What's up Youth "WupY"

What’s Up Youth “WupY”
-------------------------------
What’s Up Youth “WupY” (www.wupy.org), a World Summit Youth Award 2010 Winner as one of the best e-content working on achieving the MDGs, is one of the thousands non-profit portal offering youth around the world with a variety of free and practical services and relevant information in one click on opportunities for trainings, scholarships, and capacity building. Our youth-led portal, which was created in 20 September 2008 by a group of youth from the Middle East and North Africa, has today approximately 50,000 followers all over the world.

Why?
-------
The WupY team noticed through its long years of work with youth that youngsters mainly need valid information about the offered opportunities which target them. Therefore, WupY links active and curious youth to newsworthy information they may need to develop their capacities and fulfill their dreams.
Nowadays, youth mostly use new information and communication technologies to search for resources and establish contacts worldwide. That’s precisely why we have chosen Internet to be our mean to communicate with youngsters.

Methodology?
-----------------
• A high demand among youth of information about opportunities, events, funders, activities and resources.
• A little competition in the field, as there is limited specialized daily updated portals specialized only on youth opportunities and services in the MENA region and other parts of the world, and the few portals which already exist are not efficient and don’t provide a complete and massive flow of information.
• An important amount of useful youth-oriented information diffused arbitrarily everyday through classical means of communication. Whereas it can be centered in common medium in one fixed address.

In WupY, we target primarily active youth, whether leaders, workers, activists, or talented youth aged 15 to 35 years old, who are longing to find opportunities and resources related to their activities or field of action. Yet, WupY not only targets active youth, but also aims to inspire a number of curious youth to make their first step towards building their capacities or exploring their hidden talents.

Mission?
----------
We are a dedicated youth-led team, which has a great deal of experience in working with and for youth and help them reach the highest level of self-fulfillment. The WupY team assures a daily update of the portal content, by collecting through all possible means the useful and trustworthy information and resources youth may need in their road to success.

Our mission is to give youth all around the world the three keys to realize their objectives in serving their communities and exploring their inner energies and talents: Information, existing funding opportunities, and skills. WupY ensures that the information youth gets from our portal is reliable, through a process of verification of the sources and double checking. Our team is also open to answer questions and guide the visitors for an optimal usage of our services.

Objectives?
--------------
• Building an online community which has a common capital of useful and trustworthy information to share with each other through one free and accessible portal.
• Offering opportunities for youth worldwide to develop their capacities, contributing in building their skills and reactivity, and inspiring them to get involved in the process of change.
• Informing both active and curious youth about activities of interest to them such as events, success stories, best practices of other youth groups and lessons learned, as well as the funders which can support their projects and dreams.
• Assembling a complete and opened database about all the aspects and actors of youth work and resources related to this field, which can help youth network on a global scale with all involved parties.

Concept?
------------
The WupY formula is very simple: collecting a maximum of useful and valid youth-oriented information on opportunities, events, active groups, funders, and resources, and putting it in one free and accessible international portal.
The first service we offer is to put together a maximum of opportunities which may concern youth such as: scholarships, grants, competitions, prizes etc. These opportunities are introduced in a youth-thought easy way, presenting the descriptions, deadlines, and sometimes even giving external links and downloadable forms.

What’s up Youth, also gives a detailed agenda of a maximum of important youth events such as: workshops, seminars, forums, jams, etc. The events are presented with simplified guidelines about how to apply and descriptive paragraphs for a better understanding of the nature of each event.

Moreover, WupY helps youth in networking and learning about from the success stories, the best practices and the innovative projects of other youth around the world. This is done through a rich database of involved youth groups, whether NGOs, initiatives, organizations, or other forms of actors working in the field.
Because youth dreams and projects need to be supported, assisted, and funded, WupY suggests a growing list of national, regional, and international funders of community youth work or personal projects.

Sometimes, youth may need more than funds to succeed. They need technical knowledge and practical skills to achieve their objectives, explore new horizons, or to build new capacities. To meet these needs, WupY offers a variety of resources for youth through its portal, by providing online downloadable tool-kits, manuals and diverse publications.
The WupY portal is also a personalized account, up-to-date news, polls on youth issues and more!

