The University of Georgia is proud to announce its selection as an Institute Partner for the 2020 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Beginning in mid-June, UGA will host 25 of Africa’s bright, emerging Civic Engagement leaders for a six-week Leadership Institute, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities, and local community engagement. YALI was created in 2010 and is celebrating its 10th anniversary supporting young Africans as they spur economic growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa. Since 2014, through the Mandela Washington Fellowship, the U.S. Department of State has supported nearly 4,400 young leaders from across Sub-Saharan Africa to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaboration with U.S. professionals. The cohort of Fellows hosted by UGA will be between the ages of 25 and 35 and will be part of a group of 700 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at 27 educational institutions across the United States. This summer, all Fellows will receive a letter from President Trump welcoming them to the United States for their program.
At the conclusion of their Leadership Institutes, these exceptional young leaders will convene in Washington, D.C. for the Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit, where they will take part in networking and panel discussions with each other and with U.S. leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Following the Summit, up to 70 competitively-selected Fellows will participate in four weeks of professional development at U.S. non-governmental organizations, private companies, and government agencies.
Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by IREX, Leadership Institutes will offer programs that will challenge, motivate, and empower young leaders from Africa.
2020 program highlights will include intensive leadership training, site visits to civic organizations in Atlanta, Montgomery, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana, and panel discussions focused on critical issues of food security, maternal health, human trafficking, and youth engagement. Fellows will learn from local community service organizations about how they respond to community needs, and will complete service projects throughout the Athens community. Opportunities to meet the Fellows during their stay will include an “Africa in Athens” event at the Georgia Museum of Art (June 20 @ 1pm), as well numerous social events open to the public.
The 2020 program at UGA will be delivered through a collaborative effort of the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, the UGA Office of Global Engagement, and the African Studies Institute at Franklin College.
For additional information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institute at the University of Georgia, please contact Brian Watkins at brianw@uga.edu. To learn more about the Mandela Washington Fellows at the University of Georgia, visit our website at https://yali.uga.edu/.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX. For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit mandelawashingtonfellowship.org and join the conversation at #YALI2020.