A concept note of the Bibi Gul Youth and Adult Literacy Contest for Theme: ‘Literacy For Social Change& Sustainable Development’ Background With the technical support of UNESCO Office in Afghanistan and in close coordination with the Office Of the First Lady, the Deputy Ministry of Education for Literacy (DMoEL) and the Office of the Second Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan , and with the financial support from the Governments of , Sweden and Finland, the first national literacy Contest for Afghanistan was organized in 2016 to recognize the outstanding works of Institutions, organization and other entities or Non-governmental organizations which implement innovative and effective approaches for enhancement of youth and adult literacy . The Contest is named after the First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, H.E Mrs. Rula Ghani (Bibi Gul), who is also the Good Will Ambassador for literacy in Afghanistan. The first award ceremony was organized to align with International Literacy Day, which is celebrated globally on 8th September every year. However, due to the low number of submissions that were received the submission deadline was extended and so was the award ceremony which later on took place in December 2016. This year the contest will be launched on the occasion of marking ILD 2017, at Amani High school, .

Purpose

The main purpose of Bibi Gul Youth and Adult Literacy Contest for Afghanistan is to recognize and award those organizations and institutions that contribute significantly to the enhancement of literacy in Afghanistan and especially those serving the marginalized, underprivileged and underserved rural minority communities and women. This Contest idea was proposed by UNESCO Office in Kabul and is expected to be awarded annually with the support of the Government of Afghanistan and other stakeholders. The Contest will contribute to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all; and in particular the SDG 4 target on youth and adult literacy, that is, by 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy.

Planning /organization

The planning process for the Bibi Gul Youth and Literacy Contest for Afghanistan will involve setting up a Steering Committee comprised of representatives from the Office of the First Lady, the Office of the Second Vice President, and the National Commission of Afghanistan for UNESCO, the Deputy Ministry of Education for Literacy (DMoEL), and with UNESCO as the technical committee member. The Committee will be tasked with the responsibility of overall planning and management of the awarding of the Contests. Designation, funding, amount and periodicity The Contest shall be entitled ‘Bibi Gul Youth and Literacy Contest for Afghanistan’ currently funded by the Governments of Sweden and Finland through the ‘Programme for Enhancement of Literacy in Afghanistan (ELA). The Contest consists of $2,000 for the winner and $1000 and $500 for the second and third runners up of the contest respectively. There are plans to reach out to other donors to support its sustainability, preferably through a commitment to recurrent funding over several years. Since its inception in 2016, full support for the Contest in terms of planning and management, including all costs related to organizing the award ceremony, public awareness and advocacy e.g. design, development and dissemination of public information material have come from the Programme for Enhancement of Literacy (ELA) budget. In addition, there is no designated overhead or operational budget for the Contest as it is a part of ELA programme activities. Qualifications and Selection: The main objective of the Bibi Gul Youth and Adult Literacy Contest for Afghanistan is to recognize the outstanding work of government, non-governmental organizations and institutions that come up with innovative and efficient approaches for the enhancement of literacy in Afghanistan. Therefore, the candidates shall have made significant contribution to literacy work serving the rural youth and adults of Afghanistan, particularly women and minority groups. Contests may be conferred upon individuals, institutions, organizations and other entities serving within the jurisdiction of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The Contest winner shall be selected on the basis of the assessment and recommendations of an independent jury for having demonstrated their contribution to youth and adult literacy work through:ithin the following specified categories: ‘Innovative approaches to delivery of youth and adult literacy in Afghanistan including the use of ICT and digital technology in literacy; literacy through use of technologies.’ The Jury and its tenure: The jury shall comprise five members, 2 of which will be independent people with recognized reputation and experience in the field of youth and adult education, as well as knowledge and understanding of the Afghanistan context, gender equality, and inclusion of disadvantaged groups. The jury shall elect its own Chair and Deputy. The other 3 members will be nominated by the office of the First Lady, UNESCO and DMoEL. Members will not receive any remuneration for their work except for travel and accommodation, where it is deemed necessary. During the assessment and evaluation of the candidates’ applications, the quorum of three jurors will be required for any deliberation to be undertaken. In addition, the decisions of the jury shall be taken by consensus; where this is not possible, the jury shall resort to secret ballot until a simple majority is obtained. Finally, the jury shall send the assessment of nominations and accompanying recommendations to the Steering Committee comprising of representatives from the office of the First lady, UNESCO, Deputy Ministry of Education for Literacy, Office of the First Vice President and one civil society organization. Submission of applications: (i) A detailed background of the work of the applying organization in adult education in the relevant areas of the Contest. (ii) A detailed description of the particular achievements of this work, both the methods used and the outcomes realized for affected communities, including publications and other supporting documents of major importance submitted as annexes for consideration. (iii) A summary description specifying how the results of the applicant’s work contribute to the relevant field of the Contest and meet its objectives. (iv) Interested applicants can send their submissions with supporting materials to [email protected], and hard copies to the Deputy Minister of Literacy Secretariat in Kabul or at any of the Provincial Literacy Department Offices before or on 28th of October 2017 by 4:00PM Kabul time. (v) Applicants who have already submitted hard copies of their applications can resend soft copies of their submissions to the email above. Procedure for the Awarding the Contest The Contest will be awarded by the First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan at an official ceremony The First Lady will present the Contest winners with a cheque in the amount of the Contest as well as a certificate of recognition. In case the work being recognized has been carried out by two or more persons or organizations, the Contest will be awarded to them jointly. Contests may also be awarded posthumously. Should a selected candidate decline the Contest, the jury will be asked to submit a substitute, preferably the candidate who came fourth in the initial assessment. Timelines: Submission duration: 6 weeks Months Submission Start date: 12th September 2017 Deadline for Submission of applications: 28th -October 2017 Application Assessment and recommendations 29th October– 8th November 2017 Literacy Award Ceremony: 9th November 2017