The February-May 2017 MEPI-funded Leaders for Democracy Fellowship (LDF) Arabic Program was officially launched on February 20. Implemented in Lebanon by World Learning in collaboration with the American University of Beirut (AUB), this year’s program attracted 22 Fellows from nine MENA countries. Dr. Hassan Diab, AUB Vice President of the Regional External Programs, welcomed the 22 Fellows to the AUB campus. Also in attendance at the opening ceremony were Mrs. Chantal Souaid Mchantaf, World Learning LDF MENA director, and 19 representatives from the program’s partnering civil society and international humanitarian organizations.
Based on their leadership skills and record of public service and civic activism, NEA/AC selected the Fellows for a three-month program designed to bolster their knowledge and skills needed to be champions for their communities and countries. The program combines five-weeks of academic learning with eight-weeks of professional practicum that will enable Fellows to address common challenges in their countries as well as improve linkages with counterparts across the region.
For the next five weeks, these 22 Fellows will attend academic sessions at AUB on Democracy and Democratic Governance, Leadership, Civic Engagement, Conflict Transformation, Communication and Campaigning. The final eight weeks of the program
will focus on professional practicums where each Fellow puts into practice what was learnt in the classroom through working on a project with a host organization of his/her choosing.