What’s up Youth have provided a variety of services to youth around the world in the last three years. This is perfectly reflected in our slogan “A Global Youth Network” consisting of 3 categories (Youth Empowerment www.wupy.org - New Media www.wupy.tv a global youth channel and WupY Professional Services, www.wupy.pro) working on the #8 MDG, Global Partnership for Development.
What’s up Youth has launched many campaigns on different topics and youth related issues as listed below:
- Our very first campaign through WupY was Blog for Dialogue (Euro-Arab Dialogue) with the League of Arab States Youth Forum II 2008 under the theme “Youth and Cultural Dialogue: towards a Transnational cultural Approach”, Blog 4 Dialogue is a Blog which offers space for debate, dialogue, and brainstorming about Euro-Arab Youth Intercultural Dialogue and coming out with projects, recommendations, and actions which can be communicated later to decision makers from the League of Arab States and Europe. For more details please consult the following link: http://blogfordialogue.wupy.org/

- Second and the Best Campaign we did till now is the Culture of Peace Campaign- Celebrating the International Day of Peace, Culture of Peace fosters the means of Dialogue, mutual understanding and negotiation among people; it targets youth particularly to positively impact their attitudes and behavior and prevent violence and ignorance that has been the cause of many conflicts. The campaign was launched on September 2009 as an “ONLINE” Campaign and in 2010 we developed the idea and enhanced these concepts through interactive workshops, peace concerts, exhibitions and peace songs organized in 8 countries. In 2011, the campaign was expanded to more than 12 countries around the world in addition to the Arts for Peace Contest. These activities were attended by more than 10.000 people in our partners’ countries. For more details please consult the following link: http://peaceday.wupy.org/

- In 2009 we launched with Radio 1812 the third campaign of WupY, Arabic 1812 Radio – Celebrating the International Migrants’ Day. It’s an online campaign with the contribution of other internet radios and websites discussing for the first time issues related to Migrants. The campaign included interviews with many politicians, experts, economists and other related officials. Radio 1812 initiative celebrates the International Day of Migrants every year and has organized events since 2006 to mark the day via radio broadcasts and interviews run online on December 18 displaying posts from around the world to showcase the achievements and problems of migrants in each place. This has inspired us to launch "Arabic 1812 Radio," a live broadcast through radio in the Arab region to talk about immigrants and their problems. In 2010 Radio 1812 and Arabic 1812 Radio met together in Italy & Tunisia during the Euro-Arab Youth Conference (about Migration between the two countries) and we worked together to prepare the celebration of 2010 Migrants’ Day by producing a documentary during this conference reflecting the opinions of organizers and participants about the migrants and migration problems and how we can solve these issues. Nowadays we are working to extend this Arabic 1812 Radio in many Arab countries and we will celebrate this year’s Migrants’ Day through Live Audio-Visual broadcasting from many countries talking about the migration and migrant’s related issues as well celebrating the migrants’ day. For more details please consult the following link: http://arabic1812.wupy.org/

- Free Writings Competition called Lahzat fi Hayati (Moments in my Life), we launched in the Arab world in cooperation with some youth talented writers and we got so many contributions and we published them all on the website and the best of them were published in a printed book distributed all around the Arab countries. For more details please consult the following link: http://lahzat.wupy.org/

- In 2010 we launched “Balad elBanat Campaign” – Celebrating the International and Egyptian Women’s Day, this campaign aims to celebrate and spread awareness of the most important UN and regional celebration of women’s day. The campaign addressed several issues of importance such as violence against women, women and politics, women in history ...Etc. For more details please consult the following link: http://womenday.wupy.org/

- An inspirational space for youth and youth workers launched in 2010 titled; Ideas for Working with People: a Blog for Ideas from the Civil Society Workers: Ideas for Working With People, is an attempt to create an area of learning shared by working with people from practitioners and activists in their work and their experiences in working with people on different forms and methods. Ideas for Working with People... a Welcoming space... Welcomes all those who have a passion for working with people, free space... Are not related or limited to a specific topic or a particular method of working with people. For more details please consult the following link: http://ifwwp.wupy.org/

