Fellowship for Northern Ireland’s political, business, and civic leaders opens for applications

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Launching amid another Stormont impasse, the programme equips aspiring leaders here with the skills to lead Northern Ireland forward

Applications are now open for the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building Fellowship, a prestigious programme which seeks to produce Northern Ireland’s next generation of changemakers.

Now in its second year, the Fellowship aims to strengthen Stormont’s democratic institutions and ensure that our next generation of Ministers, CEOs, and civic leaders, are best placed to lead the region going forward. Previous Fellows include John Finucane MP, Connie Egan MLA, and Cllr Aaron Callan and IoD Northern Ireland Director, Kirsty McManus.

The Fellowship is delivered by the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building (CDPB), working with leading representatives from Northern Ireland’s business sector including Allstate NI, FinTrU, Devenish, Fujitsu NI, Ulster Carpets. The programme is also supported by leading academic institutions and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

In discussions with leading policymakers, academics, business leaders and public figures, Fellows will engage with global social, political and economic issues and seek to develop their understanding of how to tackle those issues in Northern Ireland. Successful participants will also have the chance to participate in residential sessions at the University of Oxford and in Dublin.

Fellowship Chair, and Managing Director of Allstate NI, John Healy, says that this year’s programme is timely and significant given the current political deadlock facing Northern Ireland. He calls on parties, businesses, and civic society organisations to nominate those individuals that can use the Fellowship to build a better society here.

John Healy, Managing Director at Allstate NI and Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Board, said:

“The Fellowship is a brilliant initiative, and this year’s programme could not have come at a more crucial time. Northern Ireland is facing multiple challenges and with the Stormont corridors empty, we are also facing a political leadership crisis. This programme will give our future leaders the knowledge, skills, and relationships to look beyond the insular world we face here, and bring an exciting, new, and much-needed vision to our region’s future.”

“Last year’s Fellowship was a resounding success, seen through the election of former Fellows following May’s Assembly poll. This year’s expanded programme includes engagements with some of the UK and Ireland’s brightest minds in Dublin, Oxford, Belfast, and everywhere in between. From political parties, to businesses, to the third sector, I would encourage all organisations to nominate an individual for this year’s Fellowship they feel could help shape the future of Northern Ireland.”

Karise Hutchinson, Professor of Leadership at Ulster University and Vice-Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Board, said:

“Next year we will celebrate 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement. A hard-won hallmark of compromise, it is disheartening that we currently face the prospect of honouring this milestone with no functioning government in place. The Fellowship seeks to ‘level up’ our next generation of political, civic and business leaders, giving them the confidence and ability to address Northern Ireland’s ongoing political, economic, and social challenges. At its core, it seeks to pave the way for a new spirit of possibility and compromise in our society.”

“Our Advisory Board contains leaders from Northern Ireland’s leading companies who will seek to instill in this year’s participants the hard and soft skills required to introduce real, wholesale change. I am thrilled to be supporting this fantastic programme, and I would encourage all those eligible to apply.”

Those interested can complete the Fellowship application form at fellowship.democracyandpeace.org where they will be asked to upload their CV and a short essay.

Centre for Democracy and Peace Building Annual Report 2021 – 2022

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CHAIR’S REMARKS

At this juncture in global political affairs and international relations there has never been a greater need across the world for people to work for democracy, reconciliation and peacebuilding. We have seen such efforts blossom over the last 25 years in Northern Ireland/Ireland and I hope that they will continue to bear fruit to reflect unity in diversity in our restored political institutions. Such work can and should be replicated in other parts of our global world.

This compelling imperative fuelled my desire to accept the invitation to join the Board of CDPB in July 2021 and eventually to accept the unanimous support of Board colleagues to take on the mantle of Chairperson of this important organisation. I was replacing Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP who stood down as Chair and still remains a member of the Board. CDPB owe our thanks and gratitude to Sir Jeffrey and his predecessor, Lord John Alderdice who along with other Board members provided strategic direction to ensure that our organisation continues to fulfil our objectives. We have all been ably assisted by Eva Grosman who is our Chief Executive. Eva is a powerhouse and has provided dynamic leadership in these islands in terms of peace-making and democracy. We and the wider community owe Eva an enormous debt of gratitude and heartfelt thanks. I hope to continue to work with Eva and her team to ensure that the objectives of the organisation continue to be fulfilled.

Our democracy and peacebuilding work has been overshadowed by war in Ukraine in 2022. We have all been horrified by the scenes of mass death and destruction which we have witnessed on our television screens on a daily basis since late February. International efforts are required to work with President Zelensky to ensure that peace and democracy is secured and that the Ukrainian people can return to their homeland through a massive re-building programme for peace, prosperity and infrastructure building.

Our work has concentrated in the past year in the following areas: Fellowship programme which involved young people from across Northern Ireland coming together to work on democratic peacebuilding initiatives. This programme will continue to be delivered and sincere thanks are due to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin, Irish American Partnership, our corporate partners and our mentors from business and industry for their advice, sponsorship and unfailing direction and guidance.

Other work programmes included the Unite Against Hate which was supported by the Executive Office.

Our international work focuses on engagement with colleagues in Colombia and work led by Lord Alderdice in Jerusalem.

This year also witnessed the appointment of Reeya Gadhvana as our Head of Programmes and we will continue to work with young people and internships – in fact we will be hosting two young women from Harvard in Belfast during the summer.

Notwithstanding the rigours and challenges of the pandemic over the last couple of years, our work has continued and blossomed. That bedrock of support from the wider community including business and industrial representatives is invaluable on so many levels as we continue our mission and fulfil the objectives of CDPB.

CDPB is one of the most inspiring and worthwhile organisations I have worked with, and I hope to continue to work with Eva, Board members and others to fulfil our commitment to democracy and peacebuilding locally and internationally.

Baroness Margaret Ritchie of Downpatrick

Read the Report here