Confronting the urgent challenge of climate change, Eisenhower Fellowships (EF) seeks outstanding applicants for its innovative Fall 2021 Africa Program.
Ascendant midcareer leaders, primarily from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe are invited to propose transformative projects in their respective fields and collaborative solutions to the negative impacts of global warming across Sub-Saharan Africa. Exceptional leaders from other countries with a track record of working regionally also will be considered.
Ideal candidates, ages 32 to 45, are dynamic doers, working in fields actively confronting the consequences of climate change, including agriculture, housing, public safety, environmental protection, finance, water quality, food security and energy, among others.
EF will select a diverse mix of Fellows based on their track records of effective leadership, their potential for greater influence in their professional fields and their commitment to foster understanding through dialogue. All Eisenhower Fellows pledge a lifelong engagement with EF to advance its mission of creating a world more peaceful, prosperous and just.
The program will combine a mixture of virtual and in-person meetings spread over several weeks this fall, bringing African leaders to the United States for a unique personal and professional experience. EF will accept applications through March 15, 2021.
In the fall of 2016, EF hosted the first regional program in its history dedicated exclusively to Sub-Saharan Africa. From a record pool of more than 800 applicants, EF assembled a diverse group of two dozen visionaries who met with thought leaders in the U.S. and returned home to improve their societies, incorporating the best practices they had learned. A highlight of the program was a visit to the White House hosted by President Barack Obama.
The 2016 Africa Fellows went on to organize a regional conference in Kigali, Rwanda in 2019 that brought together 345 participants from 43 countries to discuss the future of global integration in Africa. They also participated in EF’s global conference on the Future of Work in Malaga, Spain, in 2017, and in the 2018 Annual Meeting events in Philadelphia, which honored former EF Chairman General Colin L. Powell and welcomed incoming chairman, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates.
Since the founding of EF in 1953, more than 230 Fellows from Africa have participated in its programs.
“This renewed focus on Africa builds on the momentum that we began in 2016,” said EF President George de Lama. “If you are a young African leader who wants to fight climate change and improve the quality of life in Africa, we’re looking for you.”
Now in its 68th year and named for America’s 34th president, Eisenhower Fellowships brings together innovative leaders from across geographies and sectors, united by their drive to tackle big challenges and improve the world. Since 1953, more than 2,400 mid-career professionals from 156 countries have benefited from the unique, customized experience of an Eisenhower Fellowship.