Call for Projects: UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE VOLUNTEERS Programme 2016

Application Deadline:3rd January 2016

UNESCO have the pleasure to launch the World Heritage Volunteers 2016 (WHV 2016) campaign and welcome the participation of all interested organisations and institutions.

In the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme, the World Heritage Volunteers Initiative is led by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC) in collaboration with the Co-ordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), European Heritage Volunteers (as a branch of Open Houses) and Better World.

Considering the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity (2011-2020), the World Heritage Volunteers 2016 campaign shall aim to:
a) Raise awareness of local and international volunteers as well as the local communities about issues related to cultural and/or natural World Heritage, sustainable development and biodiversity;
b) Integrate hands-on skills training activities on basic preventive conservation and preservation techniques in World Heritage Volunteers 2016 projects;
c) Link-up with local youth organisations, the local communities, the site management, national and local authorities and establish cooperative relations and partnership to improve project towards sustainable results;
d) Share best practices for the development

Share best practices for the development of non-formal education tools by documenting new approaches to promote World Heritage.

SELECTION CRITERIA
For selection, proposed projects must fulfil the set of criteria below.
1. The project should be organized in immediate connection to a site inscribed on the World Heritage List or a proposed site on the country’s Tentative List [Reference: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list ; http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists ];
2. The project should:
a. Be developed in consultation with site managers and local authorities in planning details of the activities;
b. Include awareness activities, practical hands-on activities and skills related to World Heritage sites where the action camp will be conducted (detailed definitions of hands-on activities and skills in Annex);
c. Involve the community in order to deepen their knowledge around issues related to World Heritage and the World Heritage Volunteers Campaign;
d. Involve as much as possible international volunteers;
e. Have a minimum of 10 full days of activities, consecutive or not, by the same group of participants (excluding arrival and departure);
The World Heritage Volunteers projects are opened to volunteers above 18 years old.
3. The project is linked to the United Nations Decade of Biodiversity;
4. Organizers commit themselves to implement their project as per approved proposals and to submit a full activity report (including images, videos and other results of the projects submitted by the organisations) demonstrating the concrete engagement of young volunteers in the field of World Heritage.

APPLICATIONS
In order to get involved in or renew your commitment to the protection and preservation of World Heritage through voluntary action and non-formal education, please fill in the on-line application:

• https://form.jotformeu.com/52584264992366

If you have difficulties to access the online form, please download the PDF application from the following link: http://bit.ly/1OxSAgR and send it to http://[email protected](for projects in Africa, Arab States and Latin America), to [email protected] (for projects in Europe) or [email protected] (for projects in Asia).

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Projects organised between June and October have higher chances of receiving international volunteers.
• A group size of minimum 10 volunteers provides a richer working and learning environment for the participants and stimulates more diverse interpersonal and intercultural dynamics.
• Participants’ gender (ideally equal number of male and female) and geographical (ideally from different countries and regions) balance facilitate the exchanges within the group.
• Organisations are highly recommended to join the World Heritage Volunteers Meetings that will be organised by the coordination of the campaign
• If your action camp was already part of the campaign in the past, your organization should be able to explain what the objectives were for the previous project(s), how they have evolved and which of them you plan to achieve this year.

Timeline:

TIMELINE

• 3 January 2016 : Deadline for submission of project proposals
• 3 January – 15 February 2016:  Additional information can be asked to the
  organisations by the World Heritage Centre, the CCIVS, European Heritage Volunteers, and Better World
• 15 February 2016 : Announcement of selected World Heritage Volunteers projects The confirmation letters will be sent to the selected organisations
• 29 February 2016 The information letters will be sent to the World
  Heritage site managers, the UNESCO Field Offices, National Commissions, and Permanent Delegations to UNESCO
• April/May 2016 Planning and Networking meetings After the end of World Heritage Volunteers projects (up to two months after the end of the activities) Submission of the evaluation reports
• October/November 2016 : Evaluation meeting Representing a young guardian, the Patrimonito logo* symbolises the interdependence of culture and nature. Created on the basis of the World Heritage emblem, the central square is a form created by people (culture) and the circle represents nature, the two being intimately linked. The emblem is round like the world, but at the same time, it is a symbol of protection.

Further inquiries should be addressed to:

• CCIVS ([email protected]) for projects in Africa, Arab States and Latin America
• European Heritage Volunteers ([email protected]) for projects in Europe
• Better World ([email protected]) for projects in Asia

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE VOLUNTEERS Programme 2016