Established in 2010, the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) is the U.S. Government’s signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders. Over the past decade, YALI grew from 115 young leaders to include more than 24,000 alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship exchange program. (Courtesy photo)
The Wilson Center
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of YALI, the U.S. Department of State, in partnership with the Wilson Center, is pleased to announce the YALI 10 Year Anniversary Competition under the theme “YALI at 10: My Life, My Community, and My World.”
Selected submissions will be showcased at the YALI 10th anniversary virtual summit in May 2021, where we will celebrate a decade of YALI change-makers and their achievements. Submissions may include videos, short essays, poems, songs, spoken word, and sketches. They may also be showcased at a Live Stream event scheduled in fall 2021 or by the Department of State.
YALI alumni and active Network members who have demonstrated a commitment to leadership in their communities are invited to describe or demonstrate how YALI has impacted your personal and professional development, and how you’ve made a difference in your communities and around the world. Individuals or alumni groups may compete and submissions may be in written, video, audio, or multimedia format. Individual submissions should correspond to one of YALI’s three curriculum tracks. Group submissions may be cross-cutting across tracks.
Established in 2010, the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) is the U.S. Government’s signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders. Over the past decade, YALI grew from 115 young leaders to include more than 24,000 alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship exchange program, four Regional Leadership Centers (RLCs) in Africa, and an extensive digital community called the YALI Network with more than 650,000 members. These programs aim to strengthen democratic institutions and good governance, spur economic growth and prosperity, and foster peace and security in Africa.
Platform(s)
Entries from this contest may be announced and promoted on various Woodrow Wilson Center, YALI, and Department of State Social Media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn but contest entry and administration will take place through e-mail.
Want to enter? Click here for submission content guidelines.
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Related:
In Ethiopia, U.S. Embassy Launches Media Training for Journalists Covering Election
The overall goal of these trainings to empower and educate journalists on their roles and responsibilities throughout the election process, which includes educating voters on diverse issues, and monitoring and reporting on electoral activities to increase the transparency and accountability of all parties involved. (U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia)
Press Release‘
U.S. Embassy Supports Ethiopian Journalists in Elections Training
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: On February 8, 2021 the U.S. Embassy launched the first of 25 week-long media trainings throughout Ethiopia. This comprehensive media capacity project will train approximately 500-700 journalists across the country. The U.S. Embassy has invested $450,000 (17,730,000 million birr) in this project.
The overall goal of these trainings to empower and educate journalists on their roles and responsibilities throughout the election process, which includes educating voters on diverse issues, and monitoring and reporting on electoral activities to increase the transparency and accountability of all parties involved. At the launch, Amanda Jacobsen, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, underscored to journalists, “Your role as media professionals is critical in both uncovering and addressing the needs and challenges of citizens, as well as questioning sources, diversifying the types of people you interview, and countering mis- and disinformation as part of your daily responsibilities.”
Election-related topics to be covered include effective elections reporting; identifying mis- and dis information; and COVID-19 reporting techniques. The workshops will be facilitated by experienced Ethiopian journalists and professors from leading Ethiopian schools of journalism. An American media specialist developed the curriculum for the five-day sessions.
The initiative is implemented by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communications Programs, with support from the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia, and in partnership with the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) and Addis Ababa University’s School of Journalism and Communications.
In addition, experienced American media specialists will provide hands-on, tailored training at various Ethiopian newsrooms on investigative journalism techniques beginning in March 2021.
The United States has invested nearly $35 million to support Ethiopia’s efforts to organize, administer, and conduct free and fair elections. U.S. assistance is helping build the capacity of the NEBE, political parties, civil society, and independent media to contribute to a free, fair, and peaceful electoral process, ensuring greater transparency and promoting meaningful participation among all citizens—with a focus on women, youth, and other traditionally marginalized groups. The United States is also supporting an international election observation effort.
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