Tag Archives: Financial Aids

The LAS VEGAS USA – SFL at FreedomFest 2014

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Deadline: 9 May 2014
Open to: students
Venue: 9-12 July, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, NV

Description

We are excited to announce that we will once again be offering student scholarships to attend FreedomFest this year! This will be our fifth year of bringing the best and brightest of the student movement to this mecca of liberty. FreedomFest is an annual festival where “free minds meet” to celebrate great books, great ideas, and great thinkers in an open-minded society. With speakers such as John Allison, Steve Forbes, Art Laffer & Doug Casey the conference is packed with leaders of liberty speaking to inspire and educate attendees. The theme for FreedomFest this year will be “Is Big Brother Here?”.

FreedomFest 2014 will take place from July 9 – 12 at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, NV

The purpose of this scholarship is to provide students with an opportunity to develop your leadership skills, network with activists in the liberty movement, and provide training and experience in running events for liberty. Recipients who are awarded a scholarship will have their registration to FreedomFest and housing covered by SFL. However travel costs will still be the responsibility of the individual.

All scholarship recipients will be expected to do the following:

  • Attend the conference in full to get the most possible out of it.
  • Attend the conference in business casual or business formal wear.
  • Assist as a FreedomFest volunteer in several capacities as needed by FreedomFest.
  • Assist as in covering the SFL booth at FreedomFest at designated times during the conference as well as promoting SFL with attendees in your interactions with them.
  • Attend all 3 SFL Sessions during FreedomFest
  • Attend the SFL Sponsored Reception
  • Conduct yourself at all times in a respectful manner as a representative of SFL, your school, your group, and yourself.

Application

 

In order to apply, register HERE.

If you have any questions, check the FAQ section or write to: sduke@studentsforliberty.org 

The official web-page.

Hiroshima International Animation Festival Competition 2014

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Deadline: 1 April 2014
Open to: animators around the world
Awards: four main awards and several special prizes; being the Grand Prize approx. EUR 7,000

Description

Hiroshima International Animation Festival is a biennial manifestation held in Hiroshima City in August, endorsed by Association Internationale du Film d’Animation (ASIFA). It was established in 1985, as a project commemorating the 40th anniversary of the atomic bombing. On the occasion of the 14th edition Hiroshima 2012, the competition attracted 2,110 entries from 63 countries and regions, and 34,715 people participated during the five days of the festival.

The fifteenth international animation festival Hiroshima has recently announced the Call for Entries for its 2014 competition, inviting entries from animators around the world. Short animated films of no more than 30 minutes, completed after 1st April 2012, can be submitted.

Hiroshima International Animation Festival was established in 1985, as a project commemorating the 40th anniversary of the atomic bombing. From the beginning, Hiroshima City and ASIFA shared the same idea, that is, to promote the international mutual understanding and to pursue eternal world peace through the development of animation art, which is a medium common to all human beings beyond nations and languages. The creation of this festival was largely due to the earnest efforts of the two animation filmmakers like Renzo Kinoshita, who at that time was serving as a Board Member of ASIFA and the President of ASIFA-Japan, and Sayoko Kinoshita, who was serving as the General Secretary of ASIFA-Japan. Sayoko has been the festival director since the first edition, dedicating herself to lay foundation of this festival until today, and is now also the Vice-President of ASIFA and President of ASIFA-Japan.

Eligibility

The following are the qualifications required for entry works in the Festival:

  1. Entry works shall be made “frame by frame”, including computer graphics animation;
  2. Entries shall be either film or videotape;
  3. Films shall be presented in 16mm or 35mm format and use an optical soundtrack system. Films should also have a 3m leader;
  4. Videotapes shall be on HDCAM-NTSC or Digital Betacam-NTSC format. Videotapes shall start with a color-bar for 1 minute and 5 seconds black;
  5. Running time shall be within 30 minutes;
  6. Works shall be those that have been completed after April 1, 2012;
  7. Copyrighted characters, scripts, music, etc., cannot be used in the works without the copyright owner’s agreement. Failure to obtain such agreement will result in the works being disqualified from competition;
  8. Each film or videotape shall contain one work only;
  9. Works which have already been awarded prizes at other festivals are eligible. In this case, a listing of all awards and prizes received must be fully indicated on the entry form.

Awards

The official prizes are:

  • Grand Prize:￥1,000,000;
  • Hiroshima Prize: ￥1,000,000;
  • Debut Prize: ￥500,000;
  • Renzo Kinoshita Prize: ￥300,000.

There will be also a Special International Jury Prize and a Special Prize.  The Organizing Committee also welcomes certain organizations wishing to present its own special prizes and cash awards.

Application

Entries will be accepted till April 1st, 2014.

Please fill this application form. Once fulfilled, print it and send it with the rest of the materials to the address:

International Animation Festival – HIROSHIMA 2014
4-17 Kako-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730-0812 JAPAN

For further information, please visit the official website.

 

Harvard – 2014 Summer Internship Program – Now Accepting Applications

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The application deadline for all students for Summer 2014 is Sunday, February 16, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Each summer the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University swings open the doors of our vibrant yellow house to welcome a group of talented and curious students as full-time interns – Berkterns! – who are passionate about the promise of the Internet. Finding connected and complementary research inquiries among their diverse backgrounds, students represent all levels of study, are being trained in disciplines across the board, and come from universities all over the world to tackle issues related to the core of Berkman’s research agenda, including law, technology, innovation, and knowledge; the relationships between Internet and civic activity; and the intersection of technology, learning, and development. Summer interns jump head first into the swirl of the Berkman universe, where they are deeply and substantively involved in our research projects and efforts.

Becoming invaluable contributors to the Center’s operation and success, interns conduct collaborative and independent research under the guidance of Berkman staff, fellows, and faculty. Specific roles, tasks, and experiences vary depending on Center needs and interns’ skills; a select list of expected opportunities for Summer 2014 is below. Typically, the workload of each intern is primarily based under one project or suite of projects, with encouragement and flexibility to get involved in additional projects across the Center.

