Global Citizenship: The Role of University Students in the Advancement of Human Rights and Democracy Around the World

Call for Applications

Deadline : March 14, 2007

* Applications that meet the selections criteria may be considered as they come until all the places available are filled.

Context

The Rights & Democracy Network is organizing its first international “Mingler”, to be held in Montréal from March 21 to 24, 2007.

The Mingler is the main meeting of the Rights & Democracy Network. Its objective is give our members the opportunity to meet with members of the Board of Directors, the President and staff of Rights & Democracy, as well as with representatives of our institutional partners in the public and non-governmental sector.

Global Citizenship. This first international meeting has the goal of deepening the reflection begun when the Network participated in the International Human Rights Forum held in Nantes in June 2006. Its objective is to bring together members of the Rights & Democracy Network from Canada and our foreign Delegations to engage in discussions about the definition and construction of global citizenship to further human rights and democratic development. In particular, the Network invites participants to emphasize university students’ commitment to working toward this goal on a global level and their leadership in pushing for changes through their local activities and international exchanges.

University / Civil SocietyPartnerships. Workshops and discussions will deal with the importance of forming partnerships between universities and civil society institutions to create spaces that will enable the application of knowledge to concrete initiatives and the creation of solidarity throughout the world. The undertakings of Delegations throughout Canada, from Charlottetown (PEI) to Vancouver (BC) and from Whitehorse (NWT) to Toronto (ON), will be presented. Twinning activities between Rights & Democracy university Delegations from Canada and other countries will also be discussed. These examples will highlight how an institution such as Rights & Democracy and universities in Canada and in the countries of the South can pool their resources, their expertise and their networks to assist these dedicated university students.

Education and careers. The impact of this investment in the practice of global citizenship to further human rights and democratic development on these future professionals will also be discussed. A session will be devoted to opportunities for internships and jobs in the field of international cooperation focused on human rights and democratic development.

The Network’s International Fund (IFUND) / Twinning Programme. Selection criteria to access the Network’s International Fund (IFUND) and to participate in the twinning programme will be presented during the event. The call for applications to select the next five Delegations to participate in this twinning programme will be officially launched.

Job opportunities for the summer of 2007 with the Network in Montreal will also be presented.