Deadline: September 4, 2022
Applications to join the African Youth Advisory Council on Disaster Risk Reduction are now open. The African Youth Advisory Board (AYAB) for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) was established under the auspices of the African Union Commission (AUC) to meaningfully engage young Africans (up to 35 years) in DRR processes on the continent.
The African continent has suffered disproportionately from the increasing frequency of exacerbated climate disasters, due to its high exposure and vulnerability to climate shocks.
Board Member Roles
- Partner with national DRR focal points, African Union partners and other stakeholders to facilitate the implementation, monitoring and review of the Program of Action (PoA).
- Collaborate with the AUC, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), national and local governments in the design of youth-led or youth-focused DRR policies, as well as in its implementation and review.
- Establish linkages and synergies between DRR-focused youth activities at global, regional, national and community levels.
- Facilitate the engagement of African youth in continental, regional and national stakeholder forums and coordination with national and local governments, in line with existing platforms for youth engagement.
- Facilitate capacity building opportunities for and with youth, in collaboration with the AUC, RECs and other relevant institutions focused on the council’s five priorities.
- Facilitate intergenerational capacity building between young and experienced practitioners at different levels of engagement in DRR.
- Create pathways for interaction of young people/youth organizations in DRR with related disciplines such as climate change, urbanization, indigenous knowledge, new technologies and sustainable development for interdisciplinary capacity building.
- To facilitate interdisciplinary and intergenerational collaboration through electronic and non-electronic platforms (defined as collaboration between different age groups) between African scientists in the application of their existing and ongoing scientific research for implementation, monitoring , SFDRR evidence-based monitoring and review.
- Leverage the PERIPERI network of universities to support young scientists in developing new research programs tailored to complement the implementation, monitoring and review of the Sendai Framework for postgraduate research and, where possible, in collaboration with universities, research organisations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector.
- Develop physical and virtual campaigns/strategies to expand the existing reach of youth DRR knowledge in cooperation with different public and private institutions.
Positions available
The 15 positions available are:
- East Africa – Two (2) positions
- West Africa – Two (2) positions
- Southern Africa – Two (2) positions
- Central Africa – Two (2) positions
- North Africa – Two (2) positions
- Priority (Understanding Disaster Risk) – One (1) position
- Priority 2 (Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk – One (1) post
- Priority 3 (Investing in Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience – One (1) position
- Priority 4 (Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to “build back better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction) – One (1) post
- Priority 5 (Community DRR) – One (1) position
Eligibility
- Members must not be over 35 years of age throughout their term of office.
- The mandate of the members is two years and renewable once.
- Selection is made every two years through a call for expressions of interest led by the AUC.
Application
A complete application file will consist of uploading the following elements to the application link before September 4, 2022 (GMT+3):
- A CV detailing qualifications and experience relevant to the position (maximum 2 pages, 12-point Times New Roman font, single-spaced)
- A cover letter detailing your motivation to be part of the board of directors (2 pages maximum) – express the position you are interested in applying for membership
- Proof of African citizenship (e.g. passport, ID)
- Name and contact details of two references who can attest to the candidate’s qualifications and experience
For more information, visit AYAB/DRR.
