GUIDELINES

Background Mission Timeline Structure of the Leadership Board Election Rules Leadership Board Roles and Responsibilities Frequently Asked Questions

Background
At the Third Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy in South Africa in 2004, a group of young democracy and human rights activists from around the world came together to found the World Youth Movement for Democracy (WYMD) to build the capacity of youth, exchange ideas and promote collaboration, and to strengthen international solidarity to support young people working in difficult circumstances. The Network has since grown to over 1,200 members and is a functional network of the World Movement for Democracy, a global network of democracy activists, practitioners, and scholars. Today the Youth Movement serves as a platform for young activists to address the importance of promoting democratic values, a forum for sharing information and ideas, and an action-oriented, solidarity movement. It provides a space for young activists to build relationships with each other, to collaborate across borders, to deepen their knowledge on key issues, and to develop practical skills. Like the World Movement, the Youth Movement aims to support youth participation in efforts to strengthen democracy where it is weak, to reform and invigorate democracy even where it is longstanding, and to bolster pro-democracy groups in countries that have not yet entered into a process of democratic transition. To learn more, we encourage you to follow us on:
www.wymdonline.org

wymdonline

@wymd

Mission
The mission of the World Youth Movement for Democracy is to serve as a platform for young activists to empower each other, share experiences, build solidarity among members, and to develop sustainable democracy and human rights movements by empowering a younger generation in democracy promotion activities.

Timeline
The World Youth Movement for Democracy will be holding its biannual elections for positions on its Leadership Board, with the following timeline.
Dec. 6 Application Open Dec. 17 Application Deadline Dec. 19 Announcement of Candidates Campaigning Begins Jan. 6 Voting Begins Jan. 10 Voting Ends Jan. 13 Announcement of New Leadership Board

Structure of the Leadership Board

Two (2) leaders represent each of five regions: Sub-Saharan Africa; Asia; Europe & Eurasia; the Americas & the Caribbean; and the Middle East & North Africa. The two (2) leaders should be one (1) male and one (1) female.

Election Rules
Application 1. Candidates are required to complete all the application forms, and submit through email before deadline, this years deadline is 9 PM, US East Coast Time on December 17. 2. Candidates are required to submit two (2) letters of support, with at least one (1) being from an affiliated organization.
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3. Endorsements should be hand-written from 20 individuals in support of their candidacy. Candidacy 1. Candidates have to be 30 years of age or younger in the election year (2013). 2. A registered member of WYMDs website: www.wymdonline.org. 3. All candidates have to participate in the online discussion on WYMDs Facebook. WYMDs social media channels are the main campaigning channels. Campaigning Regulations 1. Campaigns should be conducted within the assigned timeline. 2. Campaigns should be conducted respectfully. Hate speech, personal attacks on other candidates, or any other behavior contradicting democratic values will not be tolerated. 3. Comments or allegations on other candidates must be substantiated if made. Any candidate that engages in such behavior during the campaigning period will be immediately disqualified. 4. Candidates may use social networking sites, twitter, SMS, and any online resources to facilitate their campaigns.

Voter Eligibility 1. A person must be 30 years of age or younger in the election year (2013). 2. A person must be a verified member of WYMD; please confirm your eligibility to vote by responding to the email (info@wymdonline.org) . 3. Each eligible voter may vote for one (1) female and one (1) male candidate for each of five regions: Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Europe & Eurasia, Americas & the Caribbean, and the Middle East & North Africa region.

Result Determination 1. The male and female candidates who receive the most votes in each region are confirmed as members of the WYMD Leadership Board. 2. In the event of a tie, a run-off election will be held to determine the winner. Voting fraud, falsification of documents, or improper conduct are grounds for disqualification. Terms of Members 1. Once elected, Leadership Board members serve for a two (2) year term. 2. Members may serve no more than two (2) terms in total.

Leadership Board Role & Responsibilities

World Youth Movement for Democracy Activities o Carry out activities to achieve strategic plan objectives o Build International Youth Day for Democracy o Contribute to WYMD newsletter o Contribute to annual briefing on WYMD activities o Attend leadership board meetings World Youth Movement for Democracy Outreach o Strengthen membership and interact with members o Build regional alliances for WYMD collaboration o Increase visibility of WYMD Network o Represent WYMD at various functions o Associate with likeminded entities or people

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I nominate myself? Can I nominate someone else? Yes, you may nominate yourself or someone you know who cares about democracy. However, any candidacy has to meet the candidacy rules and submit all the application. If we receive a nomination, we will contact the nominee and let them know they are invited to run for the WYMDs Leadership Board. Is the position paid? No, Board Leadership members serve on a voluntary basis. When will we see the results? The 2013 members of the Leadership Board will be announced on December 31, 2013; 1 PM US East Coast Time. Do I have to be fluent in English to serve on the Leadership Board? Fluency in English is not required, but Leadership Board members do need to have a working knowledge of English. Do I have to be from a certain region to run for that region? You need to live in your region to nominate yourself, if you are nominating someone, he or she has to be nominated in his or her region. I was on the leadership board before. Can I run again? You can serve a total of two terms on the Leadership Board. However, you have to meet all the rules and go through all the required process. If I lost in this election. Can I run again? You can run for another elections. However, you have to meet all the rules.