For the Changemakers for Democracy Program 2024, applications are being accepted. The work of individuals who represent concepts, inventions, movements, and collectives in Europe that create innovative and revolutionary futures for the current democratic and economic systems is connected, supported, and amplified through “Changemakers for Democracy.”
Up to 15 practitioners, as well as representatives of innovators, groups, and collectives working on new economic paradigms and democratic renewal in Europe, will receive assistance during the course of this 12-month fellowship. Extremism and extreme polarization are presently unprecedented in Europe. In order to change and enhance our democratic and economic institutions, they require creative ideas.
Benefits:
As a Fellow, you can expect:
- Support: Fellows receive support to build their capacity. This can explicitly include paying for services from their existing networks (for which the programme provides a total of 2,500 Euro per fellow), as well as offers the Fellows deem relevant from ChangeXchange’s support network. They also provide support in the areas of online communications and advocacy so that the fellows can amplify/replicate their work and impact.
- Connections: They will host an in-person summit (June 3 – 7, 2024, in Berlin), convening the cohort for 5 days in nature, designed to forge deep, trusting connections, and enable peer learning and future collaborations. They will also bring the group together midway through the programme (September 2024, in Berlin) and connect the Fellows to ecosystem stakeholders.
- Funding: They provide financial support of 50,000 Euro for each initiative, in form of a grant to the Fellow’s charitable non-profit organisation. Individuals without an organisation are encouraged to still apply, as we will be doing our best to find alternatives.
- Co-Creation and Co-Learning: They provide small seed grants to support cross-border co-creation/co-learning initiatives which can help mobilise democratic renewal across the region, using an approach of ‘participatory and collaborative budgeting’.
- Community: Fellows get opportunity to connect with and learn from others working across different dimensions of democratic and economic renewal, helping to seed inspiration and build solidarity between movements in Europe. They will also get a chance to join the global CXC network, which includes lifelong access to resources and regular opportunities to connect, learn & co-create with social innovators, activists and movement builders across the world.
Cost:
- ChangemakerXchange will cover all costs associated with the physical gatherings and programme, such as: travel to and back from host cities, accommodation, catering, local transportation, room hire, equipment & material, COVID-19 rapid tests, FFP2 masks, facilitation & hosting compensation, carbon emissions offsetting derived from the local hosting, post-summit capacity-building programme and post-summit community engagement activities.
Eligibility:
- Applicants working in Europe, and/or resident in one of the eligible countries: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and United Kingdom and with ideas / initiatives that create impact in one or several of the countries mentioned above.
- They are looking for people who represent ideas, innovations, movements and collectives, which fit the theme of the Fellowship (democratic and economic renewal) and who are deeply rooted in the communities they work for. Whilst they are open to applications from the founders or leaders of initiatives, they acknowledge that democracy is a collective endeavour, hence they are explicitly open to people who have been nominated or ‘put forward’ by their collective or team in order to represent them and their ideas.
- They invite people of all ages to apply for the programme.
- Whilst the selection of ideas will be based on the validity of great ideas rather than high proficiency of English, the Fellowship will be hosted in English, meaning a good level of understanding and ability to express oneself in English is required to participate in the programme. They openly acknowledge that being unable to facilitate multi-language participation is an unfortunate shortcoming and hope for everyone’s understanding.