In addition to joining research teams, summer interns participate in special lectures with Berkman Center faculty and fellows, engage each other through community experiences like weekly interns discussion hours, and attend Center-wide events and gatherings with members of the wider Berkman community. As well, each year interns establish new channels for fun and learning, such as organizing topical debates; establishing reading groups and book clubs; producing podcasts and videos; and hosting potlucks, cook-offs, and BBQs (fortunately for us, people share).

The word “awesome” has been thrown around to describe our internships, but don’t take our word for it.  Interns Royze Adolfo and Hilda Barasa documented the summer 2012 internship experience here.  Former intern Zack McCune had this to say: “it has been an enchanting summer working at the berkman center for internet & society.  everyday, i get to hang out with some of the most brilliant people on the planet. we talk, we write (emails), we blog, we laugh, we play rock band. and when things need to get done, we stay late hyped on free coffee and leftover food. it is a distinct honor to be considered a peer among such excellent people. and i am not just talking about the fellows, staff, and faculty, though they are all outstanding. no, i mean my peers as in my fellow interns, who are almost definitely the ripening next generation of changemakers.”

Time Commitment

Summer internships are full time positions (35 hours/week) for 10 weeks.  The Summer 2014 program will run from June 2 through August 8.

Payment

Interns are paid $11.50 an hour, with the exception of certain opportunities for law students who receive summer public interest funds (more about these specific cases at the link for law students below).

Please be forewarned that payment may not be sufficient to cover living expenses in the Boston area. No other benefits are provided, and interns must make their own housing, insurance, and transportation arrangements.

Commitment to Diversity

The work and well-being of the Berkman Center are strengthened profoundly by the diversity of our network and our differences in background, culture, experience, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and much more. We actively seek and welcome applications from people of color, women, the LGBTQIA community, and persons with disabilities, as well as applications from researchers and practitioners from across the spectrum of disciplines and methods.

Eligibility

  • Internships are open to students enrolled across the full spectrum of disciplines.
  • Internships are open to students at different levels of academic study including those in bachelor’s, master’s, law, and Ph.D programs (some flexibility with high school students is possible).
  • Summer interns do not need to be U.S. residents or in school in the U.S.; indeed, we encourage international students to apply.
  • Summer interns do not need an existing affiliation with Harvard University.

Select Expected Summer 2014 Opportunities

Chilling Effects
Summer interns working for Chilling Effects will work on a range of assignments, including: writing blog posts, updating news and research resources for on-site publication; helping with managing and curating the database, including coding metadata and working with source partners to facilitate the ingestion and processing of notices; working on domestic and international collaboration initiatives; event planning and management; and working on research and writing projects centered on the database corpus, either internally or in collaboration with external researchers.   Applicants with coding skills in Ruby and Postgres will have opportunities to work with the new Chilling Effects site. Some thoughts from 2013 Chilling Effects summer interns about their experience can be found here and here.  More information about Chilling Effects is at http://www.chillingeffects.org/.

CopyrightX
CopyrightX is a networked course—not a true MOOC—that the Berkman Center has helped to produce during each of the past two years. The course, offered under the auspices of Harvard Law School, HarvardX, and Berkman, explores the current law of copyright and the ongoing debates concerning how that law should be reformed. Through a combination of pre-recorded lectures, weekly seminars, live webcasts, and online discussions, participants in the course examine and assess the ways in which law seeks to stimulate and regulate creative expression.  Many activities fall under the umbrella of “producing” CopyrightX, including refining the pedagogical model, analyzing course data, vetting and choosing the technology that supports the course (which extends to improving existing tools and creating new ones), and generally ensuring that the course team is up to date on the latest currents in digital learning, blended learning, and online higher education. Law students strongly interested in copyright law and/or pedagogy, who are also excited about delving into the mixed suite of activities mentioned above, are highly encouraged to apply. Several other kinds of talents and interests would be a good fits, too, including education research skills and web development (with an interest in or openness to edu-tech). Find more athttp://copyx.org.

Cyberlaw Clinic
The Cyberlaw Clinic provides high-quality, pro-bono legal services to individuals, start-ups, non-profit organizations, and government entities. Every summer, clinic interns contribute to a wide range of real-world projects related to the Internet and technology. Interns may help the Clinic team provide guidance on open access, digital copyright, and fair use issues; support advocacy efforts to protect online speech and anonymity; develop legal resources for citizen journalists and new media organizations; advise courts on innovative uses of technology to increase citizens’ access to justice; or draft reference documents and training materials for educators on children’s privacy and online safety. Interns in the Cyberlaw Clinic can expect direct hands-on experience working with clients under the supervision of the Clinic’s staff attorneys. More information about the Cyberlaw Clinic can be found at http://cyberlawclinic.berkman.harvard.edu.

Digital Media and Communications Squad
The intern with Berkman’s digital media and communications squad will have a chance to use a number of video and audio production resources to tell the world about the amazing Internet research and action coming out of Berkman. This intern will be chiefly responsible for helping to create the Radio Berkman audio podcast, but will also play a role in producing video (like these).  On any given day you could be interviewing a senior Berkman researcher or guest, helping to produce a dynamic video explainer on Internet censorship, or digging up astonished cat GIFs to accompany a blog post about the latest NSA-leak revelations. This intern should have: (1) experience with audio editing software (Logic, Soundtrack, Audacity, Soundbooth, or other); (2) excellent writing skills; and (3) enthusiasm and an open mind for creating and executing fun ideas. Useful but not mandatory: experience in video production/editing, Photoshop/Illustrator, animation, social media management, WordPress/Drupal platforms.

