Young people have been at the forefront of leading major political, economic and social changes in Nepal. Most of the transformative political movements have mobilized young people as the driving force behind revolutions, protests and civic disobedience. Young people migrating firstly to urban centers from rural areas and then to foreign countries have transformed the socio-economic realities of the country. However, youth representation at leadership positions in Nepal is minimal at best. While youth have been the driving force behind major changes, they are not involved in decisions on how that change is institutionalized and how it will impact their lives. While the Nepali state and society has time and again recognized the importance of ‘youth’ as change agents, they are yet to be acknowledged as ‘equal partners of today’.
Recognizing this, LEAD International has come up with an innovative idea to identify and celebrate our young leaders and their contribution in nation building. An extensive directory of hundreds of promising young leaders aged between 20 – 35 years, chosen from 8 major sectors (Politics; Business/Enterprise; Civil Society; Professions; Opinion Making/Academia; Arts/Literature; Sports; Civil Service) all over the country is being developed to meet this end. The directory will contain short stories on how the candidate is working to create change in his/her community and larger society. The directory will be a public resource for those looking to work with certain young people of specific sectors in the coming days. Potential work partners could range from government agencies to private organizations or individuals who are aiming to collaborate with young people who have a proven track record of leadership and work well done. Those selected in the list will also be exposed to networking opportunities and subsequently, access to more resources (financial and/or human) to realize their dreams to develop their respective sectors in their communities and/or the nation.
The candidates shall be selected based on nominations (either by referees or by self). An intensive selection criteria has been developed in order to ensure that only the most promising candidates are included in the final directory. The selection criteria primarily focuses on action and result indicators to scrutinize if the candidate has been able to either, create a form of social change, or is currently working to do. The project involves strategically designed manual scouting and snowballing to identify these young leaders which will be complemented by an open call for applications/nominations.
The final directory will be both a physical directory and an e-directory, which can be accessed through a special website designed for this purpose alone.
