Young Peacebuilders Program
Building peace from the inside out!
Our online program supports young change agents from conflict-affected regions in fostering inner healing, developing collective leadership skills, and enhancing stakeholder collaboration in their peacebuilding initiatives.

Social conflict and war – and the collective trauma they leave in their wake – are a daily reality for too many people around the world. 

At the heart of our annual program, therefore, we seek to empower up to 10, diverse peacebuilders aged 20-35 through a series of courses focused on looking inwardly to help navigate their own challenges and looking outwardly to collectively lead peacebuilding dialogues, initiatives, and networks.

Supported by a growing community of donors and led by expert facilitators from the Collective Leadership Institute and our inner peacebuilding partner, Depth Work, full scholarships are provided for all participants. This ensures that successful applicants from all backgrounds can benefit. By nurturing relationships between emerging and seasoned leaders, we strive to create a resilient and mutually-supportive community committed to peace and sustainability.

Our program helps participants to:

  • Unlock their collective leadership potential by learning and applying tools to navigate complex stakeholder landscapes.
  • Discover pathways to deeper introspection of inner wounds and emotional challenges, uncovering aspects of strength and healing.
  • Gain insights into co-creating change initiatives that foster trust, ownership, and lasting commitment for meaningful impact.
  • Learn how to design and guide collaborative networks and strategies, driving forward peacebuilding efforts with purpose and resilience.

Those who successfully complete the program become part of our emerging network of young peacebuilders, as well as our global, intergenerational Collective Leadership Specialist Community of Practice.

Young peacebuilders nurture aliveness within themselves and in their communities, leading to enhanced dialogues and initiatives for peace.

Our program includes training in navigating inner healing and building resilience. These online modules help participants address personal challenges and set the stage for greater inner peace. In parallel, participants build their capacity to lead peacebuilding initiatives in their communities, countries, and regions by taking part in the open, online Collective Leadership Specialist workshop series alongside mid-career and senior sustainability professionals.

2025 Program Schedule

17 Feb: Call for applications opens

16 Mar: All applications are due and interviews with shortlisted applicants begin

30 Apr: Application decisions are announced

21 May: Orientation Session
Selected Young Peacebuilders and organizers meet to set the stage for the program.

24 to 27 Jun: “The Art of Leading Collectively” Workshop 1
Learn to use the Collective Leadership Compass for assessing strengths and enhancing leadership within yourself and stakeholder systems.

Jul (date to be announced): Bridging Session
Young Peacebuilders and organizers meet to link outer and inner peacebuilding approaches.

Aug (date to be announced): Embodied Practices For Inner Transformation: Inner Peacebuilding Session 1
Learn to deepen your connection to yourself, your history, and your unique purpose through embodied practices like breathwork, intuitive writing, and ancestral connection—building inner resources to navigate challenges with clarity, presence, and resilience

Sep (date to be announced): Embracing Multiplicity and Aligning Our Values: Inner Peacebuilding Session 2
Learn to embrace the multiplicity of roles and inner parts we inhabit, using inner parts work practices to foster clarity, alignment, and authenticity while exploring your values and desired growth as a leader.

Oct (date to be announced): Somatic Parts Work – Resolving Inner Conflict: Inner Peacebuilding Session 3
Learn to resolve inner conflict by using embodied exercises and nervous system regulation techniques to navigate tensions with compassion, cultivate somatic awareness, and build resilience for both internal and external conflict resolution.

11 to 14 Nov: “The Art of Stakeholder Collaboration” Workshop 2
Practice using the Dialogic Change Model to foster trust and co-create successful collaborative initiatives.

16 to 19 Dec: “The Art of Transformative Change” Workshop 3
Apply both the Compass and the Dialogic Change Model to design network strategies for systems change and peacebuilding.

21 Jan 2026: Celebration and Reflection Session
Young Peacebuilders and organizers meet to celebrate the completion of the program, reflect on the experience, and gain clarity about next steps.

Discover the Young Leaders Shaping Peace in 2024!
Explore more
Our Pool of Facilitators
Cholpon Aitakhunova
Collective Leadership Institute

Germany / Kyrgyzstan

Dominic Stucker
Collective Leadership Institute

Spain

Elisabeth Kühn
Collective Leadership Institute

Germany

Guillem Vallbona
Guillem Vallbona
Collective Leadership Institute

Germany / Catalonia

Lulekwa Gqiba
Collective Leadership Institute

South Africa

Mai ElAshmawy
Collective Leadership Institute

Egypt

Jazmine Russell
Depth Work

Germany

Learn more about Jazmine and Depth Work here.

2025 Application Overview
Eligibility criteria

Diverse people from around the world are encouraged to apply! Applicants MUST fulfill these requirements:

Age
Between 20-35 years old (on 16 March 2025).

Language
Able to speak English well (at least a B2 level).

Background
From a conflict or post-conflict setting. We define “conflict” broadly to include all forms of societal conflict, for example poverty, injustice, and inequality, as well as violent conflict.