Digital Media Law Project
Summer interns at the Digital Media Law Project will work on a wide range of legal research and writing projects relating to media law, intellectual property, and the intersection of journalism and the internet. In past years, interns have updated the Legal Guide to media law topics, developed entries for the database of threats against online publishers, commented on current issues in law and media on theblog, and provided research and drafting assistance on amicus briefs. Interns may also be asked to assist with the operation and expansion of the Online Media Legal Network, an attorney referral service for digital publishers, and with other projects that the DMLP undertakes in conjunction with its partner organizations around the world. More information on can be found on the DMLP website athttp://www.dmlp.org/about/summer-internships.

Digital Problem-Solving Initiative
The Digital Problem-Solving Initiative (DPSI) is a University-wide, highly-collaborative project that begun as a pilot in Spring 2013 to offer Harvard students the opportunity to strengthen their digital competencies by learning and working in small interdisciplinary teams of faculty, staff members, and students from across the University on practicable use cases of digital problem solving. The DPSI pilot has prototyped an open and collaborative model in which students work with mentors at the University, engage with real use cases in a range of areas, generate tangible and useful outputs, and inform the development of DPSI overall. Past use cases have concerned diverse topics like innovation spaces, museums/technology-enhanced curatorial practices, big data, institutional uses of social media, and online organizational identity-building. (See an example of innovation spaces here).   DPSI interns will support the Berkman team in assessing the 13-14 DPSI pilot and planning for the program’s future expansion. Work may include outreach across the University and schools, interaction with faculty, staff, and students, event planning, report writing, and general creative thinking and brainstorming. Compelling candidates could be interested in and/or excited about any of the topics mentioned above, as well as innovation at universities and within education, design, student entrepreneurship, team building and collaboration, interdisciplinarity and technology. Most importantly, candidates should be creative, independent thinkers, strong communicators, and team players.  For more information, visit http://dpsipilot.tumblr.com/.

Freedom of Expression
The Berkman Center’s suite of freedom of expression-related projects, including Internet Monitor, Herdict, and others, is seeking a small team of interns to conduct research on Internet filtering, monitoring, and control efforts around the globe; engage in related data gathering efforts using online sources; contribute to report writing; blog regularly about issues concerning online freedom of expression; and manage various projects’ Twitter and Facebook accounts.  In the past, interns have also supported research on blogospheres and other online communities around the world, contributed to literature reviews, and hand coded online content.  Foreign language skills, particularly in Persian, Arabic, Russian, and Chinese, are useful.  More information about some of Berkman’s work on freedom of expression can be found at the following links: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/research/internetmonitor ; http://www.herdict.org/web/.

Geek Cave
Interns joining the Geek Cave may extend open source software, build scalable websites, or manage the mixed desktop network that keeps the Center moving. Our team works with ruby, perl, php, bash, jQuery, PostgreSQL, MySQL and a slew of other tools.  We have a small group of talented, devoted, fun, full-time developers on staff that can help hone your 1337 coding skillz as well provide fun projects to pair code or geek out on; two project managers to help you keep your work on track; and hardware and software support to help deploy your projects on Berkman infrastructure. More info about the projects that we work on can be found on our github organization page athttp://github.com/berkmancenter.

Internet Governance
The Berkman Center seeks a team of interns to do research and planning around multistakeholder models for Internet governance andrecent related events on the global landscape. On the heels of the announcement from Brazilian President Dilma Roussef and ICANN(Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) of a high-level commission charged with investigating different modes of Internet governance as well as a large conference to take place in São Paolo, Brazil, in April to explore different findings, Berkman — in collaboration with its international partners — plans to contribute to the academic debate with literature reviews, briefing documents, expert opinions, and workshops. Internet governance interns will work closely with Professor Urs Gasser and Research Director Rob Faris and should be adept researchers and communicators interested in international relations and Internet policy.  For more information on the unfolding debate around Internet governance, see “The Internet Governance Project,” articles in CircleID, and 1net.org, the public-facing website and discussion forum for the panel on the future of Internet governance.

Internet Robustness – Software Development
The intern for the Internet Robustness project will work to extend open source development for software that makes (you guessed it) the Internet more robust and resilient to attacks and disappearing content. Our Robustness software is written in Lua, with a little bit of php and C, but we’re interested in anyone who wants to help code our way to a better Web. The Internet Robustness software development intern will also work closely with the Berkman Center’s Geek Cave and have opportunities for paired development on other spiffy projects.  Read more about the project at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/research/internetrobustness.

Harvard Open Access Project (HOAP)
HOAP fosters open access (OA) to research within Harvard and beyond, undertakes research on OA, and provides OA to timely and accurate information about OA itself. HOAP interns may enlarge the Open Access Directory (OAD), a wiki-based encyclopedia of OA, help with ongoing OA research projects, or contribute to the Open Access Tracking Project (OATP), a social-tagging project organizing knowledge about OA. They might also help document and promote TagTeam, a HOAP-directed open-source tagging platform built at Berkman to support OATP. More information about HOAP can be found at: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/hoap/Main_Page.

Media Cloud – Research and Technical Development
Media Cloud, a joint project of the Berkman Center and the MIT Center for Civic Media, seeks summer interns to contribute to our team’s effort to build new tools and methods that allow us to study and better analyze the shape and dynamics of the networked public sphere.Research interns with Media Cloud will contribute to the research, data collection, and synthesis of case studies developed as part of the Controversy Mapping tool, which allows researchers to use the Media Cloud platform’s data collection and network visualization tools to map the evolution of a particular public affair, debate, or policy conversation (such as controversies related to the SOPA/PIPA debate,Trayvon Martin, NSA, and more).  Technical development interns with Media Cloud will help to extend and improve the project’s features.  We are looking for developers interested in online media research, big data, and natural language processing.  More information about Media Cloud is available at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/research/mediacloud and you can see the project in action athttp://www.mediacloud.org.

metaLAB
metaLAB is a research and teaching unit dedicated to exploring and expanding the frontiers of networked culture in the arts and humanities. In summer 2014, an intern will help us to produce a workshop in digital art history involving scholars, developers, and designers from across the country, which takes place at the end of June. In the balance of the summer, the intern’s time will be split between Teaching with Things, an initiative to explore the use of multimedia to document, annotate, and remix objects in Harvard’s libraries and museums for teaching; and a project documenting urban ecology. These projects will call upon writing, media, and design skills, and will furnish opportunities for learning across such varied domains as ethnography, editing, and software development. Some time will be spent outdoors in summer weather, likely in forested urban settings.  More about metaLAB is available athttp://metalab.harvard.edu/.

