Call for Candidates

Context

The Rights & Democracy Network is organizing a national retreat in the greater Montreal area on September 22, 23 and 24, 2006. The objective of this initiative is to enable our active members across Canada to meet each other, share information and views, and participate in training sessions. The latter will enable participants to deepen their understanding of approaches particular to the Network and strengthen Canadian Delegations’ capacities for reflection and action.

Information / Training

Students selected to participate in this retreat will receive information and training intended to foster integration of the Network’s approaches into the initiatives of Delegations:

• Diversity and equality : why and how to take into consideration gender issues, Aboriginal issues, the international character of the university population and accessibility for the disabled;
• Innovation : how to identify subjects rarely addressed or tackle them from a new, constructive angle; how to develop initiatives having an innovative, accessible and interactive format;
• Connectivity: how to optimize use of information technologies and communications including the tools and services made available by the Network to its members; Delegation Websites and Network Forum;
• Multidisciplinarity: everyone can contribute to advancing human rights and democracy: ways to promote participation by students from all disciplines in the Delegation executive committee and in project teams;
• Studies and career: how to take full advantage of the Network member experience and develop initiatives within which knowledge and capacity-building can be recognized as value-added for students’ academic and professional careers by governmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions in the international cooperation sector.

Network Tool Kit

The Network Tool Kit, which is intended for the Delegations, will be handed out to participants. Designed to facilitate both Delegation management and project development and implementation, this kit contains tools addressing the particular subjects of:

• producing/distributing notice of meeting (for general assembly); communications with members;
• drawing up a budget, finding partners and funding, and producing a closing balance sheet;
• writing a media release;

Training will also include workshops on:

• media relations;
• event organization and protocol.

Format

The various sessions will take the form of interactive workshops, simulations or discussions and will help students build their capacity for promoting human rights and democracy through concrete, practical examples that can be applied within their respective Delegations.

Participation Fees

Rights & Democracy will cover the travel, accommodation and meal costs of the selected students for the retreat period.

Selection criteria

To qualify for selection, candidates must be:

1. A student enrolled in a Canadian university during the fall 2006 and winter 2007 sessions;
2. A member of the Rights & Democracy Network as at August 24, 2006 ; (http://www.rightsdemocracy.net/en/membres/devenez_membre.htm)
3. An active member in his/her Delegation (executive committee member and/or project team member).
   • For universities at which the Delegation is in the process of forming: Prepared to play a major role in coordinating the Delegation and its projects for the 2006-2007 academic year;
4. For universities at which the formation process has not been finalized: willing to dedicate the necessary efforts to obtaining official recognition of the Delegation by his/her educational institution and supervise the election of the Delegation executive committee before the end of the fall 2006 session;
5. Willing to convey to the members of his/her Delegation the knowledge acquired at this retreat by organizing an information and recruiting session in the three weeks following the event;
6. Willing to fill out the appendices of the Tool Kit relevant to his/her respective university in the Network tools guide, which will be given to participating candidates during the event (list of clubs and associations with concerns related to human rights and democracy at his/her university, list of public figures working to promote human rights and democracy in his/her community, list of potential “ethical” partners and suppliers; list of courses with a theme related to human rights and/or democracy at his/her university in the various disciplines);
7. Committed, with the assistance of the Network Team, to helping members of his/her Delegation and of the project teams to integrate the Network’s approaches.

Students who would like to submit their application must write a short account (1 page maximum) explaining why they should be selected on the basis of the above-mentioned criteria and indicating what motivates them to participate in an event of this kind. Where relevant, applicants are invited to highlight any experience of theirs that is likely to enhance discussions about the particular approaches mentioned above

Submissions must be sent by August 24, 2006 at 5:00 p.m. Rights & Democracy will select the students who will be sponsored based on the quality of their submissions. Selection will take into account both regional representation within Canada and a balance based on the following criteria: language (English, French, and bilingual), gender, representation of various fields of study, and potential contribution to discussions on the approaches mentioned above. The selection process will be completed by August 31st, 2006.

Please send your cover letter, with the registration form completed, by e-mail only to the attention of Cynthia Gervais, Coordinator, The Rights & Democracy Network, and Geneviève Paul, Network liaison officer, at network@dd-rd.ca. The registration form will accelerate the process if your file is selected. Please make sure to identify your e-mail with the following title: NATIONAL RETREAT. Should you require any additional information, do not hesitate to contact Geneviève Paul, liaison officer, at gpaul@dd-rd.ca or at 514-283-6073 ext.259 or 1-888-736-3833.

Registration Form

Registration Form (Word Document)

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