U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP)

Application Deadline: 12:00 Noon EST on Friday, January 1st, 2016

The Sudanese and South Sudanese Youth Leader program brings Sudanese and South Sudanese peacebuilders between ages 18 and 35 to Washington, DC to be in residence at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) for four months.

The goal of the project is to support youth to gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to further their peacebuilding work and position themselves as stronger peacebuilding agents in their communities. USIP will bring one Sudanese and one South Sudanese leader in the spring of 2016 and another two leaders in the fall of 2016.

Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Please review all eligibility requirements before you apply. In order to be eligible to participate in the program, candidates must meet the following criteria:

Are of Sudanese or South Sudanese nationality and living Sudan or South Sudan at the time of application
Are between 18 and 35 years of age at the time of application;
Are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S.; and
Are eligible to receive a United States J-1 visa

Program Requirements:

Youth leaders are expected to:

Complete at least two (2) USIP Academy courses;
youth leaders may take as many courses as they like, time-permitting
Write a short paper or blog post for the USIP website on a topic of his/her choice, based on the intersection of professional interests and USIP’s work
Meet with professionals at USIP, on Capitol Hill, and at other organizations in order to develop his/her professional network
Complete leadership development training
Plan and conduct a joint activity or meeting with the other youth leader in residence at USIP
Identify and participate in an activity related to his/her interests outside his/her work at

the Institute. Previous activities have included joining church committees, working with the diaspora, and taking English classes.
Develop a leadership action plan, including a project that he/she designs to be implemented when he/she returns to his/her community, that he/she will present to either USIP staff or the Sudan and South Sudan Working Groups.

FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

There is no fee to apply to the Sudanese and South Sudanese Youth Leaders program. If you are selected for the program, the U.S. Institute of Peace will cover the following costs:

J-1 Visa expenses (including any travel expenses associated with obtaining the visa)
Round-trip travel from youth leader’s home to the U.S.
Housing costs in the U.S.
Stipend that will also cover health insurance, local travel, phone and internet, and any other living expenses

Timeline:

December 4, 2015 – Application opens
January 1, 2016 – Application deadline; no submissions will be accepted after 12:00 noon EST
January 15, 2016 – Semi-finalists notified via email by 17:00 (5:00pm) EST
January 18 – 25, 2016 – Semi-finalists interviewed by phone
January 29, 2016 – Finalists notified
April 1, 2016 – Spring cohort of youth leaders arrive in Washington, D.C.
July 1, 2016 – Fall cohort of youth leaders arrive in Washington, D.C.
August 8, 2016 – Spring cohort of youth leaders return home
November 10, 2016 – Fall cohort of youth leaders return home

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the USIP Sudanese and South Sudanese Youth Leader program 2016

U.S Institute of Peace Sudanese and South Sudanese Youth Leader Program 2016, USA (Fully Funded)