is a UNDP led Facility set up to promote democratic governance in Kenya. Amkeni Wakenya is a UNDP led Facility set up to promote democratic governance in Kenya.