Online Intermediaries
The Berkman Center, in conjunction with the Network of Interdisciplinary Research Centers for Internet & Society, is taking the lead on a multi-year research project intended to produce several policy-oriented studies of online intermediaries in a range of international contexts. The overarching focus will be areas of convergence and disagreement regarding the liability and responsibility of online intermediaries, and the ways in which the liability to which they are subject influences their ultimate success or failure.  Summer interns working on this effort may be asked to help curate and expand a shared repository of materials for the projects research groups, research and edit country case studies and use cases, create a synthesizing white paper, and coordinate efforts with partners and colleagues.

Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data
The Privacy Tools for Sharing Research Data project is a collaboration between three Harvard institutions – the Center for Research on Computation & Society (CRCS) at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Institute for Quantitative Social Science (IQSS), and the Berkman Center.  The project seeks to develop computational and legal methods, tools, and policies to further the tremendous value that can come from collecting, analyzing, and sharing data while more fully protecting the privacy of individuals whose information resides within large data sets. The Berkman Center’s role in this collaboration is to identify shortcomings in legislation and policy, and to create legal instruments that complement the new technical approaches to privacy being developed by our collaborators in the project.   The Berkman team is looking for rising second and third-year law students to help with research and analysis on privacy law and policy issues.  Summer interns may conduct research and write memoranda on selected topics in law, draft data sharing agreements, aid in the development of new conceptual models for privacy legislation, summarize recent publications in professional journals, and attend lectures and events with the larger project team.  Other opportunities to participate in project activities may arise during the summer.  More information about the project can be found on the Privacy Tools project website at http://privacytools.seas.harvard.edu/.

Student Privacy Initiative
The Berkman Center’s Student Privacy Initiative explores the opportunities and challenges that may arise as educational institutions consider adopting cloud computing technologies. As we conduct our research, we are engaging multiple stakeholders– from district officials to policymakers to industry members to teachers, parents, and students–to develop shared good practices that promote positive educational outcomes, harness technological and pedagogical innovations, and protect critical values. Summer interns will be asked to work across three overlapping clusters: Privacy Expectations & Attitudes, School Practices & Policies, and Law & Policy, interfacing internally with the Cyberlaw Clinic as well as the Youth and Media Project. In addition to ongoing research tasks, summer interns might help to draft research briefs, white papers, and website updates, as well as to coordinate with and engage external organizations working in the K-12 edtech innovation space. More information is available at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/research/studentprivacy.

Youth and Media
During a summer at Youth and Media, summer interns will contribute to various research, advocacy, and development initiatives around youth and technology. By understanding young people‘s interactions with digital media such as the Internet, cell phones, and video games, this highly collaborative project aims to gain detailed insights into youth practices and digital fluencies, harness the associated opportunities, address challenges, and ultimately shape the evolving regulatory and educational framework in a way that advances the public interest.  For 2014, we are looking for candidates with strong academic training and experience in qualitative research methods to assist with designing, conducting, and analyzing focus group and one-on-one interviews around topics of privacy, information quality and health information, youth use of the Internet in developing countries, and new ways of learning. We would also consider candidates with expertise in these areas to conduct background research and write literature reviews.  Additionally, we are looking for summer interns who can help us create interesting and innovative ways to help conceptualize some of the data we have collected for our current research project around youth and privacy. An example of a previous report (and accompanying infographic) on information quality can be foundhere. Applicant must be professional, proactive, and have strong graphic design skills; please be prepared to submit a sample of your portfolio.  More information about Youth and Media can be found at: www.youthandmedia.org.  See what past Youth and Media interns said about their time at Berkman here.

Special Projects – Jonathan Zittrain
Summer interns will work on a variety of projects undertaken by Professor Jonathan Zittrain, assisting in a variety of research areas (e.g. human computing, linkrot and internet robustness, platforms, and Internet filtering). Summer contributions include research for conferences and presentations; brainstorming article outlines; fact-checking materials; and reviewing original article or paper drafts. This position requires the ability to find, absorb, critically analyze, and debate large amounts of written and other media materials from sources including scholarly articles, news articles and blogs, and interviews with public policymakers. This intern position is ideally suited for students or others who would like to get a deeper understanding of academic research and the broader world of Internet law.  More information about JZ’s research can be found at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/jzittrain and at http://www.jz.org/.

Selectivity / Opportunity

We are fortunate to receive a large number of excellent applications each year and go through a dynamic and highly selective process in which we try to find the best match for individual interns and portfolio needs, but limited slots inevitably mean passing on amazing candidates. We are steadfast, however, in our eagerness for you to work in this space and encourage you to explore other related summer opportunities, including these.

To Apply

We know what you’re thinking. Yes please. I want that. That sounds magical.  Did I mention that I have incredible dance moves?  Here’s what you should do…

Law students: please find application instructions and important additional information here.

Students from disciplines other than law: please find more information and application instructions here.

The application deadline for all students for Summer 2014 is Sunday, February 16, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Questions?

Please start with our Summer Internship Program FAQ.

Have questions not covered in the FAQ? Email Rebecca Tabasky at rtabasky@cyber.law.harvard.edu.

Japan Fund for Global Environment: Grants for NGOs

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Deadline: 12 February 2014
Open to: non-governmental organizations or a non-profit organizations working in the area of environmental conservation
Grant: Average grant per project is 4 million yen

Description

The Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency of Japan (ERCA) has established the Japan Fund for Global Environment (JFGE) through an initial endowment from the Japanese government together with contributions from the private sector, including individuals and private corporations. The interest accrued from these funds is then used to provide support to NGOs working in the area of environmental conservation.

