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Thursday, August 17, 2017

Kamae Girls Borstal Institution Graduation Speech

7th July 2017 10:30 a.m.

Mistakes….we can survive them….
(L-R) Clean Start Director Teresa Njoroge, Mumbi and Catherine Kiama of Akili Dada & Esther Mwangi.

Ladies, gentlemen and our distinguished graduating class…good morning.
On behalf of Akili Dada, we are truly delighted to be part of the 1st inaugural graduation ceremony and to share in this momentous celebration with you. We applaud the efforts of the 21 young ladies who are the reasons we are here today. We salute you for your hard work, resilience and determination and pray that these are traits that will stay with you and that will serve you well for a long long time to come…

Before we get to the most important part of today’s ceremony; which is the cake cutting- allow me to tell you a story…. When I was 6 or 7 years old, I pushed my big sister into a pond of brown murky water. This pond was actually a rather deep garbage hole by any standard and I pushed my sister in deliberately. At the time, I thought it would be funny and I did not think of the possible harm that may have befallen my own big sister! When I was 8 or 9 years old, I got into a fight with a boy who was one class my senior because he was a bully. When I was 14 of 15 while in High School, I found out one of my classmates was using drugs which were actually stolen and instead of reporting her immediately, I kept the drugs in my locker for a whole term…

Looking back at my childhood escapades, today I realize how many laws I potentially broke and how many mistakes some near fatal I have made. For instance, pushing my sister into that pond could have easily turned to at best- assault occasioning actual bodily harm or grievous bodily harm or at worst; God forbid –attempted murder! My first and only fight with Christopher the bully could have resulted in me being charged with battery and storing stolen drugs because I thought I was protecting a classmate , that would have just had me charged with handling stolen goods, aiding and abetting the furtherance of a crime and being in possession of narcotics to name but a few.

The punishment for each of those crimes is a custodial sentence which means I could have easily been here in this institution just like you. You have made mistakes, but so have I….if everyone here would be really honest with themselves and if we are lucky with us too; you will realize they have made mistakes too…Some of them have perhaps driven rather recklessly while on their cell phone or even worse while after a drink too many, others have perhaps taken something that isn’t there’s while the rest may have said something untrue about a person. That could have them charged too with reckless and dangerous driving, theft and defamation…

The thing about being human also means we make mistakes. Lots of them!!!Some of them may crush our worlds while others may go unnoticed but they are all mistakes! Mistakes teach us, mistakes scare some of us but mistakes do not define us. Someone once said that when you make a mistake, there are three things you should do:
1-      Admit it
2-      Learn from it
3-      Do not repeat it!

I don’t know what mistake lead you here and quite frankly it doesn’t matter! But I do want to know if you have admitted it, if you are learning from it and if you solemnly swear never to repeat it!!!!

The mere fact we are gathered here on this beautiful day may be a good indication that some if not all of us are not letting our mistakes prevent us from achieving our goals. I encourage each and every one of to you to keep pursuing that which sets your soul on fire, to keep growing and too keep going. And when you do leave here, which you will….I pray that you will put yourself out there, that you will aspire to continue with your education and that you will remember that you are not your mistake and you are not your struggles, you are not your shortcoming but that you are a beautiful, amazing and all sorts of incredible.


Saturday, July 1, 2017

Academy Robert Bosch Fellowship (Central & Eastern Europe and Africa)

The Academy Robert Bosch Fellowship (Central & Eastern Europe and Africa) is open to citizens of the following countries:

Angola
Ethiopia
Mozambique
Tanzania

The deadline for this fellowship has been extended and will close on Friday, 7 July 2017 at 23h59 (BST).  Please note that previous applicants need not re-apply.

This is a 9 month fellowship. The Fellowship will be based at Chatham House from month 1-3, The Institute of International Relations Prague from months 4-6 and back at Chatham House from months 7-9.

In the following application you will be asked to submit your CV, a writing sample, two references of which one must be academic, and answer questions on your research proposal and leadership capabilities. Please note that at this stage we only require the contact details for your referees, not full references.

For the writing sample please attach one piece of writing of which you must be the sole author.  The writing sample must be in English (or an English translation completed by the applicant only) and no more than 10 A4 pages in length.

For more information on this Fellowship please click here.

