Call For Proposals – Strengthening Peace through Arts, Culture and

UNESCO, in collaboration with UNDP, seeks to strengthen youth resilience to violent and non-violent forms of extremism by leveraging arts, culture and sports; the intervention will focus on urban underprivileged youth residing in People’s Housing Programs – Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) in Malaysia. UNESCO’s Culture for Peace (C4P) Report has shown that engagement with the arts permits at-risk youth to construct their own identity and develop a sense of agency. The arts, culture and sports can be powerful enablers of peace, bringing people together from different backgrounds, promoting understanding and trust through the development of soft skills such as respect, conflict resolution and teamwork, emphasizing peace as both an outcome and a process.

There are limited preventing violent extremism (PVE) interventions in Malaysia that leverage the arts, culture and sports; existing PVE initiatives have so far focused primarily on engaging university students. Current interventions in PPR communities are more focused on improving levels of health and education for all age groups. In response to this gap, UNESCO and UNDP will roll out a series of Strengthening Peace through Arts, Culture and Sports (SPACES) capacity-building workshops and sports clinics, tapping into existing community forums in PPRs that have been sensitized to arts and culture-based programmes. It is envisioned that these activities will provide a safe platform for the youths to learn about the different communities and to discuss sensitive issues within the framework of multiculturalism and interfaith harmony. In turn, stakeholders will gain a better understanding that allows for more targeted policymaking.

For the present Terms of Reference, UNESCO seeks a qualified entity to develop a social media campaign, highlighting real life examples of youth resilience and peacebuilding, particularly those that have employed arts, culture or sports to improve their lives. The campaign shall provide an opportunity for youths to recognize their agency, inspire others to act and advocate for change – shifting perceptions of PPR youth, reducing stigmatization and raising awareness of their needs. The campaign content is expected to include short videos, which can be uploaded to social media platforms and subsequently monitored to gauge the level of interest and engagement.

Announcement

Announcement

The campaign shall be implemented through UNESCO’s existing official communication channels. The Contractor shall not create or manage dedicated project-specific social media accounts unless explicitly authorized by UNESCO. Paid social media advertising, boosted posts and media buying shall not be included unless explicitly approved by UNESCO.