The Japan Fund for Global Environment has been supporting various environmental conservation projects in and outside Japan from the time of its establishment in 1993. With a broader objective to develop national movements to protect the global environment, JFGE aims to support the NGO projects for environmental conservation in developing regions with immediate needs; strengthen Japan’s involvement in global environmental conservation; and to offer people from different fields and classes a chance as a Global Citizen, to participate actively in environmental NGO projects or to contribute money to support environmental NGO projects.

Eligibility

The JFGE supports non-government organizations that work hard and steady for environmental cooperation at a grassroots level from the viewpoint of global environmental conservation. Eligible organizations will be juridical persons or other organizations that are non-profit and base their activities on the public will. This qualification includes foundations, incorporated association, specified non-profit organizations. Unincorporated associations are also included. Business enterprises and local public bodies are not eligible.

Because this grant program is financed with government and private contributions and the grants are awarded through an official system, it is necessary to ensure that grants’ money are used in accordance with the stated goals and that the projects awarded grants are actually implemented.

To give this assurance, grant recipient organizations must be non-government organizations that are engaged in global environmental conservation activities and that are one of the following:

1. Juridical persons in Japan established in accordance with the provisions of Article 34 of Japan’s Civil Code, or their equivalent nonprofit organizations.

2. Organizations in Japan founded in accordance with the provisions of Article 10 of Japan’s Law to Promote Specified Nonprofit Activities and engaged in specified nonprofit activities.

3. Non-governmental, nonprofit, unincorporated associations that satisfy all the requirements below:

  • The association must possess Articles of Incorporation or equivalent bylaws.
  • The association must possess a well-established body that makes decisions for the organization and implements the project for which the Grant is requested.
  • The association must possess an accounting structure capable of bookkeeping and self-auditing.
  • The association must possess an office that serves as a base of their activities.
  • The association must be deemed to have capacity to execute the project for which the Grant is sought, judging from its track record.

Grants

Two types of grant are available for this year. If your organization was established less than ten years ago and it is the first time to be granted by JFGE, you must download the Entry grant  guide. Otherwise download the Regular Grant guide.

Application

The deadline for applying is 12 February 2014.

Download the Grant Application Form for new projects HERE ( Grant Application Form (New Projects) (PDF 460KB) ) or for continuing projects HERE ( Grant Application Form (Continued Projects) (PDF 442KB) ). The following procedures should be fulfilled:

  1. Organizations wishing to apply for the JFGE Grant must submit the Grant Application Form during the fixed time period for that fiscal year (beginning of January to middle of February) to the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency (see contact details below).
  2. The Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency shall conduct a review and hearing on the contents of the grant applications. An informal decision on grant recipients and grant amounts will be made based on the opinion of the JFGE Management Council. The selected organization will be sent a notification of informal approval for JFGE Grant.
  3. If the selected organization decides to accept the contents of the informal approval, the organization must prepare the Letter of Consent for JFGE Grant based on the informally approved amount and send it to the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency within a month.
  4. The Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency, upon receipt of the Letter, will examine the contents of the Letter and then send a Notification of JFGE Grant Approval to the approved organization.

Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency Department of The Japan Fund for Global Environment address:

Muza Kawasaki Central Tower, 8th floor 1310, Omiya-cho, Saiwaiku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture 212-8554, Japan
Fax 81-44-520-2190
E-mail jfge@erca.go.jp

For further information, please visit the official website.

Money Saving New Year’s Resolutions

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Elizabeth Hoyt

Fastweb

January 05, 2014

It’s 2014 – the year of the horse has arrived!

In the Chinese zodiac, the spirit of the horse represents a constant effort to better oneself, which means that this year could not be more perfect to spend focusing on your education and, of course, a way to pay for it!

Here are some suggestions of resolutions you can take on this year to improve your financial situation:

Avoid Credit Card Debt –

Credit cards can seem like a simple solution for the present, however, piling on debt to deal with later is not a solution.

As enticing as any credit card’s rates may seem, interest accumulates rapidly and paying off the minimum payment is not a solution.

If you do have a credit card, only spend what you actually have. That way, you will improve your credit score and never carry a balance.

Save More –

It sounds simpler than it is. Saving is difficult, but if you decide to save a certain portion of your paycheck, it can be easier if you arrange for automatic deposit of that portion into a savings account.

Eventually, you will get used to your adjusted paycheck and will not even think about the amount that’s gone into your savings.

Apply for Scholarships –

Scholarships are basically like free money for school and the more you apply for, the better your chances are of winning. Stay diligent – it’s not easy to win a scholarship and you likely won’t win one on your first try.

This year, resolve to apply for a certain number of scholarships weekly. Maximizing your chances can take you from a scholarship applicant to ascholarship winner this year.

Just Say No –

If you can’t afford to go out, stay home. It’s that easy! You must be realistic – if you can’t afford to dine out, go out or whatever it is – why not entertain on a budget?

Go in on a cooking dinner with friends (groceries are much less expensive than eating out), playing games at home or find other budget-friendly ways to have fun. Remember, you can say no to going out and spending money without sacrificing fun!

Elizabeth Hoyt

January 05, 2014

It’s 2014 – the year of the horse has arrived!

In the Chinese zodiac, the spirit of the horse represents a constant effort to better oneself, which means that this year could not be more perfect to spend focusing on your education and, of course, a way to pay for it!

Here are some suggestions of resolutions you can take on this year to improve your financial situation:

Avoid Credit Card Debt –

Credit cards can seem like a simple solution for the present, however, piling on debt to deal with later is not a solution.

As enticing as any credit card’s rates may seem, interest accumulates rapidly and paying off the minimum payment is not a solution.

If you do have a credit card, only spend what you actually have. That way, you will improve your credit score and never carry a balance.

Save More –

It sounds simpler than it is. Saving is difficult, but if you decide to save a certain portion of your paycheck, it can be easier if you arrange for automatic deposit of that portion into a savings account.