If you have any queries please email AcademyRobertBoschFellowships@chathamhouse.org


Thursday, April 27, 2017

Westerwelle Young Founders Programme 2017

Apply now for the Westerwelle Young Founders Programme 2017 and attend the Young Founders Conference in Berlin, Germany from 13 to 16 September 2017

The Westerwelle Foundation for International Understanding supports collaboration that transcends borders: between young entrepreneurs, executives and decision makers from around the world. The Foundation globally connects people and ideas and creates spaces for interaction and innovation. It fosters an approach that puts consensus over conflict and community cooperation over confrontation.
As part of the Young Founders Programme, the Westerwelle Foundation hosts an annual conference in Berlin: the Young Founders Conference. Its focus is to connect young founders from developing and emerging economies with each other and with the German startup scene. The participants of the Young Founders Conference 2017 will have the unique opportunity to meet and interact with successful German entrepreneurs and political decision makers and will join a network of like-minded outstanding young founders from developing and emerging countries.
During the one year long programme, you will get access to:
·         The Young Founders Conference in Berlin, 13 to 16 September 2017
·         A mentoring programme
·         Invitations and scholarships for entrepreneurship conferences
·         Online coaching and webinars
·         An international alumni network
The Young Founders Conference 2017 will take place in Berlin from 13 to 16 September 2017.
Travel and accommodation will be covered by the Westerwelle Foundation.
Applicants should:
·         Have recently (0-5 years) started a for-profit company with a scalable business model
·         Be based in a developing or emerging country or have a strong business focus on developing and emerging countries 
·         Possess a good working knowledge of English
Please note that foreign applicants must possess valid travel documents (including a visa, if necessary) to enter Germany, and valid travel medical insurance.



Wednesday, April 12, 2017

CODESRIA 2017 Gender Institut: Feminist Scholarship, Universities and Social Transformation in Africa

