For nine months, ten emerging mid-career professionals will be embedded in Geneva's peace and humanitarian ecosystem, working on the world’s most pressing challenges while fostering the next generation of leadership in peace and humanitarian diplomacy.

Geneva, 1 September 2026 - Interpeace and the Geneva Graduate Institute welcome the first cohort of the International Geneva Peace Fellowship in Geneva. The Fellowship is a joint initiative between the two institutions, made possible thanks to the generous support of the Foundation for the Adaptation of International Geneva. The aim of the programme is to foster the next generation of leadership in peace and humanitarian diplomacy and to reinforce Geneva's role as a global hub for international cooperation.

The ten Fellows were selected through a rigorous process out of 6,063 applications received from around the world. The strong interest in the programme reflects the demand among emerging and mid-career professionals for meaningful pathways into International Geneva at a time when opportunities in the peace and humanitarian sectors are becoming increasingly limited.

The Fellowship responds to two closely connected needs: strengthening Geneva's capacity for peace and humanitarian diplomacy, and supporting change agents with the knowledge, partnerships, and strategies they need to be part of finding solutions to the most pressing issues facing our and future generations. Over nine months, the Fellows will be housed at the historic Domaine Barton and work in close partnership with key peace and humanitarian diplomacy actors in the city. Furthermore, the Fellows will also be a part of a common programme of leadership development, mentoring, policy dialogue, workshops, and collaborative initiatives.

“The arrival of the inaugural cohort reflects our shared commitment to strengthening peace and humanitarian diplomacy at a time of profound global disruption. Through the International Geneva Peace Fellowship Programme, we are supporting a new generation of leaders equipped with strong analytical and technical expertise, as well as the empathy, integrity, and foresight needed to navigate increasingly complex conflict systems. At the same time, we are exposing them to the multilateral ecosystem of International Geneva. By linking academic research with the operational realities of peacebuilding in conflict-affected contexts, the Fellowship creates an important bridge between knowledge and practice, offering emerging leaders a platform to contribute to sustainable responses to global challenges,” President and CEO of Interpeace, Itonde Kakoma, underscored.

The inaugural cohort brings together professionals from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, North America, East Asia and the Middle East. It includes participants from countries that remain underrepresented in multilateral institutions and reflects the Fellowship's commitment to excellence, diversity, and universality.

 

The Inaugural International Geneva Peace Fellows

The first cohort comprises Johnny Assaf (Lebanon), Chimwemwe Chifungo (Malawi), Ana Carolina Pinto Dantas (Brazil), Nan Hao (China), Sokfa John (Nigeria), Wendyam Hervé Lankoandé (Burkina Faso), Maria Antonia Montes (Colombia), Milzat Salime (Comoros), Lashante Sampson (Bahamas), and Nathanael Thomas (United States of America).

“In these dire times for peace, the International Geneva Peace Fellowship draws on the unique strengths of the Geneva Graduate Institute, Interpeace, and Geneva’s broader ecosystem. It offers outstanding Fellows from around the world direct access to cutting-edge research and field operations, while fostering an environment where new ideas in peacebuilding and multilateral diplomacy can take shape. Nurturing the next generation of peacemakers and multilateral diplomats becomes all the more vital at a time when the global climate is increasingly defined by confrontation and war. We are proud and happy to work on this important initiative with our partner, Interpeace”, Director of the Geneva Graduate Institute, Professor Marie-Laure Salles, emphasised.

The Fellowship is a hands-on programme built on resource pooling, institutional collaboration, knowledge exchange, and universality. It combines Interpeace's field-based peacebuilding experience with the Geneva Graduate Institute's strengths in research and convening, while drawing on the wider ecosystem of International Geneva. During the programme, Fellows will work in close collaboration with a range of partners including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Kofi Annan Foundation, World Council of Churches, and Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC). The Fellows will focus on practical projects as well as develop their own strategic ideas on a range of thematic areas.