Eventually, you will get used to your adjusted paycheck and will not even think about the amount that’s gone into your savings.

Apply for Scholarships –

Scholarships are basically like free money for school and the more you apply for, the better your chances are of winning. Stay diligent – it’s not easy to win a scholarship and you likely won’t win one on your first try.

This year, resolve to apply for a certain number of scholarships weekly. Maximizing your chances can take you from a scholarship applicant to ascholarship winner this year.

Just Say No –

If you can’t afford to go out, stay home. It’s that easy! You must be realistic – if you can’t afford to dine out, go out or whatever it is – why not entertain on a budget?

Go in on a cooking dinner with friends (groceries are much less expensive than eating out), playing games at home or find other budget-friendly ways to have fun. Remember, you can say no to going out and spending money without sacrificing fun!

International Summer University 2014 , Russia

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Deadline: 01 June 2014
Open to: all students, including those who have no prior knowledge of the Russian language.
Venue: 1 July – 10 August 2014, Moscow – St. Petersburg

Description

  • Are you interested in democratic movements both East and West?
  • And why culture matters?
  • Are you curious about what makes the economies of modern world so similar and so different?
  • Do you study Russian history and culture?
  • Are you planning a career as an internationally trained scholar, diplomat, international trader or NGO leader? Do you love Russian language?
  • Do you want to know the essentials of doing business in Russia?
  • Are you concerned with the future of Islam?
  • Would you like to analyze the game Russia, China and the U.S. play in Eurasia?
  • Do you want to learn more about environmental issues, food security, media workings, education and science systems etc.?

Among others, these questions will be addressed while you closely observe the changing political and social situation in one of the key regions in the world. You will see how difference can be made both for society in the Russian Federation and in the lives of future international professionals.

As the national leader in social sciences and humanities and a progressive university, the HSE starts a new initiative in international education in Russia. It is now launching international summer universities which will provide students from the USA, Western Europe and other parts of the world with unique opportunities to radically enhance their competencies in area studies and beyond.
Summer University 2014 will host both individual students and study groups from more than two international partner universities. A broad interdisciplinary selection of courses in politics, histories, economies and cultures of Russia and Eurasia, as well as Russian language classes of different levels, allows forming the groups’ curricula according to the demands of the home schools and individuals. The duration of the actual group study periods ranges from 2 to 6 weeks with the option of one week free of classes.
Add-ons: a wide social program and the option of having one or two weeks of study and cultural experience in St. Petersburg.
GENERAL COURSE LIST (different courses last from 2 to 8 sessions):

 

 

  1. General Introduction:

 

  1. Politics, IR

 

  1. Economy

 

  1. Society & History (NOTE: optionally, this set of classes may be held in St. Petersburg)

 

  1. Culture

 

  1. Russian Language: up to five different levels starting from complete beginners

Students are welcome to take a general course of Russian at the level through an on-line testing for placement.

PRACTICAL COURSE IN THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE:

  • Elementary (by request)
  • Pre-Intermediate
  • Intermediate
  • Intermediate High/ Advanced Low
  • Advanced

 

 

Optional afternoon sessions in Russian:

Russian Literature, Culture, Business Russian, The Russian of Mass Media, Country Studies, Professional Writing in Russian, etc.These courses are designed for advanced speakers of Russian.

Eligibility

The summer university is open to all students, including those who have no prior knowledge of the Russian language. HSE invites those who study International Relations, History, Political Science and other social sciences and humanities to join.

Costs

The tentative per student fee for 6 credits/12 ECTS (96 contact hours) is $2,500–3,000. This includes not only classes, but also accommodation, airport transfer, visa support and at least one sight-seeing tour and one social event (dinner).  NOTE: A number of Scholarships will be available to especially qualified and motivated students and/or those who plan to join HSE international MA programs later.

Applications

The process of course selection ends on 1 June 2014.  Contact person: Oksana Chernenko ochernenko@hse.ru

http://www.hse.ru/international/summer

International Youth Forum, Turkey

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International Youth Forum on inter-cultural dialogue and confidence building measures across the Black Sea Region:

Turkey, Istanbul, Holiday INN Hotel

February 19-22, 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young people growing up in regions affected by armed conflicts, being exposed to and/or enduring the consequences of extreme forms of physical and structural violence, are often confronted with dramatic life forming experiences, emotions and challenges. Such experiences may strongly influence their views and behaviour towards their own and other communities, their relation to conflict and peace and to their identity. Many young people, despite often adverse circumstances, choose to engage in constructive initiatives and dialogue instead of becoming themselves the multipliers of hatred and rejection which fuel prejudice. When supported and recognized in their role, these young people may become peer leaders and educators and, in turn, sensitize and involve other young people in dialogue, mediation, intercultural communication, conflict transformation and peace work projects.

 

This project aims at changing the currently fluctuating attitude of young people regarding the possibilities of resolution of the conflict, which include today a variety of non-peaceful options, towards a peaceful and compromising standpoint in which youth will strive only for a peaceful resolution of the conflict through confidence-building.

The aim of the project is to engage young people and youth organizations from conflict stricken regions in dialogue and conflict transformation activities based on human rights education and intercultural learning and to provide them with a positive experience in living and learning together.

 

The main goals of the project are as follows:

 

–      To provide participants with information and knowledge on the European experience of building cooperation and understanding between participating country nations

–      To have discussion on the positive and negative aspects of the policies carried out in Black Sea and Caucasus in peace building, achieving economic prosperity and strengthening the national identities of the Caucasian people during  last 15 years

–      To discuss the probable models of the peace building policy in the region of Black Sea and South Caucasus  highlighting and applying “European experience”

–      To have a discussion on  “Common House of the Black Sea and Caucasus” cooperation and integration  model

–      To identify the role of Youth NGO’s for the future regional cooperation in the region

 

Target group(s):

 

Young leaders, youth workers, young women, students, civil society activists, NGO representatives and local community members from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Turkey, Georgia, Greece, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia.