Application Deadline: 15th May 2017
Number of visits: 2804
Date: 12 -23 June 2017
Venue: Dakar, Senegal
Call for Applications
The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, CODESRIA, invites applications from academics and researchers from African universities and research centers to participate in the 2017 session of the Gender institute, which will take place in Dakar, Senegal from June 12-23, 2017.
Over the last two decades, CODESRIA has convened an annual gender institute to fortify efforts at integrating gender research and scholarship into the mainstream of social science in Africa. The overall objective of the gender institute continues to be to contribute to a greater awareness about gender issues in African social research milieus, the integration of gender analysis into social research undertaken in Africa, and the inclusion of gender approaches in the agenda of social science debates on methodology. Besides, the institute has served as a strategy to catalyze efforts by feminist academics in the universities to create space for women’s studies as a new epistemology in the study of the disciplines and challenge the prevailing androcentric view of society and culture. Ultimately, these efforts were not meant to be ends in themselves. They were part of the broader efforts to make universities in the continent much better and entrench them as critical spaces for the continent’s transformation.
After slightly over two decades of CODESRIA’s engagement with issues of gender scholarship using various fora, including the Gender Institute, the 2017 session of the institute seeks to provide an opportunity for participants to reflect on gains made and persisting challenges. This is especially in respect to the ways in which the engagements have made universities in Africa better institutions to spearhead the project of social transformation.
Universities in the continent have grown tremendously. New continental, regional and national level development blueprints such as the African Union’s vision 2063 place higher education and gender dimensions as central to realizing the visions articulated in different policy documents. At the institutional levels, enrollments are surging, institutional diversity is growing and missions have been reviewed to refocus the teaching and research functions of universities to better address societal needs. Feminist scholarship now flourishes in a number of institutions compared to the situation two decades ago. Revised curricular, new access policies and funding interventions have increased the number of women participating in the institutions.
At the same time, there is a sense that the institutions continue to operate in a manner that does not engage more organically with emerging problems in society. Increased graduate unemployment has, for example, been blamed on lack of better preparation at the institutions; growing pressures for curriculum reform and decolonization, including pressures to decolonize feminist scholarship abound; new challenges in graduate education are emerging, including the urging to connect graduate level teaching and research to global trends; among others. These issues bring into focus the need to re-examine how the various developments, including a greater embracement of feminist and gender scholarship, have contributed or limited the potential of the institutions to connect more organically with society.
Universities have since their establishment been conceived as critical drivers of social transformation and change. At the very least, this conception implies that universities have to work in ways that trigger fundamental changes in society’s core institutions, the polity and the economy, with major implications for relationships between social groups or classes, and for the means of the creation and distribution of wealth, power and status. This means going beyond the reproduction outcomes that have often been more apparent to examining the potentials that academic discourse creates to fundamentally reshape social relations for the common good. The immersion of feminist scholarship into all aspects of university life in Africa therefore logically creates an expectation of alternative outcomes. Indeed, transformation is at the very core of feminist praxis. As a theory of knowledge and an intellectual practice, feminism deconstructs the epistemological foundations of patriarchy and contributes to the emancipation of women as subjects, but also in the transformation of institutions as sites for critical intellectual engagements.
Feminism and gender discourses have potential to create alternative visions of society by challenging structural obstacles to progressive social change. While past scholarship has focused on examining how the institutions have been made receptive to feminist scholarship and to the female gender in a physical and epistemological sense, it is time reflections were made on the extent that feminist scholarship has made universities in Africa better institutions for society; for the transformation project. How empowering has gender scholarship been in imagining better approaches to studying and producing knowledge on and about Africa?
Candidates submitting proposals for consideration as laureates should critically interrogate the outcomes of feminist and gender scholarship in connection to the broad debate on the role of higher education in social transformation; understood more generally as the radical and fundamental changes in society’s core institutions, the polity and the economy, with major implications for relationships between social groups or classes, and for the means of the creation and distribution of wealth, power and status. Proposals should more specifically interrogate issues revolving around trends in knowledge production and consumption, its content, quality, utility and demand for Africa’s transformation and its fit with regards to sustainable development concerns in Africa.
Laureates
Candidates submitting proposals for consideration should be PhD students or early career academics in the social sciences and humanities and those working in the broad field of gender and women studies. Scholars outside universities but actively engaged in the area of policy process and/or social movements and civil society organizations are also encouraged to apply. The number of places available for laureates of this Institute is only fifteen (15). Africa-based academics and non-African scholars who are able to support their participation are also encouraged to submit proposals for consideration.
Applications
Applications for consideration as laureates for the institute should include:
1. One duly completed application form;
2. An application letter indicating institutional or organizational affiliation;
4. A curriculum vitae;
5. A research proposal of not more than ten (10) pages, including a descriptive analysis of the work the applicant intends to undertake, an outline of the theoretical interest of the topic chosen by the applicant, and the relationship of the topic to the problematic and concerns of the theme of the Institute;
6. Two (2) reference letters from scholars or researchers known for their competence and expertise in the candidate’s research area (geographic and disciplinary), including their names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.
Deadline
The deadline for the submission of applications is 15th May 2017. Laureates will be informed of the outcome of the selection process by 30 May 2017. Selected laureates will be expected to prepare and submit completed draft research papers to be presented during the Institute to CODESRIA no later than 15th June 2017. Laureates will be expected to work on the submitted draft (and not on the abstract of the proposal) and prepare it during the Institute for subsequent possible publication.
All applications should be sent by email to: gender.institute@codesria.sn
For further information, please contact:
CODESRIA
Gender Institute
Tel. (221) 33 825 98 21/22/23 
E-mail: gender.institute@codesria.sn
Website: http://www.codesria.org



WTO Young Professionals Program 2018

The WTO Young Professionals Programme (YPP) is a unique opportunity for qualified young professionals up to the age of 32 years as at 1 January 2018, from eligible developing and least-developed country (LDC) WTO Members, to enhance their knowledge and skills on WTO and international trade issues. The Programme aims to widen the pool of professionals from these countries who can later be more competitive with respect to recruitment in the WTO and/or other regional and international organizations.
Applicants must be 32 years old or younger, as at 1 January 2018. A cover letter (letter of motivation) MUST accompany the application – the letter should also note UP TO THREE areas of work that applicants would be interested in, in order of preference. Applications with no accompanying letter will not be considered.
This is a limited programme that offers selected young professionals with the opportunity to gain work experience in the WTO. There is no guarantee of an extension of the programme or of a job offer after the one-year programme.
The selected Young Professional will be placed in a specific Division of the WTO Secretariat in accordance with the needs and priorities of the Organization; and based on the identified areas of interest of the Young Professional. Each Young Professional may express interest in not more than three areas of WTO work; and in order of preference.

