International Geneva Peace Fellowship Programme 2026 – YOA

Deadline: June 7, 2026

Applications are open for the International Geneva Peace Fellowship Programme 2026. The International Geneva Peace Fellowship Programme is a partnership between Interpeace and the Geneva Graduate Institute, with the beneficiant assist of the Foundation for the Adaptation of International Geneva, that fosters the following technology of management in peace and humanitarian diplomacy.

Responding to the rising challenges going through multilateralism, the Programme empowers rising and mid-profession professionals with the talents, networks, and sensible expertise wanted to drive modern options for peace.

Over an preliminary pilot section, the Programme will assist 10 fellows chosen from current graduates and junior to mid-profession professionals, for a 9-month residential programme in Geneva. The programme goals to increase Geneva’s peace assist capacities whereas constructing foundations for a mind belief of peacebuilding leaders and a mechanism to bolster Geneva as a worldwide hub for peace.

To this finish, the programme goals to strengthen Geneva’s connectivity to key international centres by bringing collectively a world cohort of Fellows and offering them with entry to analysis and subject operations on peace and humanitarian diplomacy, together with an enabling setting inside International Geneva — by means of a bunch of companions, and networks together with the Fabrique de la Paix — the Geneva Graduate Institute’s analysis and scholar innovation and co-creation hub, Interpeace’s international accomplice community in addition to the broader ecosystem of platforms and hubs of International Geneva.

Six Thematic Areas

The Programme is structured round thematic areas outlined with accomplice establishments, reflecting rising priorities in peace and humanitarian diplomacy. Each Fellow is chosen in opposition to a particular thematic focus, guaranteeing alignment between particular person experience, institutional wants, and the bridging of coverage and follow.

Fellows will probably be anticipated to work with accomplice organizations on sensible tasks in addition to develop their very own strategic concepts in one of many following themes:

• The new frontier of peacemaking: This thematic space focuses on bringing larger visibility to underneath-addressed and uncared for conflicts, whereas strengthening mediation approaches that reply to how conflicts are altering in the present day. It additionally engages with figuring out entry factors for dialogue, ceasefires, and inclusive peace processes in protracted conflicts. This theme promotes context-delicate approaches to mediation that have in mind local weather change, environmental pressures, illicit economies, and digital dynamics, whereas guaranteeing that gender and inclusion stay central to efforts in direction of peace mediation.
• Health and peace: This thematic space is grounded in a holistic understanding of well being as intently linked to environmental, social, and safety dynamics, recognising that siloed approaches to well being are now not efficient. It explores how well being, as a central entry level, intersects with peace and safety in contexts formed by battle, local weather pressures, and technological change, treating these components as part of well being methods reasonably than exterior to them. In response to gaps in how information manufacturing on well being is siloed, the theme adopts an built-in strategy that connects well being and peace inside broader multilateral efforts.
• Ecumenical peacebuilding and religion-primarily based diplomacy: Advancing the idea and follow of ecumenical peacebuilding by means of engagement with international church networks and interfaith companions to assist dialogue, reconciliation, and social cohesion in various nation contexts. This thematic space explores how spiritual actors and establishments contribute to peace processes, together with by means of mediation, neighborhood-stage engagement, and ethical management, whereas analyzing the position of religion-primarily based diplomacy in shaping worldwide coverage discussions in Geneva. It additionally engages with efforts to attach regionally grounded experiences of peacebuilding with multilateral processes, leveraging the moral affect and convening energy of non secular leaders to advertise inclusive and sustainable peace outcomes.
• Youth management, participation, and peacebuilding: This thematic space focuses on strengthening pathways for significant youth participation and management throughout peacebuilding, coverage, and civic processes, positioning younger folks as brokers of change and companions in dialogue, battle prevention, and social cohesion, significantly in contexts affected by battle, political transitions, and democratic backsliding. It advances youth-led and youth-inclusive approaches by means of neighborhood engagement, native peace initiatives, coverage innovation, and advocacy, whereas selling humanitarian values by means of schooling and strengthening understanding and respect for International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
• Protection of civilians and modern battle dynamics: Strengthening programmatic, coverage, and humanitarian diplomacy efforts on the safety of civilians by means of programme help & administration, and utilized, subject-knowledgeable evaluation of evolving battle dangers. This thematic space engages with precedence points in battle dynamics, together with the usage of explosive weapons in populated areas, rising applied sciences equivalent to drones and synthetic intelligence, humanitarian entry constraints, displacement dynamics, and civilian hurt mitigation practices, with specific consideration to dangers affecting weak populations, together with girls and youngsters.
• Women, peace and safety and inclusive peacebuilding: Advancing gender-responsive approaches to peacebuilding by strengthening the significant participation and management of ladies in battle prevention, mediation, and peace processes. This thematic space explores how inclusive and gender-delicate methods can contribute to extra sustainable and equitable peace outcomes, together with by means of assist to girls-led initiatives, native peace infrastructures, and neighborhood-stage engagement. It additionally engages with the structural obstacles that restrict girls’s participation, analyzing pathways to reinforce safety, illustration, and entry to determination-making areas.

Eligibility

Open to:

• MA programme graduates who accomplished their research inside 12 months of making use of, or superior PhD candidates transitioning into coverage and follow-oriented careers.
• Junior professionals at early phases of their profession growth.
• Mid-career professionals getting ready for management roles in peace and humanitarian fields.

Candidates should display:

• Exceptional management potential in coverage and/or follow — significantly in areas equivalent to peace and humanitarian diplomacy, worldwide affairs, and social actions;
• A steadiness between analytical and sensible expertise and/or sturdy analysis expertise are thought of a bonus;
• Excellent writing and communications expertise in English and/or French; extra languages are an asset;
• Proven skill to work in a multicultural staff;
• Ability to be versatile and adapt to totally different contexts and dealing environments;
• Availability to decide to a 9-month residency program in Geneva from September 2026 to June 2027.

Application

To apply for the Fellowship, candidates are required to submit the next by means of the application portal:

• A curriculum vitae (most 2 pages);
• A canopy letter (most 1 web page/approx.. 500 phrases) clearly outlining:
• the candidate’s most well-liked thematic space;o the candidate’s related management expertise and why they’d be a powerful match for the Fellowship; and
• the strategic concept or initiative the candidate would ideally search to develop over the course of the Fellowship.

Click here to apply

For extra info, go to International Geneva Peace Fellowship.