 

The main activity of the project is contributing to the confidence-building process in one of the most fragile regions in the world, namely in Black Sea and Caucasus. We believe that in order to achieve this target, firstly we should form a regional forum of youth group where problems of regional cooperation could be discussed. Thus, in short term this a unique opportunity for us to discuss with our partners from various countries.

The project will use the methods like the plenary sessions, workshops, discussions, working groups. The organizers would like to stress the need of creating informal bounds between participants, especially by: meetings in different conditions, “round-table” meetings, simulations, different educational modules, evaluation meetings, social program and case studies devoted to the specific issues of civil society and NGO co-operation in multi-cultural environment.

 

The international meeting is direct contact of all the partners, as well as creating an exact timing of all activities.

So far we have chosen the issues (I-VIII), around which we intend to create the Partnership:

I – crisis management, solving international conflicts (e.g. Russian – Georgian, Moldavian – Russian, or Ukrainian)

II – cultural diversity and inter-cultural dialogue

III – human rights

IV – democracy development in Black and Caucasus countries

V – Civil society, social activity

VI – historical, cultural, religious heritage

VII – sustainable development

VIII – other issues, invented during the co-operation

 

Program elements:

 

  1. To develop the conceptual and practical meanings of conflict, peace, and conflict transformation.
  2. To share among participants their personal experiences of conflict and violence and their coping strategies, identifying commonalities and specificities between them
  3. To develop the competences of participants in conflict transformation and intercultural learning, including a critical understanding of the personal and collective identities and their role in armed conflicts
  4. To learn about human rights and human rights education as frameworks for conflict transformation and dialogue
  5. To learn from existing practices and experiences of people within the youth field working on dialogue and conflict transformation

 

Participant(s):

 

From each country will participate 2 delegates. The participants applying the Forum should have experience of working on the area of conflict management, peace education, youth cooperation and confidence building measures. During the plenary sessions every country delegates should make an introduction of their country case. Every participant should be prepared in advance for presentation of the country case and in the introduction should give information about the programs being implemented in every country and confidence building measures.

During the Forum will be discussed the following topics:

  • stimulate democratic and economic reforms
  • support stability and promote development
  • facilitate practical projects in areas of common concern
  • open up opportunities and challenges through coordinated action in a regional framework
  • encourage the peaceful  resolution of conflicts in the region

Our vision, as the young leaders is that, historically, the Black Sea region has been rather a cooperation medium than a barrier. Naturally it has allowed for communication and exchange (either cultural or economic). Youth organizations in the region are very similar, in terms of origin, path and challenges they are facing. There are numerous lessons learnt and expertise which are worth sharing. Youth organizations have the vocation to act jointly to bring positive social change for both their countries and for the region as a whole.

There are following main defining elements of this Forum, within the Black Sea cooperation framework:

  • The focus of the Youth Forum is on young leaders and youth organizations as a particular transformative force throughout the region, bearers of democratic values and advocates of open societies, human and social rights, peace and solidarity throughout the region.
  • The Youth Forum aims to bring together young leaders and youth NGOs from all the countries in the wider Black Sea region as a forum for specialized regional dialogue and cooperation and with young leaders and youth organizations and institutions active in the region.
  • The Forum brings around the same table a broader constituency: civil society, EU and international donors and officials from the region or involved in the region, thus supporting capacity building for these actors in order to overcome current gaps in access to information and funds, as well as in implementation practices.

 

Travel reimbursement and accommodation:

 

After presenting air tickets, invoices and boarding passes to the organizer of the Forum, the participants will get their reimbursement. In the case of request, organizer of the Forum may purchase the air tickets of the participants in advance. Participants will be provided with accommodation and lodging.

Arrival days of the participants is on 19 of February 2014 and departure day is on 22 of February. The dates of the Forum are 2 days-20-21 of February 2014.

The Forum will be organized in Holiday INN Hotel. Address: Turgut Ozal Cad No 189 Topkapi , Istanbul,Turkey.  

Participants are responsible for arriving to the hotel from the Ataturk airport in Istanbul by using direct metro or bus.

The website address of the hotel: http://www.hiistanbulcity.com.tr/

 

Applications form is HERE

ANIMAFEST Zagreb 2014: Animated Film Competition

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Deadline: 1 February 2014
Open to:  filmmakers applying all animation techniques
Prize: cash awards of up to 2,500 €

Description

The 24th World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb is an international competition festival of short animated films that will be held in Zagreb from 3 to 8 June 2014.

The World Festival of Animated Film in Zagreb is traditionally the second oldest festival in Europe. In the course of its forty-year-old history it has systematically been following world animation production through a number of films in competition and out of competition. Built on the tradition of the Zagreb School of Animation, Animafest, the festival oriented towards auteur film, has made a reputation of being one of the most significant events in the domain of animated film.

Films can be submitted for one of the following competition categories: Grand Competition, Student Competition, Films for Children Competition, Commissioned Film Competition. NOTE: Films suitable for children that are submitted for Grand or Student Competition category can also be submitted for the Films for Children Competition category.

Eligibility

Animafest’s submissions are open to films applying all animation techniques, including combinations of live action and animation. Over 50% of the production must consist of animated sequences. Films must be completed after 1 January 2012 and with maximum running time of 30 minutes. Films previously entered at Animafest will not be taken into consideration.

Awards

Grand Competition

  • Grand Prix (best short film of the festival) – cash award of 2,500 € 
  • Golden Zagreb Prize (encouragement of creativity and innovative artistic achievement) – cash award of 2,000 € 
  • “Zlatko Grgić” Prize (best first production apart from educational institutions) – cash award of 1,500 €

Student Film Competition

  • “Dušan Vukotić” Prize (best student film) – cash award of 1,000 €

Films for Children Competition

  • Best film for children

Commissioned Films Competition

  • Best Commissioned Film

“Mr. M” Award – audience award
Best Animation School – award to an educational institution for the best choice of films submitted for selection (at the discretion of the Student Competition Selection Committee)

Application

There is no entry fee required. Online entry forms and instructions how to submit you entry are available HERE. Submission deadline is 1 February 2014.

