AEGEE Election Observation is looking for young people (between 18 and 30 years old) from all over Europe to become Short-Term Observers at its upcoming mission to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Legislative elections in the country will take place on 11 December 2016. The AEGEE Election Observation Mission runs from October to December and will be deployed in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia from 7 to 13 December. Its purpose is to specifically assess the participation of youth in the electoral process.
As independent Short-Term Observer at the AEGEE Election Observation Mission to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, successful applicants will receive training, specific research assignments, and then follow the voting, counting and tabulation procedures in various locations throughout the country on the day of elections. They will further meet with local, national and international political stakeholders, civil society organisations and youth representatives in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia during the days prior to election day.
The observation of elections by independent observers contributes to the transparency of the process and is a valuable instrument of democratic control. The findings of the mission will be compiled into a report to be published after deployment and distributed amongst relevant authorities
Mission Programme
Prior to the arrival to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, observers will be required to:
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take an election observation training on the principles and methods of international election observation, as specified at the ODIHR online learning platform;
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conduct background research on a specific topic related to the participation, involvement and engagement of youth in the upcoming local elections in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
In Skopje, 7 to 9 December, observers will:
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take part in a briefing on the political situation of the country;
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attend various meetings with local officials, political stakeholders, experts, scholars and civil society representatives as well as, in particular, with youth organisations and youth activists in the country.
On 10th December, observers will:
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be deployed in Skopje or in a city or region of preference (where possible);
On 11th December, observers will:
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visit a number of polling stations to observe the opening, voting and closing processes throughout the day, as well as the counting and tabulation processes later that evening.
On the day following election day, observers will:
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reconvene in Skopje to attend a debriefing, and
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discuss and summarise the findings of observations conducted with other observers and the Mission Coordinators.
Requirements
To become an international Short-Term Observer for AEGEE Election Observation, the following criteria must be fulfilled:
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be between 18 and 30 years old;
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have a solid command of English;
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hold no citizenship of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Please note that nationals from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are not eligible to apply as international election observers for this mission. However, you can apply to support the mission as Local Coordinators;
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legally reside in a European country (geographically speaking, including Russia, Turkey, Caucasus). Please be advised that visa invitation letters can be issued for AEGEE members only;
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be available from late-October to participate in an online training course on election observation and to conduct background research on the political situation of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as concerns youth and help out with the final report by the end of December;
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be fully available to travel to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and attend the entire deployment from 7 to 13 December 2016
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be able to cover own costs*.
Experience from participating in election monitoring in the applicant’s home country, in a political party or in non-governmental organisations is desirable, but not required. AEGEE membership is a secondary criterion to be considered in case of doubt between otherwise equal applicants. Other skills, education or experience related to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, democracy systems or election observation are considered an asset.
Application Procedure
Please fill in this application form. The application deadline is Wednesday, 2 November 2016, at 23:59 CET.
For any further queries, please e-mail Desislava Hristova at dessi.hristova@aegee.org.
*AEGEE Election Observation aims to raise funds for the project and its upcoming missions. However, at present we cannot guarantee that any funds will be available to cover expenses and/or provide any financial assistance. Please bear in mind that this is a voluntary initiative and that all observers thus need to be able to cover own expenses at first place.