Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well. In today’s post, I would like to brief you about the Youth Assembly, my involvement with it, and how you can be a part of this year’s edition.
I first got to know about this conference some time in 2015/2016 thereabout when a colleague in university attended and made several posts about it on Facebook. I became very much interested in it and applied for the following year’s session (February 2017) which I got accepted for. The experience was short but impactful and memorable in summary. Hence, it was an honour to be among the 31 Youth Assembly ambassadors selected in January 2022 to promote the conference within our countries and networks. Though I am an ambassador for the UK, I am also targetting other delegates from all over the world.
The Youth Assembly is simply a conference for young leaders and changemakers from across the world to come together and deliberate on global issues pertaining to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year’s theme is ‘Dare to Reshape the World‘ with its focus on four main areas namely;
Track 1: Youth in relation to Peace and Politics; Education and Climate action;
Track 2: Global Health in relation to Mental health and Covid-19; effects on Marginalized populations;
Track 3: Global Citizenship: Leadership and Resilience in today’s world;
Track 4: Digital Cooperation and Inclusion: Technology and Artificial intelligence.
Interested persons can apply for either ‘Conference Only‘ which lasts from the 12th to the 14th August or through 4 different packages namely; International Affairs (10th – 15th August 2022), Changemakers (12th – 17th August 2022), Educators (11th – 15th August 2022) and Premier (10th – 17th August 2022). The Conference Only package consists of ;
- Event Pass to the 27th Session of The Youth Assembly in New York City (August 12-14, 2022)
- CultureFest at the Closing Ceremony
- Opportunities Fair
- Souvenirs
- Electronic Certificate of Completion
The eligibility requirements to register/attend as a delegate include;
- Delegates must be 18-32 years old-
- Proven track record of leadership experience, school, or community involvement
- Interest in global affairs, sustainable development, and youth issues
- Proficient in English (Intermediate Level)
The Early bird application is still in session and ends on the 9th March so you still have some time to send in your application. Also when applying, you have the option to ‘ Apply through a Youth Assembly Ambassador’ which means the AFS team will know that you applied through me or you got to know about the conference through my recommendation. When doing so, use the code ‘YA27AMB14’ at checkout. (Very important! Please do not forget!)
It is understandable that some students or young people who may want to attend may face some financial challenges hence this is why it is important to apply early especially if you are looking at the ‘Conference Only‘ package which is more affordable compared to the others. Thus for this package;
Early-bird → applies from February 9 to March 9, 2022 → $295
Regular → applies from March 10 to June 2, 2022 → $365
Late → applies from June 3 to June 30, 2022 → $405
The longer you wait, the more you will have to pay!
You may then ask, how do I apply? You can follow this link to register your details and follow through to the next steps. Upon your successful application, delegates can also apply to other opportunities on the Portal namely;
- AFS Award for Young Global Citizens
- Outstanding Youth Delegate Award
- Action and Impact Hub
- Opportunities Fair
Lastly, as visa proceedings could take time especially for delegates from Africa and other continents, it is essential you send in your applications on time so as to request for an invitation letter from the AFS once your first installation of payment has been made.
I do hope that I have been able to brief you on the Youth Assembly and why you should attend. Even if this is not for you, you can forward it to a friend who may be interested. Please comment and let me know if you have any questions. In case you want to get in touch, my email is asumadugertrude@yahoo.com. Looking forward to answering all your questions! #YouthAssembly #YA27 #AFSteam
Gertrude says...... 