Community Solutions Fellowship for Developing Countries in USA 2015/16
IREX is accepting applications for the 2015-2016 Community Solutions Fellowship Program. Fellowships are open for developing countries is awarded for duration of four months at U.S. community-based non-profit or other organizations, government offices or legislative bodies. The Community Solutions Program is conducted as a merit-based open competition. Fellowships are open for developing countries is awarded for duration of four months. The application deadline is 27 October, 2014.
- Fellowship is provided for best and brightest global community leaders working in Transparency & Accountability, Tolerance & Conflict Resolution, Environmental Issues, and Women & Gender Issues.
- Fellowship is awarded for professional development program.
- CSP is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, and implemented by IREX.
Eligibility:
-Candidates will be considered without respect to race, color, religion, national origin, or gender. Persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Competition for the Community Solutions Program is merit-based and open to community leaders, ages 25-38 at the time of application, who meet the following criteria:
– From a participating country (U.S. citizens, permanent residents of the U.S., and individuals who have applied for U.S. permanent residency in the past three years are not eligible for this program)
-Currently living and working in his/her home country (Individuals participating in academic, training or research programs in the United States at the time of application and individuals residing or working outside their home countries at the time of application are not eligible for this program)
-Currently working on a community project or initiative in his/her home country; and, has at least 2 years of professional experience in this capacity at the time of application
-Able to begin the program in the United States in 2015, and is committed to returning to his/her home country after completion of the program.
-Able to receive a U.S. J-1 visa (Individuals who have participated in an exchange visitor program sponsored or funded by the U.S. Government who have not fulfilled their two-year home residency requirement by the time of application are not eligible for this program)
-Proficient in spoken and written English at the time of application
- Africa,Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe can apply.
East Asia and the Pacific: Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam
Europe: Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, and Turkey
South and Central Asia: Bangladesh, Burma, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan
Near East & North Africa: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, and West Bank/Gaza
Western Hemisphere: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Paraguay, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago - The Community Solutions Program is a professional development program for the best and brightest global community leaders working in Transparency and Accountability; Tolerance and Conflict Resolution; Environmental Issues; and, Women and Gender Issues. Up to sixty-five eligible individuals will be selected to receive the 2015-2016 Community Solutions Program fellowship and will participate in:
- –A Four-month U.S. Fellowship: Leaders are placed in U.S. community-based, non-profit or government offices across the U.S. where they work with American community leaders.
–Community Leadership Institute (CLI): Leaders will develop practical leadership and organizational management skills through online and in-person training.
–Follow-on Projects: Leaders, in partnership with their U.S. host organizations, will develop follow-on community development projects or initiatives to be completed upon return to their home countries. - Fellowship is awarded for duration of four months.
- – J-1 visa support
-Round-trip travel from participant’s home city to the U.S.
-Accident and sickness insurance
-Living Allowance to cover housing, meals and incidentals - The Community Solutions Program is conducted as a merit-based open competition. After the deadline, all eligible applications will be reviewed by a selection panel. Chosen semi-finalists will be interviewed by a panel and will take an English language exam or submit existing TOEFL or IELTS scores. All applicants will be notified of their status by spring 2015.
Selection panels will use the following criteria to evaluate applications (not in order of importance): -Working/volunteering on substantive community projects for non-profits, government offices, or community-based organizations; preference will be given to applicants of local organizations.
-Knowledge of and experience in one or more of the four CSP fellowship themes (Women and Gender Issues, Transparency and Accountability, Tolerance and Conflict Resolution, and Environmental Issues);
-Leadership experience and potential;
-Professional and program goals;
-Follow-on project idea;
-Intercultural/English language skills;
-Preference will be given to individuals with four (4) months or more academic exchange or professional training experience in the United States. - Finalists and alternates will be notified in February-March 2015.
- Applicants should submit applications online.
The application deadline is 27 October, 2014.
Further Official Scholarship Information and Application
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