Availability
Fully available for all scheduled sessions and workshop days (see schedule, above).

Technology
Able to access reliable technology and a strong internet connection to participate in all online sessions.

Selection criteria

If the eligibility criteria are fulfilled, we will decide who is admitted to the program based on the following criteria, with due consideration given to ensuring a diverse group of Young Peacebuilders:

Peacebuilding Work
Actively working for peace in a conflict or post-conflict setting, for example through a formal or informal peace-oriented organization, community group, network, or initiative.

Motivation
Open to exploring personal challenges you may be having in a safe space with our expert inner peacebuilding partners and other Young Peacebuilders. Interested in learning and apply collective leadership concepts and models from CLI to enhance your peacebuilding work.

Application Process

Are you ready?! Applications for the 2025 Young Peacebuilders cohort open on 17 February 2025. The process is designed to help us ensure that you are a good fit for the program and for you to ensure that the program is a good fit for you!

Step 1: Complete the written application
Click here to fill in the written application form. Give yourself 20-30 minutes to submit a high quality application. Make sure you complete everything by the application deadline of 16 March 2025.

Step 2: If shortlisted, participate in an interview
After submitting your written application, shortlisted applicants will be invited to a short interview with CLI team members in April to support our final selection of the 2025 cohort.

Step 3: Wait for results
By 30 April, all participants will be informed if they have been accepted, waitlisted, or turned down for this year’s program. (Re-applying in 2026 is, of course, welcome to all eligible candidates.)

FAQs

Q1 Are there any costs involved?
No tuition is charged. Thanks to our community of donors, each selected Young Peacebuilder receives a full scholarship. Note that non-attendance in the program will result in the scholarship being withdrawn (see below).

Q2 Where does the program take place?
Online. Participants must ensure that they have the necessary technology (a laptop or desktop is ideal) and have a reliable and strong internet connection to participate in all sessions and workshops. 

Q3 How much time is required to complete the program?
Participation in all sessions and workshops is important. The timing of events is shown in the above Program Schedule. While all “Sessions” are 90-120 minutes, the 3 “Workshops” are 4 days each, approximately 6 hours each day. These dates are fixed and need to be blocked in advance.
Please also note that between the three Inner Peacebuilding Sessions, there will be homework assignments for participants.

Q4: Is a certificate offered for completion of the program?
A certificate will be earned for completion of the 3 Inner Peacebuilding Sessions. If and only if at least 75% of each Workshop is completed do participants also receive a certificate for that particular Workshop. Finally, if a certificate is earned for each of the 3 Workshops a further “Collective Leadership Specialist” certificate is earned and the participant is invited into CLI’s related Community of Practice.

Q5: Can I lose my scholarship?
Yes. If a participant does not earn a certificate for one of the Workshops offered in the program, their spot may be given to the next person on the waiting list.

Q6: What are the Inner Peacebuilding Sessions NOT?
In our Inner Peacebuilding Sessions, we are not offering psychoanalysis or trauma counselling. While the sessions are designed to create a safe space and guarantee confidentiality—particularly for personal work—they are not intended as therapy, but can be therapeutic. This is an educational environment where participants are welcome to share as much or as little as they wish, and our expert facilitator from Depth Work will encourage open discussion and reflection on personal experiences.

Join our Community of Donors!

Every young peacebuilder deserves the opportunity to grow, connect, and create change – regardless of their financial background. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, this vision is becoming a reality. The total cost to support one participant in our program is €4,000.

We are deeply grateful for core program funding for 2024-2027 from Christa Lancaster and the Still Point Fund. We also depend on these generous individual donors, listed below, to ensure our program can accommodate 10 participants each year:

2025: Jim Aldrich, Lauren Behrman, Susan Emerson Clapp, Ineke Elizabeth Drees, Olivia Dreier, Ken Gleason, Worth Hartman, Betsy Higgins, Doug King, Nancy Loder, Tim McGaughy, Lin Saberski, Dominic Stucker, Lis Stucker, Virgil Stucker, Janet West, Jeffrey Zimmerman, and… (add your name here!)

2024: Anonymous, Karen Foernzler, Musa J. Mayer, Dominic Stucker, Lis Stucker, Virgil Stucker, and Heidrun Zoller.

To ensure the program remains fully accessible, we need your help. By joining our community of donors, you help empower the next generation of peacebuilders and changemakers. Whether through a modest contribution, a full scholarship, or multi-year support, your contribution is greatly appreciated by us and our young leaders!

Please make your donation via Pay Pal!

If you are interested in making a donation small group or multi-year contribution, please contact Dominic Stucker. Thank you for making a difference!

Young Peacebuilders Donations Flyer
Support Long-Term Peacebuilding.

Be a catalyst for change! If you’re interested in major donations or long-term support for the Young Peacebuilders program, reach out to Dominic Stucker for details!

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