Deadline: 30-Jul-23
The United States Institute of Peace has announced the Generation Change Fellows Program that will take place in Guatemala.
The Generation Change Fellows Program partners with young leaders across the globe to foster collaboration, build resilience and strengthen capacity as they transform local communities. It is a partnership between the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) and the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture.
The Generation Change Fellows Program (GCFP) of the United States Institute of Peace is dedicated to strengthening the capacity of young people who are emerging as leaders in their communities and who participate in construction activities of peace. By providing training in bias awareness and reduction, conflict transformation and effective leadership; providing virtual courses, other resources; and fostering a learning community, this program provides participants with the additional skills, knowledge, and support needed to increase their resilience as peacebuilders, civic leaders, to manage conflict at the local level, and to increase the effectiveness of their work peace building.
GCFP Fellows are between the ages of 18-35, have leadership roles in civic organizations and are actively working to create a positive impact in their communities. Fellows are people who have earned the trust and legitimacy of their communities through their committed work.
About Training
- The five (5) days of the program will provide training in awareness and bias reduction, effective leadership, and conflict transformation, in order to increase the resilience of the participants so that they can have a greater impact in their communities. The training will provide a space for the participants to share ideas, acquire new tools, practice constructive dialogues and improve understanding in conflict resolution, especially related to their country.
- Upon completion of this training, participants will enter the GCFP global community of youth civic leadership, a community of more than 400 youth in 32 countries. USIP will pay for transportation, food, and lodging. Participants must be present during the entire 5 days of training without exception.
The 24-month Fellows Program—which includes access to Global Campus courses for ongoing learning—provides these young civic leaders with the following skills and experiences:
- Conflict Management Skills
- Developing the core conflict management skills of active listening, relationship building, negotiation, mediation and dialogue and working cooperatively to find mutually agreeable solutions among parties.
- Leadership Development Skills
- Providing emerging leaders with practical skills in communication, leadership presence, and story-telling to help them articulate their vision and mission more effectively and create healthier, more stable organizations.
- A Dynamic Community of Civic Leaders
- Creating lasting relationships built on trust so that Fellows are able to turn to one another for advice and assistance both digitally and in person.
- Participatory Action Research (PAR)
- U.N. Resolution 2250 places youth at the center of the peacebuilding agenda. The Generation Change program has launched an initiative to build the capacity of Generation Change Fellows to facilitate community-based, participatory research to increase the voice of youth in local and national peacebuilding efforts and policymaking.
- The Peaceworks publication “Participatory Action Research for Advancing Youth-Led Peacebuilding in Kenya” documents six Generation Change Fellows’ work with PAR in their communities. This work is further documented in the short film, “When Youth Build Peace: Participatory Action Research in Kenya.”
Eligibility Criteria
- United States Institute of Peace is looking for Guatemalan youth (between 18 and 35 years old) who have demonstrated experience in peacebuilding and similar fields, and are interested in participating in a five-day training in Guatemala on prejudice awareness and reduction, effective leadership, and conflict transformation. The program will take place between the end of November and the beginning of December 2023.
- Have Guatemalan nationality.
- Live and work currently in Guatemala.
- Be between 18 and 35 years old.
- Must be able to read, write and speak Spanish.
- Must have led initiatives or founded a peacebuilding organization or have worked for at least 2 years in leadership roles in an organization that works for peacebuilding and related fields (peace education, gender, dialogues, mediation , art, media, prevention of electoral violence, etc).
- You must be willing to participate and learn from the other participants and facilitators.
- Must be able to travel and fully commit to participating in the entirety of the program.
- Dates: Between the last week of November and the first week of December 2023.
For more information, visit Generation Change Fellows Program.