Workshop dates: 6th to 8th June 2016
Workshop location: Nairobi, Kenya
Deadline for application: 23rd May 2016

SID is an international network of experts and organizations with an interest in development, policy and governance research and dialogue. For close to 60 years, SID has been at the forefront of reappraising prevalent development ideas, confronting the theory and practice of development, challenging existing practices and suggesting alternative approaches.

In March 2015, through the Youth Livelihoods, Employment and Agricultural Transformation Programme, SID brought together stakeholders in agriculture from the East African region to a three day workshop in Tanzania aimed at understanding how increased youth participation in the agricultural sector could meet twin challenges of ensuring food security and reducing youth unemployment. During this workshop, participants identified key drivers of the agricultural sector, policy responses developed by governments for the sector across the region and the extent of their impact. They also identified a series of areas for further study and reflection that would highlight key issues informing changes in the agricultural sector and their impact on livelihoods, with a particular emphasis on youth employment.

As a means of following up this initial activity, SID seeks to hold a workshop on Youth and Agricultural Transformation in the EAC: Challenges and Opportunities for Policy Change from 6th–8th June 2016 in Nairobi Kenya. The workshop aims to provide a forum for reflection and skill upgrading for youth leaders and young agropreneurs in conjunction with selected experts covering diverse sectors including research and academia, civil society and government.

The thrust of this workshop will be to try and understand what extra policy efforts need to be made in order to further encourage the participation of young East Africans in the agricultural sector; explore how to address their basic challenges and deliberate on which organizational models may facilitate a scaling-up of successes. It is expected that this workshop will enable participants to reflect on current policy initiatives and how they are perceived and responding to the needs as well as build knowledge and skills amongst the participants with a view to enable them play a greater and more incisive role in shaping policies at their respective national levels.

Objectives
• Map current state of play with respect to youth and agriculture in the region: what are the opportunities, what are the challenges. Explore how the policy process respond in ways and means that facilitate a greater youth engagement in this sector.
• Inform participants not only on the current knowledge and lessons which are available in East Africa but will also touch on how an integrated and comprehensive agricultural policy can be used to promote economic transformation for the youth in the region.
• Provide knowledge and skills to participants to improve their engagement on agricultural policy with a view of exploring youth opportunities for employment in the agricultural sector.

Benefits
• Improved knowledge and understanding of the complex dynamics influencing agricultural development and markets in East Africa today;
• Greater awareness of the opportunities and challenge available to young people interested in participating in the agricultural economy today;
• Deeper knowledge on the complex nature of agricultural development in the East African region and an exposure to alternative ways of growing/ re-shaping the agricultural sector as an attractive employer for the youth.
• A more sophisticated understanding of the policy initiatives aimed at supporting the reform of the agricultural sector, food security and employment within the region, with a particular emphasis on entry points for the youth.
• An improvement of the capacity to participate effectively in local, national and regional agricultural development processes.

Mode of delivery

Language: The working language of the workshop will be English
Duration: 3 days.
Number of participants: A total number of 15 participants will be selected.

Who is eligible?

This is the application form to be used by representatives of Civil Society Organizations and Social Movements to apply for travel support in order to participate in the Youth and Agricultural Transformation in the EAC: Challenges and Opportunities for Policy Change

The following criteria will apply in selection of participants:
• The available funding will be primarily devoted to seek the greatest possible geographic balance, ensure gender balance and seek participation of under-represented constituencies;
• The available funding will also be allocated taking into consideration track record of engagement in the youth, food, agriculture and nutrition processes and interlinked policy domains as well as related expertise/knowledge.

Applicants should be residents or working in one of the following countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

If you wish to participate , kindly fill out the Google Form here . https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zq62tjTdz1P1avfNUivZ7G2I0hdw00ukgO4DkAnVAjE/viewform?c=0&w=1

Society for International Development
Nairobi Office
6th Floor Timau Plaza,
Argwings Khodhek , Hurligham
PO Box 2404- 00100
Tel : 254 726 760 909

Nairobi, Kenya

Twitter : @ainequalities 

Website: www.sidint.net | www.africainequalities.org