The areas of work may include, inter alia, Accessions, Agriculture, Dispute Settlement, Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Government Procurement, Market Access (tariffs and non-tariff barriers), Rules, Trade and Development, Trade Facilitation, Economic research, Trade Policy Analysis, Trade in Services and Investment, Council and Trade Negotiations, Trade and Environment, Technical Barriers to Trade, Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures, Trade-Related Technical assistance.

Location:

 Switzerland

Benefits

Starting Salary: CHF 3,500 monthly salary (approximate)

 Eligibilities

Education:
Advanced university degree in law economics, or other international trade-related subjects relevant to WTO work.
Knowledge and skills:
Relevant expertise or continued academic study in a field of interest to the work of the WTO.
Ability to think strategically; work independently and in a team.
Demonstrated strong interest in international trade.
Commitment and passion for trade or WTO-related work.
Work Experience:
Minimum two (2) years of relevant experience.
Languages:
Fluency in English. A good working knowledge of one other official WTO language, French or Spanish, would be an advantage.
Additional Information:
Preference shall be given to nationals from WTO Members without any representation at the professional level in the Secretariat.
Eligible Regions: WTO Member Countries

YSEALI Professional Fellows

The YSEALI Professional Fellows Program gives participants ages 25-35 the opportunity to spend five weeks in the United States, including four weeks working directly with American counterparts in individually tailored work placements with non-profit organizations, state and local government, and private-sector offices across the country.  During these placements, Fellows build their practical expertise, leadership skills, and professional networks.  Following are the Professional Fellows exchange opportunities (applicants may apply to only one exchange):

  • Economic Empowerment: An exchange focused on economic empowerment for young professional leaders from all 10 ASEAN nations.
  • Environmental Sustainability: An exchange focused on the field of environmental sustainability for young professional leaders from all 10 ASEAN nations
  • Legislative Process and Governance / Civic Engagement: An exchange focused on municipal legislative process and governance for young local government leaders from all 10 ASEAN nations.
  • Legislative Process and Governance / Civic Engagement: An exchange focused on legislative process and governance for young political and policy leaders from 5 of the ASEAN nations: Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.
  • Civil Society / NGO Development: An exchange focused on management of civil society-based organizations for young leaders from 5 of the 10 ASEAN nations:  Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Saturday, April 8, 2017

10th UNESCO Youth Forum Nominations (Africans Only) *Deadline 12th April, 2017*

The 10th UNESCO Youth Forum 25th - 26th October will ensure maximum interaction between youth and UNESCO staff, working on youth actions. It will last for 2 days and some 80 to 100 young people from all over the world – but not representing their own countries – will be invited to attend. The primary aim of the Forum is to start developing long-term relationships with exceptional youth for the better implementation of the Organization’s Operational Strategy on Youth.
The objectives of the Forum will be as follows:
• To discuss how UNESCO can better engage with youth and scale up outstanding youth actions
• To develop lasting relationships between exceptional youth and UNESCO’s Programme Sectors to promote the better implementation of the Operational Strategy on Youth
• To co-design a series of regional Youth Spaces (to be held over the next 2 years) to enable youth to address the issues most affecting them at a regional/sub-regional level.
Nominations will be made by UNESCO Secretariat in accordance with strict criteria:
- The participant has either led or co-shaped an innovative social initiative that relates to one of UNESCO’s areas of competence
- This social initiative has received a significant amount of public recognition/government recognition/media coverage
- A particular emphasis should be placed on stories of resilience
- The participant is aged between 15-24 where possible, or should be within the youth age definition of his/her country or region
It is vital that any youth proposed are truly inspiring and leading change in their communities and beyond and that they have an important story to tell. These stories should be included in the submission form and evidence must be provided. Listing events the youth have attended or organizations they belong to is no longer sufficient.
For further information about the sort of youth we are looking for, please have a look at the #YouthOfUNESCO stories on the UNESCO Youth Facebook page www.facebook.com/UNESCOyouth
The idea is to nominate the most inspiring youth from our networks and beyond working on a subject related to UNESCO's field of competence.


