Leadership Development Fellowship

Program Description

The Leadership Development Fellowship (formerly known as the Leaders for Democracy Fellowship (LDF) Program) was a seven-year leadership development initiative designed to advance civic engagement and social entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The LDF Fellowship was funded by the U.S. Department of State’s U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and implemented by World Learning. 

Over a seven-year period, the LDF Fellowship aimed to engage more than 200 emerging leaders across sectors from the MENA region in identifying innovative ways to address social and economic challenges in local communities. The LDF Fellowship advanced participants’ civic engagement and social entrepreneurship by providing advanced technical skills, financial and professional resources, and regional support networks. 

The LDF Fellows were innovators and problem-solvers, actively engaged in civic engagement and social entrepreneurship, capable of working in a cross-cultural setting, possessed excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and committed to applying the learning and skills built during the LDF Fellowship. 

Countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen