Subsequent to the success of the Indigenous Youth Fellowship Programme in 2017, NESFAS, a local indigenous organisation, will host the programme for 2019 while bearing most of the cost of this hosting locally and nationally, making it a truly local-global partnership building initiative for indigenous communities.
The pilot programme aimed at creating a platform for exchange among young minds from indigenous communities and syncing them to world views and actions, while maintaining their identities. It prepared the fellows through training, professional development, networking, management practices and policy options to use and safeguard agrobiodiversity issues, and to develop exposure. The Programme for 2019 intends to do the same, and more, while providing opportunities for a larger audience.
Purpose of the Indigenous Fellowship Programme
The Indigenous Partnership for Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty (TIP) supports an alliance of grassroots indigenous food communities and their networks (Indigenous Food Communities Alliance – IFCA) that works to reclaim their autonomous food and livelihoods systems. Through the Fellowship Programme, TIP aspires to build a cadre of motivated and trained indigenous youth who will work with these food communities, whose commitment and work will eventually dictate the future they want.
TIP Fellowship Programme 2019
Post the pilot Fellowship Programme in 2017, the programme for 2019, which will run from 10th May to 16th July, has been refined according to the suggestions of indigenous elders and the 2017 Fellows. There will be more intense interaction with community members through a field stay of about one month in Meghalaya, North East India. If funds or sponsorship are forthcoming, TIP plans to support an increased number of Fellows. To ensure the opening up of this experiential learning to other interested youths in the areas for the field visit, the Fellowship Programme will be open while in Meghalaya to other interested youths that NESFAS may identify.
TIP’s experiential learning Fellowship Programme will provide the selected indigenous youth unique international and intercultural experiences and skills that are not generally available to indigenous youth who intend to work for grassroots communities, and will also give them access to some of the best-known names in different fields relating to indigenous food and livelihoods systems, and leadership training.
The sessions will introduce the indigenous youth to the importance of training and reflection on intercultural competence and awareness, and innovations (community focused technology and service) that combine traditional and contemporary knowledge systems.
TIP will continue to mentor the fellows after the Fellowship Programme and help them to prepare grant proposals to local, national, regional and international possible funders that may be willing to support the scaling up of their activities, especially in agroecology practices and movement building at the local levels.
For more information:
TIP Youth Fellowship Programme 2017: Indigenous Youth Fellowship Programme 2017
TIP Youth Fellowship Programme 2019: Brochure_Fellowship 2019
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