Applications Invited for 2023 Indigenous Youth Fellowship Project

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About the Organization

Cultural Survival is an Indigenous-led NGO and U.S. registered non-profit that advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures, and political resilience, since 1972. For 50 years, Cultural Survival has partnered with Indigenous communities to advance Indigenous Peoples' rights and cultures worldwide. We envision a future that respects and honors Indigenous Peoples' inherent rights and dynamic cultures, deeply and richly interwoven in lands, languages, spiritual traditions, and artistic expression, rooted in self-determination and self-governance.

About the Fellowship

Cultural Survival is pleased to announce its 2023 call for proposals for Indigenous Youth Fellowships to support individuals or groups of young Indigenous communicators, activists, and artists to develop their capacities, training, research, production, and creation aimed at strengthening their cultural identity and leadership.

The fellowships will be awarded to young people in the following countries: Mexico (priority in the Yucatan Peninsula), Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Suriname, Guyana, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil (priority in the Amazon Basin), Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Namibia, Botswana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Nepal, and India. (We will give priority to projects focused on the revitalization and linguistic preservation of Indigenous languages with the participation of underrepresented genders).

We believe that listening to and responding to the self-determined needs of Indigenous communities is critical to providing support that is sustainable and, most importantly, relevant to the needs of the community. Youth leadership development is an integral part of ensuring the wellness of communities, and Indigenous youth are the future of that well-being.

This year our fellowship program will offer support to individuals or groups of Indigenous youth with multidisciplinary artistic concepts between the ages of 17 and 28. The fellowships will be up to a maximum of $2,500 (USD) US dollars per fellow or group to implement their project during a 6-month execution period (May to September 2023). Applicants must be able to work independently and be responsible for implementing their projects. Fellows will work closely with Cultural Survival staff and a local mentor (a person who can advise, reinforce, and provide feedback to achieve the proposed goals voluntarily) throughout the fellowship process.

Proposals focused on the following themes will be accepted:

• Lands and livelihoods sustainability
• Defense of land and territory
• Preservation and revitalization of Indigenous languages
• Solutions to climate change
• Recovery of cosmogony and ancestry
• Empowerment and leadership of women, youth, and underrepresented genders
• Indigenous community media
• Recovery and protection of traditional medicine
• Gender equality and justice

Areas of creative work with a community focus:

• Strengthening of capacities and management of technical and/or digital tools.
• Short animated videos on Indigenous oral tradition.
• High impact graphic illustrations.
• Free software that facilitates the editing and creation of informative content.
• Community narratives (creative writing, stories, legends, poetry and journalism).
• Art (muralism, photography, paintings/weaving/traditional ceramics).
• Community media (radio, audiovisual and digital platforms).
• Performing arts (dance, theater, puppets).
• Music and traditional songs.
• Cultural research

Eligibility

• Indigenous youth between the ages of 17 to 28 years.
• With access to the internet and other forms of virtual communication.
• Commitment to collaborate with Cultural Survival.
• Preferably fluent in an Indigenous language or interested in learning it.
• Initiative measurable and executable in the stipulated period.
• Applicants must reside in Mexico (priority in the Yucatan Peninsula), Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Suriname, Guyana, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil (Amazon Basin), Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Namibia, Botswana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Nepal, and India.
• Not a former Cultural Survival Youth Fellow.

How to Apply

Concept presentations can be received in the following formats, written (maximum 2 pages), audio or video (maximum 5 minutes) by answering the following questions:

• Full name
• Age
• Gender pronouns
• Indigenous People/Nation/Ethnicity/Tribe Affiliation
• Community and country of residence
• Contact (Email, WhatsApp/telegram/Signal number)
• Brief description of your project (objectives, activities and expected results)

If your request is in a group, include information of all members. We accept applications in the following languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese, Nepalese, Sunuwar, Hindi, K'iche' Maya, Kaqchikel, Poqomam, Didxazá, (Isthmus Zapotec), Ayuujk, Afrikaans, and French.

Answer the questions indicated above and send the application to adriana.hernandez@cs.org

If your concept is selected, we will contact you requesting a full narrative proposal and a budget.  The selection period lasts 3 months. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2023.

For more information please check the Link

Tags Skill Development Research Leadership Liberal Arts Others