An activist

•  is a person who campaigns for some kind of social change;
• is a person who engages in activities for the benefit of society and its interests;
• is a person who is a member of a non-profit organization, takes part in the public life of a city or country, organizes various events, takes part in them;

(An example of an ecological activist – he/she speaks about environmental problems, comes with solutions on protecting and preserving the environment, raises awareness on environmental sustainability)

We invite activists from various fields of activism to become part of the InspiredBY community!

If you have the ambition but are lacking the tools you need to get started – don’t worry. Every activist has felt the same way at some point, and what’s important is that you have the drive and will to change your community. Just fill in the application and tell us what you want to do, what issues YOUR activism would tackle and how YOU contribute.

Please note that group applications are not considered. Apply for InspiredBY individually!

We believe that each one of you has his own unique experience in activism and has a specific role to play in a project, initiative or organization that can be shared on InspiredBY.

The following selection criteria are used in the process of selection of prospective participants for InspiredBY 2020:

Formal criteria:

•     All fields of the application are filled out by the participant independently, correct and complete information is provided;
•     Links to required material are provided and accessible;
•     Youth under 35.

Qualitative criteria

• Complete information on activities in any field of activism;
• Clear motivation;
• Readiness to share experience and cooperation;
• Prepared material to share your experience is presented in a clear, detailed way;
• Chosen format and topic is engaging, relevant and is directly related to the activist’s sphere of activity.

ONLY for InspiredBY members of previous years:

• A clear description of activities implemented together with Inspired By Alumni: indicated joint projects, events, trainings, consultations, etc.;
• Impact of InspiredBY event(s) on your activism.

Priorities:

• Activists from Belarus;
• Activists based and working in regions of the country;
• InspiredByРэгiён participants.

Please note that group applications are not accepted. In case the information is incomplete or incorrect, the InspiredBY team reserves the right to decline the application without further explanation.

InspiredBY is partly non-conference, which means that part of the agenda is created by the activists as they arrive. In this format, InspiredBY can remain open to anyone, with experienced and novice activists being given the same possibilities to organize and interact.

After selection process you will receive an invitation to join a group of other activists for an event activity you will be teamed with other participants who are active in the same areas as you are.

Formats of activity presentation on InspiredBY:

• Discussion. Format doesn’t provide participants with clear answers to a question, but it raises awareness on a topic and strengthens our ability to work on new and complex issues that not everyone agrees one. This also reflects one of the core values of InspiredBY – tolerance and respect towards those with different opinions.
• Workshop. In these seminars, the theoretical is mixed with practical elements to help with understanding different perspectives in an engaging way. This could mean crafting something with your hands, moving your body, speaking activities or thinking exercises.
• Flash mob. Pre-planned mass action in which participants gather in one place and carry out the previously agreed or prepared actions of the organizers (scenario).
• Performance. Format that involves actions of the group in a specific place and at a certain time, aimed at revealing an idea, thought or goal.

Yes, you can present your own discussion, workshop or other activity on InspiredBY. Open Space is the platform where the initiative from each participant is welcomed!

Please note that your group work is still the essential part for the formation of the InspiredBY program.

InspiredBY is an international event, and we want all our participants to feel welcome. English and Russian are the official languages of InspiredBY, since they are most widely understood by all participants. Belarusian is one of the more common languages in informal talks and discussions. During seminars and workshops, we support the use of any language all participants can agree on. Multilingual participants are encouraged to volunteer as translators to overcome language barriers between activists.

NOTE: InspiredBY regards language as a tool for communication and wishes to avoid discussions of language in political contexts.

InspiredBY is held annually in Lithuania at the end of May. Location of InspiredBY is dynamic and revealed only on the 1st day of the event. Previously the event took place in Nida, Dubingiai, Šventoji, Giruliai, Trakai and Druskininkai.

Travel (visa expenses and environmentally friendly transportation), accommodation and meals during the event are covered by the organizers.

Visa: Please state in the application form if you will need a visa for attending the event. Keep in mind that visa free entrance from Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova are only for the holders of biometric passports. Visa costs are covered only if you present original receipts from embassy or visa center.

Insurance: Insurance will be reimbursed only for the travel and event period. Please make sure you buy your insurance for 6 days maximum. Otherwise, the amount for reimbursement will be reduced accordingly.

Travel: All participants buy travel tickets themselves and are asked to present original (printed if electronic) tickets (return tickets also) during the event for reimbursement.

Participants from Belarus will be reimbursed only if they travel from Belarus to Lithuania directly. Travels by car won’t be reimbursed. Participants arriving from other countries than Belarus have to agree with the organizer regarding the cost of the ticket before any purchases are made.

Accommodation and meals are covered only for the period of the event. All three meals will be served buffet style. Be prepared for one, completely vegetarian day.

Transfer from/to airport: Participants flying by plane (other than Belarussians) will be asked to use public transport to arrive to the meeting point in Vilnius (public bus No.2; airport-express to Vilnius bus station; train to Vilnius train station (that is near to Vilnius bus station) – http://vno.lt/en/planning-a-trip/how-to-reach/train-bus/).

Meeting point in Vilnius Bus station. Transfer from/to meeting point in Vilnius Bus station to/from the event venue is arranged by organizers for all participants who go/come back together at the same time. The organizer will not arrange separate/individual transfers, unless this has been agreed in advance.

NOTE: Selected participants will agree to commit to the program, in terms of attendance of all sessions. Only those participants who attended all sessions of the program will be reimbursed.

InspiredBY format ensures a dynamic profile that is never the same. This non-conference is highly interactive and organized by hundreds of participants on-site. InspiredBY creates an international sustainable platform for dialogue, platform for democracy activists from different spheres to engage in experience sharing and collaborative activities. Activists present their local projects and experiences, pooling democratic knowledge in a wide variety of innovative workshops, panel discussions and forums.

Every activist is inspiring in some way, and we all inspire each other. We want to know where you, as an activist, look for inspiration for your activism. When taking action locally, activists create a ripple effect that could impact not just the community but the region, the country and maybe the whole world.

• Active participation and attendance;
• Respectful listening and expression of one’s own ideas;
• We strive for an open and tolerant community and helping each other to create a safe, creative and inspiring working space;
• Environmental friendliness;
• The use of alcohol and drugs is incompatible with InspiredBY.

The organizers have the right to dismiss participants from the event due to improper behavior.

Selected participants will agree to commit to the program of the InspiredBY in terms of attendance of all sessions, as well as to contribute with material that will be printed and/or published digitally and are all meaningful to your participation in the program.