U.S.-MEPI Leadership Development Fellowship Program 2020 (Funded)

Since 2007, the Leadership Development Fellowship (LDF) has provided leaders from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with the opportunity to complete training in civic engagement, social entrepreneurship, and leadership. Emerging civic engagement and social entrepreneurship leaders across sectors from the MENA region will participate in a 5-stage, 12-month LDF Fellowship to identify innovative ways to address social and economic challenges in local communities. The LDF Fellowship is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and implemented by World Learning.

Fellowship Cycle

This is an intensive civic engagement and social entrepreneurship fellowship and selected candidates are expected to fully participate in each stage of the fellowship. Starting in 2020, the LDF Fellowship will take place over 12 months and include 5 stages:

1. Stage One: Fellowship begins with two weeks of in-person workshops and trainings with World Learning and Duke University focused on: studying the systems that contribute to societal challenges; building effective partnerships for social change; and developing inclusive and equitable interventions.
2. Stage Two: Fellows refine interventions and complete exercises that provide local focus on systems analysis, inclusive interventions, building partnerships, and other acquired tools and knowledge from Stage One.
3. Stage Three: Fellows spend three weeks in the United States as part of the English Track (for high-proficiency English speakers), or in Lebanon as part of the Arabic Track (for high-proficiency Arabic speakers), to gain academic and local insights into civic engagement and social entrepreneurship and to report and reflect on the findings of their Stage Two activities.
4. Stage Four: Over six months, Fellows apply the lessons of the LDF Fellowship and report on results to strengthen their ongoing civic and social entrepreneurial activities. During this stage, Fellows may apply for small grants or technical assistance.
5. Stage Five: In the twelfth month, the Fellows reconvene for three days to learn and share the impact of their LDF experience.

The 2020-2021 LDF Fellowship is approximately twelve months in total starting June 2020 through May 2021.

Eligibility

For the English Track, which includes a visit to the U.S. as

U.S.-MEPI Leadership Development Fellowship Program 2020 (Funded) U.S.-MEPI Leadership Development Fellowship Program 2020 (Funded)