The Calihan Travel Grants | Apply now !

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Description:

The Calihan Travel Grants provide financial assistance to students who have been selected to present, at an academic conference, research relevant to themes promoted by the Acton Institute. Such themes include the integration of theological ideas with principles of limited government, rule of law, religious freedom, and economic liberty. Grants are also open to students who need to travel to, and perform research at, archives or libraries or to attend educational conferences that involve the above themes.

 

 

Grant Details:
  • Selection Process: Applications are reviewed and recipients selected by the research staff of the Acton Institute. Award decisions by the Acton Institute are final and not subject to appeal.
  • Agreement: Recipients must respond to an award notification within one month and adhere to fellowship conditions listed below.
  • Grant Amounts: Travel grants do not exceed $3,000, but typically range from $500-$1,000. Grant amounts take into account the costs of travel, lodging, registration, and other associated conference or research expenses. Other sources of funding are also considered.
  • Duration: Travel grants are not renewable but recipients are eligible to reapply.
  • Deadlines: The Travel Grant selection process is ongoing. Applications must be received at least six weeks prior to the travel date. No application will be considered for funding retroactively.
Eligibility:
  • Grants open to seminarians or graduate students in theology, philosophy, religion, economics, or related fields.
  • Strong academic performance is essential.
  • Candidates must have a demonstrated interest in the themes of the Acton Institute.
  • Candidates must display the potential to contribute to the advancement of a free and virtuous society.
  • Awards are open to all qualified persons irrespective of age, race, sex, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, religious affiliation, or disability.

 

Application Requirements:

A completed travel grant application form includes the following information:

  1. Stated purpose of travel
  2. Abstract of paper/research (if applicable)
  3. Description of how one’s conference paper, research travel, or conference attendance is connected to themes promoted by the Acton Institute
  4. Disclosure of educational history
  5. Two academic references
  6. Estimated conference expenses:
    • Travel
    • Room and Board
    • Registration Fees
    • Other expenses directly related to the conference/research
    • Disclosure of additional sources of funding

 

 

Important Notes:
  • Award Communication: All award decisions are communicated via e-mail.
  • Application Submission: No faxed or mailed entries will be accepted. The online application should be in English.
  • Limited Funding: Since this is a competition in which many worthy applicants participate, no one should presume funding. We attempt to be as generous as possible in making awards, but also must convey that funds are limited and demand is high.
  • Supplemental Funding: The Calihan travel grants are designed to be supplemental in nature. As such, when planning your travel, we encourage applicants to secure multiple sources of funding.
  • Visa Application (if applicable): Applying for or receiving a grant does not guarantee that you will be provided with a travel visa. Nor should a scholarship notification be used as a substitute for a visa for entry into another country. You may, however, use a grant letter as a supporting reference in applying for the appropriate visa from the relevant consulate or embassy.
  • Award Selectivity: Scholarships are typically not extended to those students who are not future religious leaders or scholars, or whose work is not connected to the mission of the Acton Institute. Those students whose work is closely tied to that of the Acton Institute have a greater likelihood of receiving a fellowship.
  • Performance Assessment: Like the vast majority of universities, scholarship programs, and research institutes, the Acton Institute does not enter into discussions with unsuccessful applicants concerning the particular reasons for their denial.

Fellowship Conditions:

 

If an applicant is chosen to receive a fellowship, he or she must comply with the following conditions:

  • Report Due: Submit a 1-2 page report documenting the activities, research, and results of your travel. The report should include comments for the scholarship’s donors about how the grant influenced you, your education, and your career.
  • Funds Use: These funds are to be used for the research or travel purposes indicated on your application. If you are not able to use these funds for the stated purpose(s), all of the grant money must be returned.
  • Acknowledgement: Any published work drawn out of the research conducted during your travel must be submitted and given by-line acknowledgement to the Acton Institute and the Calihan Fellowships.
  • Publicity: The Acton Institute may publicize a recipient’s travel grant and has permission to identify a recipient as a Calihan Fellow.
  • Tax Compliance: Recipients who are United States citizens must submit a W-9 tax form.

Legal Information:

All qualified individuals will be considered for the Calihan Travel Grant Program, without regard to race, sex, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, religious affiliation, or disability. Award decisions by the Acton Institute are final and are not subject to appeal.

Travel Grant Application Form

 

For US high schooler 15-18 years old – Study Abroad Opportunity – YES program’s deadline – January 9, 2014

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Sixty-five full scholarships are available for U.S. students to study abroad for an academic year with the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad program. As YES Abroad scholars, American high school students serve as “youth ambassadors” in their overseas host countries, promoting mutual understanding by forming lasting relationships with their host families and friends.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the YES Abroad program is a component of the Kennedy-Lugar YES program, an exchange program that brings almost 900 high school students from approximately 40 countries with significant Muslim populations to the United States to study each year.

For the 2014-15 academic year, full scholarships are available through YES Abroad to live with host families and attend a local high school for one academic year in countries that may include: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mali, Morocco, Oman, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia, and Turkey. The merit-based scholarship covers the following program costs for participants: domestic and international travel; tuition and related academic preparation; accommodations with a host family; educational and cultural activities in the host country; orientations; applicable visa fees; three meals per day; and medical coverage.

First authorized by the U.S. Congress in the aftermath of September 11th, 2001, the YES program seeks to increase communication and understanding between the United States and countries with significant Muslim populations. YES Abroad is administered by a consortium of non-profit organizations, including American Councils for International Education, AFS-USA, AMIDEAST, and iEARN-USA.

Review eligibility requirements and apply now at http://yes-abroad.org/pages/how-apply. Complete applications must be submitted by January 9, 2014.