Intercultural Leadership Programme – Center for Intercultural Dialogue

Youth for Peace: UNESCO Intercultural Leadership Programme: 50 Emerging Leaders Selected, UNESCO, Paris, France.

UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector (SHS) has selected 50 young and emerging leaders from around the world to take part in the inaugural Youth for Peace: UNESCO Intercultural Leadership Programme.

This flagship initiative brings together UNESCO’s work on intercultural dialogue and on youth as an organization-wide priority, with the aim of equipping emerging leaders with the knowledge, skills, and tools to transform dialogue into action, using intercultural cooperation as a powerful driver of peace and social cohesion in an increasingly complex world.

From an exceptional pool of 8,250 applicants from every region of the globe, a final group of 50 participants – aged 25 to 45 – was chosen through a rigorous review by an international technical jury of 22 experts – both from within UNESCO and its field offices, as well as from external academics in the field of intercultural dialogue. The final group reflects strong gender balance and geographic diversity, with participants coming from every region, and bringing together a wealth of experiences, perspectives, and innovative ideas. Coming from a wide range of backgrounds, sectors, and professions, the participants include leaders from the fields of education, arts, business, non-profit management, sport, mediation, politics, medicine, academia, culture, and strategic communication. These inspiring grantees embody the spirit of collaborative leadership needed to address the challenges of our time.

The programme officially begins on 28 August 2025, marking the start of a journey of learning, collaboration, and leadership development. Over the course of the year, each grantee will receive USD 10,000 in funding to implement innovative intercultural projects in their communities, alongside tailored training, mentoring, and peer exchange. The programme will combine customized online training with opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and will culminate in April 2026 at the UNESCO Global Youth Leaders Dialogue for Peace in Guangzhou, China.

Youth for Peace: UNESCO Intercultural Leadership Programme, UNESCO, Paris, France. Deadline: 22 June 2025.

Empowering young leaders to drive change through intercultural dialogue

The Youth for Peace: UNESCO intercultural leadership programme is an initiative designed to equip emerging leaders with the skills, knowledge, and resources to champion intercultural dialogue as a strategy to address pressing global challenges. Through this programme, UNESCO is cultivating a new generation of champions for dialogue, cohesion, and peace, empowering them to lead transformative action at local, national, and global levels. In its first year of operation, the theme for the Programme will be ‘Learning to collaborate for a shared future: Using dialogue to foster social cohesion in a world on the move’.

Selected participants will become part of a dynamic, international network of young leaders and changemakers, gaining the opportunity to champion intercultural dialogue and drive meaningful impact in their communities. This immersive journey includes capacity-building, financial grants, ongoing mentorship and an opportunity raise your voice on an international platform. More importantly, it fosters long-term engagement in a community of leaders committed to using dialogue to drive solutions and shape policies that promote cohesion and foster peace. The programme is a key part of UNESCO’s “Road to Peace: Dialogue and Action for Tolerance and Intercultural Understanding” initiative, amplifying youth-led action and contributing to systemic change worldwide.