- What’s up Youth Channel (www.wupy.tv) “A Global Youth Channel” an initiative we launched to targeting youth and civil society between 18 and 35 years old. It is an alternative to mass media, providing equal access to all young people, regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation or social status.
The channel created by youth for youth. It’s specifically provide disadvantaged, low-income and minority youth access to a quality media forum through which to express creativity, foster dialogue, and encourage social and civic participation. The WupY’s Channel strives to build confidence, establish role models, inform, educate, and entertain. It empowers youth to create change within their communities and the world. Also we use this channel to feature the What’s up Youth Professional Services youth events we covered and work to enrich the channel content through this events and it’s youth participants. For more details please consult the following link: www.wupy.tv

- What’s up Youth Professional Services “WupY PS”(www.wupy.pro) A fundraising campaign we launched late 2010, which offers all necessary elements for covering, capturing and streaming live video in a corporate conference environment. If anyone is looking to expand the live audience beyond the board room or conferences hall, these services will meet the needs. The production elements include professional quality video cameras with experienced operators; and technical director to professionally switch, mix and stream the video; and the creation of title graphics. The live conference stream can also be archived and immediately made available to the public after the event concludes. We also provide a high quality mixed digital recording of the conferences at the conclusion of the event. So we offer these services and we use the income of these services to support our campaigns and initiatives... For more details please consult the following link: www.wupy.pro

Moreover, What’s up Youth “WupY” assists many youth initiatives and organizations in networking and learning from the success stories, the best practices and the innovative projects of other youth around the world. This is done through offering them free hosting space, web development for their projects websites in addition to helping them in the outreach and promotion of their projects, initiatives and organizations through different media and social media and networking tools and platforms. Below is an overview of WupY Sponsorships:

- Since 2009 we started sponsoring the World Summit Youth Award, a Global Contest selects and promotes best practice in e-Content working to achieve the MDGs, and we sponsored them and offered a multi-lingual website and translated the award website in different languages to reach out more youth and initiatives to get them involved in the award as well the MDGs. For more details please consult the following link: wsya.wupy.org - wsya09.mspired.com/

- In 2009, we helped create Ana Tounsi “I am a Tunisian”. This project is designed to increase youth participation in Tunisian civil society. The project will seek to engage youth by raising their awareness of individual rights and responsibilities at the civic, political and environmental levels. This program seeks to help these young citizens become more effective in their work by teaching them modern communication and technical skills, thus enabling youth to contribute effectively to the democratic development of their community. For more details please consult the following link: ana-tounsi.wupy.org

- In 2010 we sponsored the Alexandria World Music Festival, a Festival representing a repertoire of world bands, ensembles and a selection of sounds and instruments that can be found around the Mediterranean, while emphasizing the undeniable influence Mediterranean musical culture. WupY created a website for the festival and helped them outreach this music and ideas to many young people around the world. For more details please consult the following link: awmf.wupy.org

- In 2010 we helped create “ActivYouth Portal”, a virtual community that includes various sections of all types of art, where youth can post all types of their works. For more details please consult the following link: www.activyouth.com

- Through our experience and assistance we offer for different youth organizations, we supported the creation of a website and social media tools for The European-Egyptian Contemporary Music Society (EECMS) which seeks to promote contemporary music in Egypt and foster creative dialogue by building relationships with cultural institutions and ensembles at a national and international level. For more details please consult the following link: www.eecms.eu

- World Independent Youth Union (WIYU) is a self-governed, non-profit, non-governmental educational organization, formed in 1999 and is officially registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia in 2000, working in development and promotion of a culture and mechanisms of dialogue and co-operation between the civil society through international activities, assistance of consolidation of the “Culture of Peace” in the MENA region and in the world. WupY offered them a free hosting, website and social media tools. For more details please consult the following link: www.wiyu.org

- WupY also supported the creation of a website and social media tools for the Youth Development Resource Center (YDRC), a resource center for youth development which offers youth reports, informational resources, researches, and training locations and opportunities. For more details please consult the following link: www.ydrc.org

