The YouthActionNet Awards offer grants of US $500 each to help fund the social change projects of young social entrepreneurs around the world. The awards are supported by a global youth development initiative of the International Youth Foundation and Nokia.
 
Each year twenty exceptional young social entrepreneurs are selected as YouthActionNet Fellows through a competitive application process. In addition to receiving a $500 grant, YouthActionNet Fellows participate in a week-long capacity building workshop in Washington, D.C. A key focus of the workshop is facilitating peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities.
 
The contest is open to all young people between the ages of 18 and 29. Applicants should be founders of existing projects/organizations or leading a project within an organization, and must be able to clearly articulate their learning objectives through the fellowship. Proficiency in English is required, and applications must be submitted in English.

Complete program information and application materials are available here. Deadline: May 15, 2007

On April 2nd the tender for the Business in Development Challenge 2007 will open!

Help us in our search for start-up and established entrepreneurs with a brilliant idea for a business in a developing country.

Entrepreneurs can:
- Win up to €20.000 per person (with a total of €240.000 in prize money)
- Present their plan to a network of interested investors
- Receive personal and professional coaching to develop a complete business plan
- Promote their plan and share experiences on the BiD Network: the first online marketplace for business in developing countries

Deadline: May 31st!!

What is the BiD Challenge?
The BiD Challenge is an international business plan competition organised each year by the BiD Network Foundation. Our mission is to contribute to sustainable development by stimulating small and medium sized entrepreneurship in developing countries. The BiD Challenge is open to entrepreneurs with an idea for a start up business or the expansion of an established business in a developing country. Find out more here.

Make poverty reduction YOUR business!

Strategies for Building a Civilization of Peace
 
The primary goal of the conference is to contribute to the worldwide efforts to create a civilization of peace. Essential to this undertaking is life-long peace education at home, in schools, and in the community, with its focus on the integral role of all members of society˜children, youth, and adults˜and with the equal participation of women and men in the administration of human affairs.

Through the sharing of advanced research findings and proven effective strategies for creating peace at all levels of human society and interactions, the conference offers the participants the opportunity to explore ways of creating environments˜families, schools, and communities˜built on the foundations of a culture of peace, a culture of healing, and a culture of excellence: the three requisites of a civilization of peace.
 
Guest speakers include:
Prof.  Zvi Beckerman, School of Education, Melton Center, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel 
Dr.  Claire McGlynn, School of Education, Queen's University, Belfast, Ireland  
Prof.  Gavriel Salomon, Co-Director of  the Center for Research on Peace  Education University of Haifa,  Haifa, Israel  
Dr.  Rosemarie Stallworth-Clarke,  President, AERA Peace Education SIG 
Prof.  Dan Rae, Georgia Southern University, Co-Chairperson,  Annual National Youth-At-Risk Conference, Savannah, Georgia, USA  
Prof.  Alan Smith, UNESCO Chair,  University of Ulster,  Northern  Ireland 
Prof.  H.B. Danesh, Founder and  President, EFP-International, Vancouver, Canada 
Dr. Roshan  Danesh, Adjunct Professor, EPU,  Austria and President,  EFP-Canada 
Frank Borowicz QC, Chairman & Chief  Elected Officer, Vancouver Board of Trade 

Full Conference information can be found here.

All relevant information is available here.

Karma-Capitalism will be the topic of the 12th Trend Day, on 8th May 2007 in Hamburg, Germany. Our keynote-speaker is Muhammad Yunus. His motto is ours: Every social problem is a business opportunity.

Karma-Capitalism further addresses the idea that in a globally networked society and economy, where cooperation becomes more important than competition, being fair and doing good becomes essential for brands and companies to stay relevant.

Who tries hard to do good today, can aspire a more wealthy tomorrow.

Please find more information here.

The Alliance for Conflict Transformation (ACT) announces the Institute on Peacebuilding & Conflict Resolution (IPCR), held in Bolivia, June 9 - July 7, 2007.

IPCR is an intensive 4-week program on the theory and practice of conflict resolution and peacebuilding with a focus on providing skills participants can use in the field.

Course topics include:
Conflict analysis & assessment;
Conflict resolution and peacebuilding practices;
Cross-sectoral approaches to peacebuilding and conflict resolution (i.e., with development, social entrepreneurship, etc);
Post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation;
Skills development in negotiation and other skills;
Case studies in community, intra-state and international conflict.

Pravah and Ashoka: Innovators for the Public are currently accepting applications for Change Looms, a program that recognizes, encourages and supports the exceptional achievements of young people who are actively promoting social change in society. It provides in-depth capacity building, mentoring from leading social entrepreneurs across India, acknowledgement at a public event, and a grant of Rs. 40,000 for outstanding initiatives.

Last year there were more than 40 youth applicants from around India and 13 were invited to a week-long development centre in Delhi. The five outstanding initiatives recognized last year were:
• Alternative Realitites, an initiative led by Abhishek Bharadwaj to empower homeless citizens in Mumbai
• Chamna Thuptep, an effort by Rebecca Haokip to strengthen the participation of local communities in non-violent conflict resolution in Manipur
• Dhriiti, a Delhi-based group of young people led by Nidhi Arora and Anirban Gupta working to build entrepreneurial skills among youth
• Saher, a community-based organization working for communal harmony in Jogeshwari, Mumbai, led by Masood Akhtar and Rama Shyam
• Save Satpuda, an initiative by Vishal Bansod to include the local community in conserving the tiger and its habitat.

This year up to 15 teams/individuals will be invited to join the Change Looms process.

We are looking for young people between the ages of 17-27 years who have launched on-going social ventures in operation for at least 6 months. These youth initiatives must be independent from existing organizations. Both individuals and teams may apply.

Application forms are available here. Applications will be received through March 31, 2007.

For more information about Change Looms, please call or write to Lillian at Pravah.

Change Looms is supported by The Youth and Civil Society Initiative of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust.

March 21-23, 2007
Phoenix Park Hotel
Washington, DC

This conference is the premier training and networking event for anyone interested in community development venture capital (CDVC). A one-day training workshop entitled Double Bottom Line Investing: An Introduction to the Community Development Venture Capital Approach, precedes the conference.

In addition to the nuts and bolts venture capital sessions that you have come to expect at CDVCA conferences, we will hear from policy makers who may be changing the landscape in which the CDVC industry operates.