U.S. Embassy Announces Leadership Training Opportunity

February 5, 2012

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 Leadership Fellowship Program in Arabic (PDF 76 KB), which will provide young leaders from the Middle East and North Africa with the opportunity to complete both academic coursework and gain professional experience in Beirut, Lebanon, in subjects including communication, leadership, and civil society. The fellowship offers international and domestic travel, health insurance, housing, and a moderate living stipend.

The program is open to applicants between the ages of 22 and 30 with a bachelor's degree and Arabic-language fluency to study at The American University of Beirut and to function successfully in a professional environment. Applicants also should have 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 the beginning of May until mid-July 2012, and is hosted by the Department of Foreign Regional Programs at the Lebanese American University-LAU in Beirut and the Issam Faris Institute for General Politics and External Relations. Program details and application instructions are available on the U.S. Embassy's website: http://oman.usembassy.gov. The application deadline is February 28, 2012.

Interested applicants should submit an updated resume and an essay of no more than 1000 words (written in Arabic), which answers the following questions:

• How will a MEPI Leaders for Democracy Fellowship enable you to better lead your community or country towards greater democracy and citizen participation in the institutions and activities of government?
• Specifically, what do you hope to gain from this program?
• What are your plans to apply the experience it offers?
• What changes do you hope to bring about in your country in the next 10 years?

Note: The above paragraph (about the essay questions) should not appear on the first web page but could be linked to it for further details.

In Oman, please submit a current CV as well as your response to the essay questions by email with the subject line “MEPI LDF application – (Your Name)” to the

US Embassy MEPI Coordinator: MEPIOmanLDF@state.gov

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

For Arabic announcement please click here (PDF 76 KB).