SCHOLARSHIP : CrossCulture Internships Programme deadline 29 January 2014

CrossCulture Plus

With its special CrossCulture Plus funding programme, the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations, ifa) is advocating political, social and cultural change in Arab countries in transition in the scope of the transformation partnerships as a partner of the Federal Foreign Office.

Aims of the funding programme

The programme offers young professionals and volunteers from Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Libya the opportunity to expand their professional and socio-political competence through internships and to gain intercultural experience in the host country – with the aim of creating new partnerships between the Arab partner countries and Germany and to deepen existing cooperation. Scholarship holders will become multipliers who will contribute to the development of democratic structures after their return to their home countries. The aim is to bring young people and their organisations into contact with each other beyond cultural boundaries in order to open up new perspectives on development and social change.
In addition to offering grants for internships, CrossCulture Plus is funding smaller projects of CrossCulture Alumni which strengthen the civil society structures in the countries involved.

Areas of emphasis and target groups

CrossCulture Plus offers internships in the following work areas:

• Knowledge society & education
• Legal dialogue, justice & human rights
• International politics & civic education
• Environment
• Economy & development cooperation
• Media
• Culture & art

The target groups in the Arab countries are young professionals and volunteers from various areas of civil society and multipliers in reform relevant organisations and media.

Organisation of the internship

The internship will last at least six weeks and up to a maximum of three months and will be individually scheduled according to profile, needs and availability. The internships will be supplemented by a tailor-made framework programme – for example, accompanying events like an intercultural workshop or individual visits – during the stay in the host country.

The internships are characterised by the fact that they can be individually adapted to the requirements and wishes of the scholarship holders both in terms of content and organisation. Thanks to this personalised and needs-oriented concept, they are very well-suited in supporting the programme participants to acquire professional and intercultural competence in their specific area of work and thus extending their ability to engage in dialogue.

Please note
Due to violent conflict situation and political instability, scholarships for applicants from Afghanistan and Syria are not allocated in the year 2014.

Application
The announcement of the CrossCulture Internships programme (CCP) is carried out by ifa with the assistance of the German diplomatic missions abroad. Applications have to be send via e-mail to the German diplomatic missions of the applicants´ home countries. The application deadline is 29 January 2014 (date of receipt at the German diplomatic mission).

Requirements
Requirements for taking part in the CrossCulture Internships programme include a good command of English and a permanent involvement in an organisation or institution in one’s own country. Knowledge of the German language is an additional qualification, not a requirement. Applicants should be aged between 20 to 45 years. Currently enrolled university students will not be considered for selection. Furthermore the applicants must be in good health. Their physical as well as mental working capacity must be sufficient for the requirements of a longer stay abroad and the essential work requirements of the internship.

Benefits
The interns' travel and subsistence expenses are covered by the programme funds. This includes a monthly grant of 550 Euro, travel costs to Germany and urban local traffic, as well as visa fees, health insurance and accommodation. The latter is either a private room in a shared flat (according to gender), a private room in a host family or a small furnished apartment. Accommodation includes cost for electricity, water and heating; whereas telephone and internet facilities are not included.


Selection Procedure
The filled in and signed application forms along with a passport picture are to be submitted via e-mail to the German diplomatic mission of the applicant’s home country. The application deadline is 29 January 2014 (date of receipt at the German diplomatic mission). Only complete e-mail applications will be processed! Please pay attention to the technical requirements of application e-mail.

The staff of the German diplomatic missions abroad will screen all applications and invite some applicants to an interview. Hereafter the embassies’ and consulates’ selection of applications is forwarded to the ifa in Stuttgart, Germany. The final selection of CrossCulture Internships participants is made in cooperation with the German Federal Foreign Office.
The nomination of the participants will be announced in April. Letters of refusal will be sent without further explanations in May 2014. No one has a legal right to be selected for the CrossCulture Internships programme.

info from :
 http://www.ifa.de
http://www.daadjkt.org