2025 Incomindios UN Youth Scholarship: Applications Now Open

The Experience in Detail: UNPFII 21 April - 2 May 2025 - New York, USA

Successful scholars will not just attend the UNPFII, but should expect to:

• Actively participate in international policy discussions, offering your unique perspective to shape the development of global strategies on Indigenous rights and environmental justice;

• Network with a dynamic team of like-minded Indigenous youth activists from around the world;

• Become an important part of the Global Youth Caucus and amplify your voice alongside peers who share your passion and determination;

• Make valuable connections with influential Indigenous representatives within the UN community.

 

A particularly valuable element of this opportunity is the chance to share experiences, learn from, and form friendships with other activists. This is expressed in the words of some of our past scholars:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"In 2019, I was selected as an Incomindios Youth scholarship recipient. I travelled with Incomindios to the United Nations in New York to advocate for the protection, preservation and revitalization of Indigenous languages: the experience was life-changing. I was able to meet and collaborate with so many other amazing people that are working to advance Indigenous rights, and experience first-hand how the UN works. The experience also inspired me to start my own grassroots organization which works to revitalize the Anishinaabe language, an Indigenous language spoken throughout the Great Lakes region. However, the best part of the experience has been the continued support from Incomindios – they continue to be one of the biggest supporters of my advocacy and work!" - Cassandra Spade (First Nations, Canada – Anishinaabe)

Cassandra Spade (she/her) is a grassroots, human rights activist from the Mishkeegogamang First Nation, located in Northwestern Ontario. She is the founder of Gaa-Minwaajindizowaaj (“GAAM”), an organization that provides Anishinaabe language and cultural programming. Currently, she is a law student at the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law. To find out more about her work, please visit this link.

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"It is difficult to listen to each of the experiences lived in the Indigenous territories because they all share dispossession, extractivism, deforestation, destruction and contamination of rivers that are sources of life. [...] In this forum, we are people from different generations, young and old, who also come to denounce the criminalization of our movement for the protection of our territories." - María Tzuc Dzib (Mayan, Yucatán, México)

María Tzuc Dzib is a Mayan activist from the Yucatán peninsula, originally from the Tizimín community. She is an audiovisual documentary filmmaker with a Masters in Anthropological Sciences from the University of Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Iztapalapa. Maria is a member of the Indigenous Futures network, whose work consists of building communication and creating the narratives that best shape the future protection of Indigenous territories. 

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"For me, UNPFII is a space and opportunity to continue working for the future for our people, but in connection and collaboration with organisations and fellow Indigenous from around the world." - Jermani Ojeda Ludeña (Quechua, Peru)

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If you would like to be part of this year's vibrant group of Indigenous youth activists at the UNPFII, we invite you to apply here by 5th December 2024. We also ask other readers to share this article with potential candidates. For any questions, email us directly at scholarship@incomindios.ch; please also get in contact if you are interested in collaborating with us. You can donate to Incomindios here to finance the scholarship and our other projects - we are very grateful for your support.

 

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The deadline to apply for the UN Youth Scholarship is 5th December 2024. The 2025 UNPFII session takes place in New York on 21th April to 2nd May .

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