The Center for African Studies and Department of African American Studies at Illinois have been selected to host part of an initiative by President Obama to develop education, public service and community organizational skills in young leaders from Africa.
In mid-June, Illinois will welcome 50 young leaders from Africa as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, which is the flagship program of Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). The visiting fellows will stay for six weeks while taking part in two programs—one for civic leadership and a second for public management.
Jeffrey Friedman, program manager at the Center for African Studies (CAS), anticipates the fellowship to be a great opportunity not only for the participating fellows, but for those involved on campus as well.
“We have a very large international student population on campus, but the African student population is actually quite small,” he said. “So it’s rather meaningful for on-campus people to interact with, not just anyone from Africa, but leaders in their fields. The connections that our faculty and students can make with these young leaders are very important.”
CAS will work closely with Illinois’ Safe Global Water Institute to conduct the public management portion of the initiative, to focus on issues of civil and human rights, civil engineering, community development and public works—with particular attention paid to water, health and waste management.
With generous support from the Beckman Institute, CAS, LAS Dean’s Office, Office of the Provost, and the colleges of Business and Engineering, the Department of African American Studies (DAAS) will collaborate with Illinois International’s Global Education and Training (GET) program to conduct the initiative’s civic leadership track. In partnership with the Cline Center for Democracy, DAAS designed a program that focuses on issues of community development, democratic governance, civic education, peace building, restorative justice, communications and rights for individuals with disabilities.
The visiting fellows are up-and-coming leaders from sub-Saharan Africa who have strong records of achievement in innovation and positive change within their respective organizations, institutions, communities and countries. Allied with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational Affairs and its implementing partner, IREX, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., the fellowship initiative’s goals are to empower these young leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities and support for activities in their respective communities.
During their stay on campus, fellows will have the chance to immerse themselves in the culture and community of Urbana-Champaign while they engage in comprehensive, hands-on academic study, professional training, community service work and cultural activities.
“Champaign-Urbana is an excellent locale for a program like this due to the micro-urban environment that exists here,” Friedman said. “There’s this unique combination of civic engagement and small community life with big city opportunities and resources.”
Illinois is one of 36 institutions selected to host Mandela Washington fellows this summer, but is one of only four selected to host two separate institutes (public management and civic leadership).
The Mandela Washington Fellowship was inaugurated in 2014 and will bring 1,000 young leaders to institutions across the U.S. this summer. The fellows will also be given the opportunity to meet with President Obama at a Town Hall during the Presidential Summit in Washington, D.C.
