U.S. Department of State: Young Pacific Leaders Grant for Good Governance and Civic Education

The U.S. Mission New Zealand Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations for a cooperative agreement to develop and implement a Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) program on good governance, anti-corruption, and integrity, pending the availability of funding. The six-day workshop (inclusive of travel days) will convene emerging leaders ages 20-35 from across the Pacific region (see below for a list of participating countries) to build competencies in developing and sustaining initiatives to promote good governance, transparency, integrity and accountability through youth civic participation and civic education. The workshop will be held in Suva, Fiji in the second half (July-December) of 2023.

Program Objectives:

YPL is the U.S. government’s signature initiative to engage with emerging leaders in the Pacific region. The program aims to create a network of young Pacific leaders who work across national borders and the four pillars of YPL – education, environment and resource management, civic engagement, and economic and social development – to solve common problems. Through a variety of programs and engagements, YPL seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region, strengthen ties between the United States and Pacific, and nurture a community of leaders who work across borders to solve shared issues.

YPL is open to young leaders ages 20-35 who are both citizens and residents of the following countries: Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Islands of French Polynesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, and U.S. partners from the American-affiliated Pacific including American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Hawaii.

One component of YPL are the regional workshops held across the Pacific region on strategic topics.

This regional workshop on good governance will advance the YPL theme of civic engagement and the U.S. Embassy New Zealand’s priority to promote resilient and accountable democratic institutions at the local, regional, and national levels that engage civil society.

The YPL Regional Workshop on Civic Education for good governance, anti-corruption, and integrity will bring together around 100 YPL members from Pacific nations who are currently working on civic education initiatives to promote civic participation, good governance, and transparency and accountability in government. The workshop will deepen participants’ knowledge and understanding of current challenges, including socio-economic and environmental (e.g. climate change), and opportunities for governments and civil society in the Pacific region to effectuate positive change. The workshop will introduce methods and tools for civil society and government to promote youth civic participation, mobilize stakeholders, and implement effective projects or campaigns. The workshop should include in-depth discussions and experiential learning sessions led by experts from the Pacific region and the United States.

Participants should be encouraged to collaborate with fellow emerging leaders from across the region and coordinate with government agencies at all levels, business development institutions, community organizations, and youth groups in their respective countries to implement projects or campaigns. The workshop will also create and sustain a virtual network of emerging leaders. A follow-on activity may be implemented after the program to report on project successes and challenges and produce a toolkit with best practices on cross-border collaboration.