‘The Father Walid Moussa Award in Civic Engagement’ for NDU Students

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS 2017

The Lebanon Dialogue Initiative (LDI) has established ‘The Father Walid Moussa Award in Civic Engagement (FWMACE)’ for BA and MA students at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU). The FWMACE recognizes one team of students that has engaged and/or addressed issues of public concern through civic engagement.

Civic engagement “is the process of connecting individuals in society with one another, to share common interests, and work for the common good.” Civic engagement can take many forms, including “individual and collective volunteerism, organizational involvement, electoral participation, or creative representation.”

Organizational Involvement
Community organizations can offer a way to “try out” civic engagement.  To support an existing organization, civic engagement means getting involved, understanding their mission as it relates to your interests or academic discipline, and working with others to accomplish established goals.  Other methods could include identifying limitations and applying social and knowledge resources to address those limitations, or working to provide possible alternatives.

Individual Volunteerism
Taking action in community locations where there is an identified need, and working to include and utilize public resources in the process through hands-on application of time and skills in the community itself. This approach to civic engagement is especially helpful when students and community members take action together.

Electoral Participation
Advocacy to strengthen the democratic process by clarifying issues, explicating the implications and consequences (biological/ecologic/economic/social) of certain policies, or to offer alternatives to current policy, or simply working to register voters and promote electoral participation locally, statewide, and nationally.

Download Guidelines

Download Application Form