Opportunity for Commonwealth Civil Society Leaders: Fully funded Five Day Peer-to-Peer learning exchange
Deadline to apply: 20 May
I wanted to let you know about the inaugural Commonwealth Foundation's Leadership Exchange 2012. The Exchange will be an annual activity hosted by the Foundation to foster the capacity of civil society leaders across the Commonwealth.
We are asking for your assistance in identifying leaders from across the Commonwealth to apply for this opportunity. They can be from any sector but must meet the following criteria:
· Be a leader or emerging leader of civil society
· Be from a developing Commonwealth nation (all Commonwealth nations except Australia, Canada, New Zealand or UK)
· Must live and work in a developing Commonwealth nation (see above) in the civil society sector
· Have considerable experience in stakeholder engagement and policy development
Diaspora living in the UK (or Australia, Canada and New Zealand) are, unfortunately, ineligible as applicants must be living and working in the developing Commonwealth.
If you know of anyone who meets the criteria please could you forward on this email and encourage them to apply? Please do not post this call on any message boards.
All the information you need is detailed below and in the attachment. Please note that this opportunity is fully funded by the Commonwealth Foundation.
I hope you agree this is a fantastic opportunity and will take the time to forward this on to any friends or colleagues working for civil society in the Commonwealth who might be able to take advantage of this.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact:
Guy Holloway, Civil Society Programme Officer, at g.holloway@commonwealth.int or on +44 (0) 207 747 6576.
Leadership Exchange 2012 – what's it all about?
The Commonwealth Foundation Leadership Exchange is a five day learning exchange which brings together leaders and emerging leaders from across the Commonwealth. The aim of the Exchange is to shape civil society leaders through in-depth discussion and peer-to-peer learning, designed to meet the needs and aspirations of 8-10 participating individuals.
The 2012 Leadership Exchange will centre on 'Stakeholder Engagement for Influencing Policy'.
Participants will take an active role on the Exchange, bringing their own knowledge, experiences and expertise to train and educate their peers. They will have as much to give as to learn and the Exchange will provide an opportunity to meet other leading thinkers and actors who are challenging traditional views and methods.
The Exchange will consist of plenary sessions, discussions, reflections and visits to key organisations. The programme will be a mix of facilitated sessions, group activities and problem-solving exercises.
The programme will focus on:
- The needs of leaders and emerging leaders of CSO's, specifically the skills required to advance new agendas, inspire confidence and trust, and create impact;
- Using 'Action Learning' methodology to support leaders to mentor and coach one another, provide support and advice, and help colleagues fulfil their potential;
- The need for CSO's to be present and counted when policy decisions are being made at the government level;
- The importance of information and research in informing and supporting civil society engagement on policy development;
- Methods and techniques of engaging stakeholders to inform policy development, including strategies for using information technology to solicit contributions;
- Identifying the different types of organisations, practitioners and supporters who can support policy development, and the different types of advice they can provide;
- Exploring the difficulties of engaging with stakeholders and governments: building trust, gaining access and building political will
Who is it for?
The Commonwealth Foundation Leadership Exchange is aimed at civil society leaders and emerging leaders, who are engaged in national and international policy development and implementation activities and who are current working in developing countries from the Commonwealth member states in the Asia, Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific regions.
All successful participants will have demonstrable experience and skill in stakeholder engagement and will be expected to be active participants in the leaders network. Every participant will bring to the Exchange an idea for a project associated for this theme which they are looking to implement as a result of the knowledge gained.
Dates
The Exchange will take place from the 16 – 20 July 2012 in New Delhi, India (the location may change). Deadline for applications is 20 May 2012.
Costs
The Commonwealth Foundation Leadership Exchange is a fully funded project of the Commonwealth Foundation. The Foundation will cover the full cost of all participants' attendance, including accommodation, local and international travel, insurance and all meals. In addition, the Foundation will provide an allowance for incidentals. The Foundation will only reimburse participants upon submission of receipts.
How to apply
All applicants should follow the link below. It will take you to a short survey which will help inform the Foundation about the leadership needs of applicants and help to give us a better idea on your views on the current state of civil society. Upon completion of the survey you will be directed to the application forms.
To apply, please click here.
To download the information pack, please click here.
Thank you for your kind support.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact:
Guy Holloway, Civil Society Programme Officer, at g.holloway@commonwealth.int or on +44 (0) 207 747 6576.
