Citizen Connections: be a part of change!

Do you want to run a grassroots project that promotes good governance and participatory democracy? Are you in tune with the mobile digital revolution? If so, CFI can help you enhance your digital skills.

This call for applications will select a longlist of 30 promising and committed young citizens for an online training course, at the end of which the 15 most impressive candidates will benefit from a training and networking programme that will enable them to enhance their capabilities and make their projects a reality.

Longlist and final selection

- Longlist:

• 28 July 2016: Call for applications launched

• 9 September 2016: Deadline for applications

• 19 September 2016: Announcement of longlist (30 candidates selected on the basis of their applications)

- Final selection:

• 20 September – 28 October 2016: The longlisted candidates will be invited to carry out various online activities so that their motivation and teamworking abilities can be gauged more closely.

• 4 November 2016: Announcement of the final 15 candidates.

Training sessions in Paris and Africa

• 12–16 December 2016: Intensive course in Paris, which will include individual mentoring sessions, bespoke meetings, expert-led topic-based workshops and a visit to an urban experimental site in Paris

• 13–17 March 2017: Bush Camp (Dakar)

• 8–12 May 2017: Bush Camp (Abidjan)

In these Bush Camps, participants will spend two days in a rural area with no internet access. These "offline" sessions will give the participants a chance to talk to local populations and find concrete solutions to the problems they face. After returning to the city, the participants will be mentored on their projects and attend a workshop on building their project management skills.

• 5–8 June 2017: Final seminar in Paris

Participants will return to Paris to summarise the outcomes of this first programme, examine and assess options for continuing their projects on a long-term basis, organise a "fail con" and join together for a closing ceremony.

The 15 final participants will also enjoy weekly online monitoring of their projects from November 2016 to June 2017.

Are you tempted by the Citizen Connections adventure?
Apply online by 9 September 2016!