Friday, February 21, 2014

Message from Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO for the Youth Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition

Ms. Irina Bokova UNESCO DG
https://www.youth-competition.org/  Young women and men are critical actors in all aspects of development, and their energy, motivation and vision are essential assets for positive social change.

The need to include young people and to place them at the heart of the development agenda is increasingly recognized, and this is positive. However, we still have far to go, to ensure that they are not only ‘considered’ but have every opportunity to participate as equal partners in decision-making that concerns them and their future and to contribute to action at all levels.

UNESCO works in three directions to empower young women and men – guided by the idea that they are not only beneficiaries but key actors for sustainable change. We act, first, to support the development of inclusive public policies on and for youth, in order to create an enabling environment for them to prosper, to exercise their rights and to engage in public life.


UNESCO works also to strengthen the capacities and skills of young women and men, to help them make the most of the world of work and become active and accountable citizens. In the third direction, UNESCO seeks to provide opportunities to young people to lead innovative and creative projects that address community needs and to voice their ideas on decisions that affect them.

All of this strengthens the foundations for youth citizenship and entrepreneurship – essential conditions for a more sustainable and more peaceful future for all societies.

About the competition:

A global initiative to empower young entrepreneurs for positive change

Organized by:

The Youth Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition is an exciting new opportunity to develop your innovative ideas and projects to create positive change in your community and the world. With support and feedback from peers around the world, you can turn your passion for a better world into reality.

The Youth Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition is an international contest launched by The Goi Peace FoundationStiftung Entrepreneurship (Berlin) and UNESCO. The competition provides a global platform for young entrepreneurs who aspire to create positive change in their communities.

By highlighting the best examples of youth entrepreneurship, the competition aims to empower the young generation to take the initiative in social innovation and become pioneers in building a harmonious and sustainable society. With their innovative ideas and leadership, these global citizens will tackle some of the key challenges of today and offer a model of the entrepreneurial potential that will fuel our future.

All participants will receive free training at the online Entrepreneurship Campus. This training provides methods and techniques for developing ideas into solid business models, to turn a budding idea into a fully developed concept, or to improve on an existing business model.

Everyone has the potential to become an entrepreneur.

You do not have to be born as an entrepreneur,
you do not have to work twelve hours a day,
and you do not need a patent or a lot of capital.
You do not even need detailed knowledge of business management,
legal issues, marketing, or finance.
You only have to start your company from pre-existing components or by working in a team
to complete the missing competencies, instead of building everything yourself.
It is not easy, but you can do it!
You have the power to become a successful entrepreneur!


Prizes and recognition


Gewinner 
Best Ideas Category
Innovative ideas and plans to be implemented (by the entrant or by others).

Best Projects Category
Already existing enterprise which has demonstrated social impact.
Winners will be announced on the competition website, as well as the Goi Peace Foundation and UNESCO websites. Finalists not chosen as prize winners will receive honorable mention.

The Grand Prize winners and the People’s Choice Prize winners will be invited to the award ceremony during the Entrepreneurship Summit in Berlin in October 2014. Here, they will present their ideas and activities to an international audience.

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