South Asian Youth Forum for Advancing Critical Thinking (SAYFACT)
South Asian Youth Forum for Advancing Critical Thinking (SAYFACT)
South Asian Youth Forum for Advancing Critical Thinking (SAYFACT) is an initiative to empower the youth (18-35) that are enrolled in a university or higher educational institute with the necessary knowledge, skills and aptitudes to distinguish facts from all forms of falsehood and to make rational choices their day-to-day news and information consumption. The SAYFACT endeavors to create a larger community of young citizens who protect themselves and their peers from all forms of media manipulation and information disorder to sustain informed citizenship, thereby a healthy democracy in the region. The SAYFACT will provide its members regular opportunities for national and regional level training, knowledge sharing event; conferences, seminars, mentorship camps and publications on media and Information Literacy. In order to provide a constant learning opportunity, the SAYFACT will engage its members through monthly quiz competitions, opinion polls, virtual debate forums etc, too.
In any South Asian country, there could be one united SAYFACT body that can represent all the members of the country. However, universities and higher educational institutions can apply for institutional chapters to make the logistic aspect convenient. Any university or higher educational institution with a minimum of 25 students can apply for institutional chapters.
Each institution applying for SAYFACT Chapter can have one coordinator. SC will be responsible for maintaining an active relationship with their chapter members. SC is also responsible for hosting meetings, organizing events – training, conferences, networking sessions, join activities etc., specifically for the chapter members. SC can serve for a period of one year. Each of the institutional chapters will organize its annual general meeting to propose four nominees including two males and two females for the National Steering Committee (NSC). NSC will select two coordinators following a competitive interview process.
The National Steering community will comprise 10 members. NSC is annually selected by all the SAYFACT Coordinators during an annual general meeting. NC is empowered to review and approve all membership applications. NSC will be mandated to facilitate the selection process of the SAYFACT Coordinators of every Institutional Chapter. NSC will support SCs to actively maintain the network with regular updates. Host all the national MIL related activities designed for SAYFACT members.
The Country Coordinator will be the Chair of the National Streeting Communities (NC). CC is responsible for maintaining an active relationship with chapters, coordinating with host universities and higher educational institutes, chair activities with the SAYFACT network. CC will be working closely with fellow country coordinators to organize all activities for SAYFACT members. Four members will be nominated by the NC of each country at its Annual general meeting and selected by the regional steering committee.
RC is formed by all the Country Coordinators (CCs) in the region. This body will consult with the SAYFACT and develop the annual work plan for the SAYFACT members.
- RSC is responsible for publishing a bi-annual MIL magazine.
- RSC will maintain an updated editorial guideline for its magazine.
- RSC can call for voluntary designers, editors, and journalists for the magazine from its member community.
- RSC will organize a SAYFACT Fellowship.
- RSC will host one annual forum
The Regional Steering Community is headed by the RC who will be elected by the Regional Steering Committee at their Annual General Meeting. RC is the chairperson of the Regional Steering Committee. RC is empowered to supervise the entire SAYFACT.
