Launching the Young South Asian Leaders Initiative (YSALI)

Executive Summary

U.S. Embassy Colombo, in collaboration with the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Office of Press and Public Diplomacy, invites proposal submissions from U.S. public and private academic, cultural, and exchange-of-persons institutions, and other not-for-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501 (c) (3) (see section C. Eligibility Information) for the design and implementation of U.S. and regional workshops for the inaugural cohort of the Young South Asia Leaders Initiative (YSALI). This is an exciting opportunity to inform a new youth leadership initiative at the U.S. Department of State in a dynamic region with a significant youth population. YSALI is a new network, modeled on existing programs like the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), and others, designed to deliver on the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) by building the capacity of young leaders in South Asia. South Asia's more than 420 million young people will be pivotal to meeting regional and global challenges. YSALI's investment in youth from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka will help empower young leaders in the region to tackle shared challenges.

Background

YSALI is a new network conceived by the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Office of Press and Public Diplomacy in consultation with constituent posts, drawing on best practices from existing State Department networks for young leaders in other regions. SCA intends to build the YSALI network from existing country-specific and regional youth initiatives, offering membership to already identified young people, and moving them up the ladder of engagement with the United States by offering new opportunities and a shared platform for connection. This configuration will help build the network in a controlled growth format. The YSALI themes are: 1) driving prosperity through entrepreneurship, 2) democratic resilience and a vibrant civil society, and 3) regional climate resilience.

Project Audience

Participants will be undergraduate students, recent graduates, or young professionals aged 18-30 from the seven countries in South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka). Mission India will manage the YSALI membership for Bhutan. All programs will be conducted in English and all participants must be able to understand and communicate in English. As needed, the implementer will be required to provide accommodations for Deaf, hard of hearing, and/or visually impaired participants to ensure they are ability to fully participate in workshops.

For each individual workshop, the recipient will coordinate with the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, U.S. Embassy Colombo, and the other U.S. embassies in South Asia to recruit and select 80-100 participants from among the pool of YSALI members. For the regional climate resilience workshop, participants should have demonstrated strong community leadership skills, and the drive to make impactful change in their communities. For the civic engagement workshop, participants should have a demonstrated commitment to develop and sustain community projects, and the initiative to promote civic participation and good governance. Participants may not participate in both workshops; each will have a unique cohort of 80-100 participants.

YSALI Network Goal

YSALI will become a powerful network to advance the vision of a connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient Indo-Pacific by connecting and empowering promising young leaders through the region to tackle shared challenges.

YSALI Network Objectives:

1. To connect like-minded young leaders across the region, through participatory workshops and subsequent collaboration across the region via a small grants program.
2. To sustain connections through the creation of a virtual network of emerging leaders.
3. To deepen participants' understanding of current issues and opportunities and equip young leaders with the confidence and skills to address regional challenges.
4. To instill a shared sense of place and identity within the larger Indo-Pacific community.
5. The concepts of leadership, giving back to the community, and strengthening a sense of identify and place within the broader Indo-Pacific based on shared values and shared challenges should be integrated into the program.
6. To build leadership capacity among cohort members, and foster the spirit of community service, while increasing understanding of the United States and the South Asia region, to address common goals.

FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING EXPECTED ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAM SPECIFIC GUIDANCES, PLEASE REVIEW THE FULL NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY IN THE ATTACHMENTS.