"The International Geneva Peace Fellowship is a strategic asset for Geneva and a practical example of how International Geneva is adapting to a changing multilateral landscape. Geneva benefits from fresh perspectives from the outside-in, as well as new energy for the development of strategic projects relevant to peace and humanitarian diplomacy worldwide. By connecting leadership talent with expertise and networks across institutions and sectors, the Fellowship strengthens the relationships needed to build a new international footprint for Geneva – one that extends beyond international organizations and permanent missions and lays the foundations for a more networked and multi-stakeholder form of international cooperation", Professor Achim Wennmann, Nagulendran Chair in Peace Mediation at the Geneva Graduate Institute, concluded.

Over time, the partnership aims to build a growing network of leaders in peace and humanitarian diplomacy who can strengthen Geneva's global standing as a hub for peace and contribute to practical responses to conflict and instability. The programme aims to identify and enable solutions related to, for example, the new frontier of peacemaking; youth participation; women, peace and security; protection of civilians in armed conflict; health and peace; ecumenical peacebuilding; and neglected conflicts. Thus, the programme is a shared undertaking and opportunity for International Geneva, its stakeholders, and networks.

More information about the International Geneva Peace Fellowship can be found here: https://www.interpeace.org/international-geneva-peace-fellowship-programme/

Geneva, May 26- The Geneva Graduate Institute and Interpeace have launched the International Geneva Peace Fellowship Programme, a new initiative designed to foster the next generation of leadership in peace and humanitarian diplomacy. Developed with the generous support of the Foundation for the Adaptation of International Geneva (FAGI), the Programme responds to growing pressures on multilateralism by equipping emerging and mid-career professionals with the skills, networks, and practical experience needed to address contemporary peace and humanitarian challenges.

Over an initial pilot phase, the Programme will support a cohort of 10 Fellows selected from recent graduates and junior to mid-career professionals from around the world for a nine-month residential programme in Geneva. Combining institutional placements, mentorship, collaborative learning, and practical engagement, the Fellowship seeks both to strengthen Geneva’s peace support capacities and to reinforce International Geneva’s role as a global hub for peace and humanitarian diplomacy.

At a time of increasing geopolitical fragmentation, rising conflict, and growing pressure on international institutions, the Fellowship Programme reflects a shared commitment by the Geneva Graduate Institute and Interpeace to invest in a new generation of practitioners capable of bridging research, policy, and operational realities. The initiative builds on Geneva’s long-standing tradition of convening dialogue, fostering innovation, and connecting local action with global cooperation.

The Fellowship is structured around three core pillars: a residential programme based at the historic Domaine Barton; placements within leading institutions working on peace and humanitarian diplomacy; and a strong emphasis on co-creation, applied research, and leadership. Fellows will be embedded within partner institutions across Geneva, including organisations working on mediation, humanitarian diplomacy, civilian protection, ecumenical peacebuilding, health and peace, youth participation, and women, peace, and security. The Programme’s thematic structure reflects emerging priorities in peace and humanitarian diplomacy and aims to connect analytical expertise with operational and policy engagement.

The Fellowship also seeks to contribute to broader efforts to adapt and renew International Geneva in a rapidly changing global landscape. By bringing together an international cohort of Fellows and connecting them to Geneva’s diplomatic, academic, and operational ecosystem, the Programme aims to strengthen Geneva’s connectivity to key global centres and foster new forms of cooperation across regions and sectors.

Applications for the inaugural cohort of the International Geneva Peace Fellowship Programme are now open.

Learn more about the Programme and apply here

The Geneva Graduate Institute and Interpeace have signed an institutional partnership to launch the International Geneva Peace Fellowship.

In the face of heightened insecurity and disruption, peace and humanitarian diplomacy is a last resort to contribute to a more peaceful, just and sustainable world. Based on this shared vision, the Geneva Graduate Institute and Interpeace have agreed to strengthen their institutional partnership and nurture a next generation of leadership in peace and humanitarian diplomacy, with the generous support of the Foundation for the Adaptation of International Geneva.

At a time when the multilateral system is under strain, with armed conflicts at record levels and growing geopolitical fragmentation, the International Geneva Peace Fellowship will support emerging and mid-career professionals with the skills, networks and practical experiences needed to drive innovations for peace. In a pilot phase the Fellowship Programme will offer at least 10 fellowships of a duration of 9 months anchored in collaboration with associated Geneva-based partners, mentoring and innovation.

