Apply : UNESCO Intercultural Leadership Programme ($10,000 Grant)

UNESCO’s Youth for Peace: A Transformative Intercultural Leadership Experience

The Youth for Peace: UNESCO Intercultural Leadership Programme is a visionary initiative aimed at nurturing and empowering a new wave of young leaders who are passionate about promoting intercultural understanding as a tool for addressing critical global issues. This groundbreaking programme is crafted to build the capacities of emerging changemakers by equipping them with the essential skills, deep knowledge, and vital resources needed to facilitate meaningful dialogue across cultures and communities.

At its core, this initiative seeks to inspire and mobilize youth to become agents of unity, dialogue, and peace—empowering them to enact sustainable change at local, national, and international levels. The inaugural theme for the programme, “Learning to Collaborate for a Shared Future: Using Dialogue to Foster Social Cohesion in a World on the Move,” underscores the importance of empathy, understanding, and collective problem-solving in an era marked by unprecedented migration and diversity.

Becoming Part of a Global Movement

Participants selected for this enriching experience will join an international community of passionate young leaders committed to advancing social cohesion through intercultural exchange. More than just a training initiative, the programme offers a transformative journey that includes access to expert mentorship, financial backing for grassroots projects, and global platforms to amplify participants’ voices. This long-term engagement fosters a collaborative network of change agents dedicated to designing and influencing policies that promote unity, inclusion, and peace.

The programme serves as a vital component of UNESCO’s broader “Road to Peace: Dialogue and Action for Tolerance and Intercultural Understanding” initiative. By centering youth leadership, UNESCO aims to accelerate global efforts toward systemic transformation and inclusive dialogue.

Table of Contents

What Participants Will Gain from the Programme

1. Robust Capacity-Building Opportunities

Participants will engage in a carefully structured learning experience designed to cultivate leadership rooted in intercultural understanding and peacebuilding. This includes:

Interactive Online Training Workshops: These sessions are crafted to provide participants with practical tools and insights on how to lead intercultural initiatives. The training covers areas such as conflict resolution, inclusive community engagement, project design, and sustainable impact.
Continued Learning and Exchange: Beyond initial workshops, participants will benefit from an ongoing series of collaborative training sessions, discussion forums, and knowledge exchanges to help refine their approaches and adapt to evolving community needs.
Mentorship and Peer Learning: A cornerstone of the programme is the supportive ecosystem it offers. Participants will receive one-on-one mentorship from experienced professionals, as well as opportunities to engage in peer-to-peer learning through regular cohort interactions and reflective sessions.

2. Financial Support for Community-Based Projects

Upon completion of the training phase, participants will be guided in developing actionable project proposals that reflect the programme’s core theme. These proposals should integrate strategies for using dialogue to promote inclusion and social unity within their own communities.

Once approved, each participant will be awarded a $10,000 USD grant to bring their project to life. Throughout the implementation phase, they will continue to receive mentorship, technical assistance, and opportunities to connect with fellow project leaders for shared learning and problem-solving.

3. Integration into a Global Ecosystem of Influence and Innovation

In addition to training and financial backing, the programme offers participants unique opportunities to connect with global institutions, policymakers, and advocacy platforms to elevate the reach and impact of their work:

Membership in the Global Alumni Network: Graduates of the programme will become lifelong members of an international network of young leaders, enabling ongoing exchange, collaboration, and visibility.
Participation in the Global Youth Dialogue for Peace: This high-level international forum brings together youth leaders and policy influencers, creating space for young voices to contribute to policy development, share best practices, and promote intercultural innovation.
Access to UNESCO’s Tools and Frameworks: Participants will be equipped with proven resources, including toolkits and implementation models that support the expansion and sustainability of their projects.
Contribution to the UNESCO Global Intercultural Action Observatory: Selected participants may be invited to share their experiences and insights within this repository of best practices, further influencing global policymaking on intercultural dialogue and peacebuilding.