Over 950 Youth from 19 Arab Nations Have Applied for the King Abdullah II Award for Youth Innovation and Achievement
Application deadline is February 28th, 2009
The King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD) announced that until today over 950 youth from 19 Arab nations have applied for the King Abdullah II Award for Youth Innovation and Achievement (KAAYIA). Prospective applicants from across the Arab region have less than 20 days left to apply for the King Abdullah II Award for Youth Innovation and Achievement (KAAYIA) by visiting the website at www.KAAYIA.org.
To be eligible to apply for the award, the project must be initiated and executed by young leaders from an Arab country who are between the ages of 18-29. When the individual applies for the award, their project should have been fully functional and operational for at least six months with a demonstrated impact on their respective communities and societies.
Tarik Awad, Director-General of the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD) stated, "We are happy to announce that we have received over 950 applications from young Arab leaders who expressed interest in the King Abdullah II Award for Youth Innovation and Achievement. We look forward to seeing that number increase until the February 28th deadline." He went on to say, "We continue to encourage all young Arab leaders who are currently leading development efforts in the Arab world, that bring to life the notion of Active Citizenship, to apply for the award before the end of the month."
The evaluation process will take place until April 5th, 2009 based on three criteria that include leadership and innovation, collaboration and partnership, and impact and sustainability. The selection committee will then identify the 3-5 finalists and the award winners be announced at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East, which will be held at the Dead Sea, Jordan between May 15-17, 2009.
Each award winner will receive a $50,000 grant, a portion of which will be provided as a two-year monetary grant and the other portion will be provided for the award winners to pursue educational or training opportunities.
The winners will be acknowledged and recognised for their work at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East 2009. A high quality publication will also be developed highlighting the achievements of the winners and supporting their future endeavours.
The King Abdullah II Award for Youth Innovation and Achievement (KAAYIA) was launched by His Majesty King Abdullah II at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East in 2007 with the aim to recognize conscious youth citizens across the region that are engaged in exemplary activities related to Active Citizenship. The King Abdullah II Award for Youth Innovation and Achievement (KAAYIA) promotes the concept of innovation and entrepreneurship leading to positive change in communities. The award strives to enhance the culture of research and development to increase the impact of change in community led development, generate best practices and encourage cross-border cooperation and dialogue.