The International Geneva Peace Fellowship Programme contributes to reinforcing the universality of International Geneva as a space in which global perspectives meet to advance peace and humanitarian diplomacy.

Beyond the Fellowship Programme, the new institutional partnership between the Geneva Graduate Institute and Interpeace aims to expand collaboration in the field of talent development, research, and training with the objective to re-enforce Geneva as a global peace hub.

Professor Marie-Laure Salles, the Director of the Geneva Graduate Institute highlighted that “In these dire times for peace, the Fellowship Programme draws on the unique strengths of the Geneva Graduate Institute, Interpeace and Geneva’s broader ecosystem. It offers outstanding Fellows direct access to cutting-edge research and field operations, while fostering an environment where new ideas in peacebuilding and multilateral diplomacy can take shape. Peace remains the highest expression of collective and human security – let us never forget this. Nurturing the next generation of peacemakers and multilateral diplomats becomes all the more vital at a time when the global climate is increasingly defined by confrontation and war”.

Itonde Kakoma, President and CEO of Interpeace, stressed that “This partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the architecture of peace and humanitarian diplomacy at a time of profound global disruption. Through the International Geneva Peace Fellowship, we aim to support a new generation of leaders equipped not only with strong analytical and technical expertise, but also with the empathy, integrity, and foresight needed to navigate increasingly complex conflict contexts. By linking academic research with the operational realities of peacebuilding in conflict-affected contexts, the Fellowship creates an important bridge between knowledge and practice, offering a platform for emerging leaders to engage and contribute to sustainable responses to global challenges.”

Professor Achim Wennmann, Director for Strategic Partnerships and Nagulendran Chair in Peace Mediation underlines that “The Fellowship Programme offers a unique opportunity to realise a critical, future oriented and practical project in the service of peace. The Programme provides access to the know-how, expertise and networks for peace and humanitarian diplomacy that are among Geneva’s critical assets in an era of an increasingly networked multilateralism. By connecting this asset to emerging leadership talent for peace, the Fellowship Programme aims to create a brain trust for future peace leadership.”

Additional information and application procedures for the International Geneva Peace Fellowship will be available in late March 2026.

With the support of FAIG, the two organisations aim to deepen collaboration to increase peacebuilding impact and strengthen International Geneva.

The world is witnessing a surge in violent conflicts and civilian casualties at levels unprecedented in decades. At the same time, resources for international cooperation and peacebuilding are diminishing, and the very institutions mandated to uphold global peace and security are under significant strain. In this context, dismantling barriers, deepening collaboration, and harnessing our collective expertise are not merely priorities—they are urgent imperatives.

It is against this backdrop that the Boards of Interpeace and the Kofi Annan Foundation have decided to pursue a strategic rapprochement. Over the coming years, the two organizations aim to co-locate their headquarters in Geneva, deepen joint programming, and identify administrative and budgetary efficiencies in order to reinvest resources into peacebuilding work.

This cooperation is made possible thanks to the support of the Foundation for the Adaptation of International Geneva (FAIG), which has approved a multi-year grant to accompany this transition. Interpeace and the Kofi Annan Foundation express their sincere appreciation to FAIG for its confidence and commitment to innovation, adaptation, and cooperation within International Geneva.

While remaining two independent organisations with distinct mandates and governance structures, Interpeace and the Kofi Annan Foundation have chosen to work more closely together to combine their complementary strengths—linking community-based peacebuilding and early warning with high-level analysis, political engagement, and global advocacy.

The cooperation will focus on joint action in areas where the two organizations’ expertise naturally converges, such as:

• Youth, Peace and Security
• Preventing violence and bridging divides
• Peace and food security
• Mental health and psychosocial support in fragile contexts

Through joint analysis, coordinated programming, and shared advocacy and public outreach, Interpeace and the Kofi Annan Foundation also aim to contribute to a stronger, more coherent, and more inclusive International Geneva, which is better equipped to connect realities on the ground with multilateral decision-making and to amplify the voices of those living in conflict-affected contexts.

When peace needs are rising and resources are shrinking, the two organisations hope that this initiative will inspire others to explore new forms of collaboration. Strengthening peace today requires not only renewed political will, but also courage to adapt, cooperate, and innovate together.