A date for applications for the Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF) 2020 is now open! This Mandela Washington fellowship 2020 application brings young leaders to the United States who engage in university and leadership training and creates unique opportunities for Fellows and Americans to work together to promote growth, prosperity and strengthen democratic governance, and give a boost to peace and security in Africa and the United States.

The Mandela Fellowship for Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), launched in 2014, is the kickoff program for the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) that strengthens young people through education, driving training and networking.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship will take into consideration about 700 young leaders to the United States in the summer of 2020 to develop a comprehensive executive-style program to build capacity and enable Fellows to lead their respective sectors and communities. Are you of interest to be part of the next generation of African leaders? Answer!

About Mandela Washington fellowship summit
・ Activities in the United States

o Management institutions: Each Mandela Washington Fellow participates in a six-week Leadership Institute at an American College or a university on one of the three tracks: business, civic participation or public management. The intensive model includes links between university meetings, on-site visits, professional networks, driving training, public utilities, and organized cultural activities. Additional Information >

o Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit: After the academic component of the constituency, the Fellows traveled to Washington, D.C., for a summit at which discussions with American leaders in the public, private and non-profit sectors took place on networks and round tables.

o Professional development experience: Seventy selected Fellows will remain in the United States to participate in a four-week professional experience with non-governmental organizations, private companies, and government authorities related to their professional interests and objectives. The BDP is intended to enable Fellows to acquire hands-on training and transferable skills, expand their professional networks and apply the concepts acquired in their establishments to real-life situations in the American context.

・ Activities in Africa

o Once back home, Fellows is further strengthening their skills acquired in the United States during their time, with the support of the US embassies, the YALI Network, USAID, the US State Department, and related partners. Through this experience, the Mandela Washington Fellow has access to business opportunities and networks, as well as support for his ideas, businesses, and organizations. Fellows may also request their US partners to travel to Africa to continue project cooperation through the reciprocal exchange component.

Benefits

This is a unique opportunity to…

・ participation in a six-week Leadership Institute at an American college, or

University, for your experience with

Americans and other Fellows.

・ Discover areas that are not part of your daily work and expand your expertise.

・ Participated in a summit with young African leaders in Washington

・ Meet with the U.S. government, mayors and business leaders.

・ Strengthen their work through new linkages, skills, and ideas.

・ Participate in a continental and global network of alumni to help you find innovative solutions to common challenges.



Eligibility for Mandela Washington fellowship 2019


Intending Candidates are not discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. Candidates within the age bracket of 25 and 35, have made progress in promoting innovation and positive effects in their organizations, institutions, communities, and countries.



The Mandela Washington Fellowship is free for young African politicians who meet the following criteria:



between 25 and 35 years from or before the time limit for the submission of applications, taking into account exceptional candidates aged 21 to 24 years;
are not US nationals or permanent residents of the United States;
can obtain an American J-1 visa;
are not direct employees or family members of employees of the Government of the United States (including a United States embassy or consulate, USAID and other United States government institutions);
You can read, write, and speak English (deaf candidates should refer to the English instructions on the resource side).
whos citizenship falls in any of the following countries: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cape Verde, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Somalia, Sudan, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia or Zimbabwe;
reside in one of the above countries;and
They’re not Mandela Washington Fellowship elders.
Please note that scholarship holders are not allowed to accompany dependants, including spouses and children, during the duration of the scholarship. The United States Department of Foreign Affairs and IREX reserve the right to verify all information contained in the application. In the event of a derogation or if the information proves to be incorrect, the application shall be immediately invalidated and the applicant shall not be authorized to do so.



Selection criteria for Mandela Washington fellowship 2020 application


The criteria for assessing applications are as follows (not in order of importance):

demonstrated results in governance and performance in the areas of business, citizenship or public services;
a proven commitment to public or municipal services, volunteering or mentoring;
the ability to cooperate between different groups and respect the positions of others;
strong social and communication capacities;
a firm and positive attitude;
proven knowledge, interest and professional experience in the sector/preferred route; and
commitment to return to Africa and to build management and training capacities to assist the country and/or community of the candidate country upon return.


Application Timeframe Mandela Washington fellowship summit

September 12, 2019, | Opening of the Application process
October 9, 2019, | Application Timelimit
December 2019 – February 2020 | Semifinalists to be interviewed by the local the United States embassies and other consulates
Late March 2020 | Notification of Applicants of their stand
May 2020 | Processing of Visa, Pre-Departure and Orientations for qualified Finalists
Mid-June 2020 | Fellowship Kickoff in the United States





SOURCE: https://opportunityhive.org/yali-mandela-washington-fellowship-2020-for-young-african-leaders-fully-funded-to-the-united-states-of-america/

More opportunities at https://opportunityhive.org

Has any one been called for an interview yet? Some Angolan guys have been interviewed at their embassy.
I wouldn't know about Nigeria.