U.S. Embassy Announces Leadership Training Opportunity
September 16 , 2009

The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce a fellowship opportunity offered by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), a program of the U.S. Department of State.  Applications are now being accepted for candidates for the Leaders for Democracy Fellowship Program, which will provide young leaders from the Middle East and North Africa with the opportunity to complete both academic coursework and professional experience in the United States in subjects including communication, leadership, and civil society. The fellowship will cover international and domestic travel, health insurance, housing, and a moderate living stipend.

The program is open to applicants between the ages of 25 and 40 with a bachelor's degree and the English-language fluency to function successfully in an American academic and professional environment. Applicants also should have five years of work experience, as well as leadership skills and the capacity to apply the opportunities presented by the fellowship in a way that would benefit an organization, sector, or specific community. This highly competitive program will run from March 22, 2010, to June 4, 2010. Program details and application instructions are available on the U.S. Embassy's website: Learders for Democracy Fellowships. The application deadline is October 14, 2009.

MEPI was launched in 2002 to support cooperative efforts in the region that promote quality education, economic progress, strengthening institutions of governance and women’s development in the Middle East.  Since then, it has devoted more than $530 million to more than 600 programs that are implemented by non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, governments, and other partners in the region.