Wednesday, April 5, 2017

ART COMPETITION & EXPOSITION

Engaging Young Men and Adolescents to End HIV/AIDS

Young in Ghana? Enter the #Art2EndAIDS "Art Competition & Exposition" Today.
Young people and adolescent boys & girls in Ghana are invited to submit paintings, drawings, and sculptures to join #Art2EndAIDS.
Win cash prizes and have your art featured internationally while supporting a worthy cause. Brought to you by UNAIDS-Ghana and Moremi Initiative for Women's Leadership in Africa!
For all young people in Ghana between 12 years - 25 years
DEADLINE: April 21, 2017
T: 0268041952 @UNAIDSGhana | @MoremiAfrica |Learn more details @: www.moremiinitiative.org/wp/art2endaids/ or www.Facebook.com/MoremiAfrica


Saturday, March 25, 2017

Africa France Young Leaders Programme 2017 in France

The Young Leaders program aims to identify, unite, value the very high potential African and French in a spirit of “promotion” of exception. The promotion will bring together young African and French leaders in two sessions in France and Africa with the aim of forging personal ties and proposing a common reflection on global issues.
Location: France

Benefits
All expenses (Including visas, Transport and Accommodation) will be paid for.
 Eligibilities
  • Are you between 28 and 38 years old?
  • Are you French, French diaspora, African?
  • Do you contribute to building inclusive, sustainable and shared growth between the African continent and France?
  • You demonstrate leadership, commitment and involvement that has an impact on your community or country?
  • Do you come from companies or civil society in all areas of economic and social life?
You can be part of the first Young Leaders promotion by AfricaFrance!
Eligible Regions: African, French, French diaspora.
 APPLICATION PROCESS
Apply online.
Application Deadline: March 31, 2017 (6 Days Remaining)


Friday, March 24, 2017

British Council’s Future Leaders Connect Program 2017 in UK!

Future Leaders Connect is where exceptional individuals (aged 18-35) from around the world join a long-term network of emerging policy leaders. You will develop your policy making expertise, make valuable connections and gain the skills to have real impact. Together you will discuss major global policy issues in the Houses of Parliament, engage with inspiring leaders, visit some of the UK’s leading global institutions and collaborate to produce innovative policy recommendations. The skills, experience and connections you will make through Future Leaders Connect will support you to seize your leadership potential.

Location: United Kingdom
 Benefits
  • Become a member of a long-term network, connecting with other future leaders from across the world
  • Access to a nine day programme of leadership and policy skill development
  • Enhance your professional development
  • Opportunity to have your voice and ideas heard in the UK Houses of Parliament
  • Attend private meetings with some of the UK’s most senior leaders
  • Visit world famous leadership institutions
  • Learn from senior policy experts and campaigners
  • Access to future opportunities from the British Council
 Eligibilities
  • We are looking for people who can passionately articulate their vision for global change and explain the role of policy making in helping them to achieve this.
  • You should be willing to engage in this long-term opportunity with the British Council to become a member of Future Leaders Connect and be committed to the network.
  • You are likely to be in your early to mid-career, aged between 18 and 35 (on 14th May 2017) and already have examples of when you have demonstrated leadership.
  • You will need to live in one of our participating countries (Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tunisia, and the UK) and be eligible to access a visa to come to the UK.
  • We are looking for emerging leaders who are committed to support the development of their country through policy change, and so encourage those to apply who have good contextual knowledge and strong networks in the country they are based in.
  • We are looking to recruit a diverse group of people with different experiences, ideas and backgrounds.
  • Be able to speak English at IELTS level 6 or equivalent (this means you generally you have an effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings. You can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations).
  • You cannot be currently employed by the British Council or be an immediate family member of a British Council employee. (In this case immediate family member is defined as one’s spouse, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, siblings and immediate in-laws (mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law). Adopted children and stepchildren are also counted as immediate family members.)
Eligible Regions: Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tunisia, UK
 APPLICATION PROCESS
There are three stages to the application process
1) Online application
2) Finalists take part in events in their country
3) Future Leaders Connect members travel to the UK, nine days of development opportunities
Application Deadline: May 14, 2017 (51 Days Remaining)