- Arts also are one of our fields of interest so we sponsored AGORA Arts & Culture Organization. From the "AGORA" in the Greek cities through the "SPACE" in the Islamic cities and finally to the "SQUARE" in modern cities, we can easily monitor the important role of public spaces which gives the opportunity to the people to express themselves and verify the concept of Place Democracy that tightens the sense of belonging and efficiently links between the members of the community. For this reason, and for the reason that the AGORA of Alexandria played a core role in shaping the current identity of the City, they chose the title AGORA Arts and Culture for an organization with the endeavor of reviving the concept of the real Agora as a gathering place and a venue for "Self-expression" through Arts Practice. And we sponsored them through offering them a free hosting, website and social media, tools as well most of their events and activities such as “Start with Yourself Festival”. For more details please consult the following link: www.agoraorganization.org

- WupY not only offers web based solutions for organizations and initiatives, but also helps them start their own organizations and projects. For instance, we helped establish Egypt Foundation for Youth Development, a relatively a Non-Governmental Organization based in Egypt which aims at contributing to the education of young people, and building a better generation in which young people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society. The main objectives of the organization are to encourage and enable youth, to identify the priority problems facing them and their society, and to prepare youth to face those problems as well as the challenges of today's ever-changing environment. These main objectives are achieved through the full participation of young people and their formal and informal structures. For more details please consult the following link: www.egyptfoundation.org

- Our recent work in late 2011 is made to provide web, online based solutions for Waseela for Training and Development; a youth based NGO aiming at providing a various set of channels and tools of developing Egyptian youth, assisting them to be change agents in their communities. The NGO helps promote the concept of volunteerism among young people, and supporting young people with the essential skills and knowledge needed to enhance their social and professional pursuits, and empowering young people and increase their participation in civil society and offering a forum for dialogue. For more details please consult the following link: www.waseela.me

What’s up Youth also partnered with many initiatives, projects, programs and organizations and we worked together on many projects and we helped them in outreach, promotion and showing the value of their projects and ideas through WupY portal and all our network and programs. Kindly find below the Partners of WupY;
- Friendship Ambassadors Foundation: Online Media Partner - We offered them What’s up Youth Professional Services and did the live coverage for the 9th Annual Youth Assembly at the United Nations: For more details visit us here: www.wupy.org/youth-assembly.html

- Bibliotheca Alexandrina; Dialogue Forum, Online Media Partner -We offered them What’s up Youth Professional Services and we did the love coverage for the Youth: A Revolution of Change Conference. For more details visit us here: www.facebook.com/BA.AYF - www.livestream.com/ba_ayf

- TakingITGlobal; Youth for Change Program: is a program to Support a group of young social entrepreneurs to take action in their communities through building their capacities and supporting their development projects on crucial issues affecting their lives, since 2008 WupY and Youth for Change working together to reach out the maximum number of youth around the world and specially in the Arab region to help them and giving them the chance to apply in the program mini-grants as well get benefited from the program online educational tools. For more details visit us here: yfc.tigweb.org

- Global Youth Culture Contest 2010; part of Youth for Change Program activities. For more details visit us here: yfc.tigweb.org/getinvolved/contest

- Our New partner United States Agency for International Development “USAID”; Youth Sector through USAID’s MENA Regional Youth Conference “Our Voices, Our Communities: Emerging Role of Arab Youth in Development” this meeting will provide young participants with the opportunity to engage in a dialogue on community development priorities, to exchange views with stakeholders on effective development approaches, to comment on key areas of USAID involvement in the region, and to build networks with other young participants from the region. As WupY Professional Services, will offer them the live coverage for the event as well engaging more youth in the conference through the online-platforms and social media tools. For more details visit us here: http://www.facebook.com/usaidmenayo... - tv.wupy.org/conference-details

Follow US:
-------------
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/wupychannel
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/WupY
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/wupy
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?g... - https://www.facebook.com/pages/What... - http://www.facebook.com/wupyprofile
Livestream: http://www.livestream.com/wupy
Toolbar: http://wupy.communitytoolbars.com/
Yahoo: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/...
TakingITGlobal: http://orgs.tigweb.org/36755/suppor...
Linkedin: http://eg.linkedin.com/in/wupyworld
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/wupy.org
About.Me: http://about.me/wupy
ILike: http://www.ilike.com/artist/WupY