International Geneva Peace Fellowship Programme
Fostering the next generation of leadership in peace and humanitarian diplomacy.
What is the International Geneva Peace Fellowship Programme?
The International Geneva Peace Fellowship Programme is a partnership between Interpeace and the Geneva Graduate Institute, with the generous support of the Foundation for the Adaptation of International Geneva, that fosters the next generation of leadership in peace and humanitarian diplomacy.
Responding to the growing challenges facing multilateralism, the Programme empowers emerging and mid-career professionals with the skills, networks, and practical experience needed to drive innovative solutions for peace.
Over an initial pilot phase, the Programme will support 10 fellows selected from recent graduates and junior to mid-career professionals, for a 9-month residential programme in Geneva. The programme aims to expand Geneva's peace support capacities while building foundations for a brain trust of peacebuilding leaders and a mechanism to reinforce Geneva as a global hub for peace.
To this end, the programme aims to strengthen Geneva's connectivity to key global centres by bringing together an international cohort of Fellows and providing them with access to research and field operations on peace and humanitarian diplomacy, along with an enabling environment within International Geneva — through a host of partners, and networks including the Fabrique de la Paix — the Geneva Graduate Institute's research and student innovation and co-creation hub, Interpeace's global partner network as well as the broader ecosystem of platforms and hubs of International Geneva.
Structured around three core pillars
Residential Programme
A group of 10 International Geneva Peace Fellows will be housed at the historic Domaine Barton, on the shores of Lake Geneva, working on critical, future-oriented, and practical projects addressing pressing global challenges in peace and humanitarian diplomacy. Throughout the programme, Fellows will participate in visits, convenings, collaborative platforms, and learning exchanges across International Geneva.
Institutional collaboration and placements
Fellows are embedded within partner institutions from leading organisations working in peace and humanitarian diplomacy, while developing projects and immersing themselves in professional networks, knowledge and expertise emerging from International Geneva for a nine-month placement aligned with their expertise and institutional needs. Fellows are mentored by experts from designated partner organisations and benefit from mentoring support, regular learning sessions, and access to professional networks and forums across Geneva. The Fellowship is designed to provide meaningful institutional exposure, operational experience, and long-term career development opportunities within the peace and humanitarian ecosystem.
Co-creation, research, and leadership
Fellows build on their existing expertise and learn from the themes of the partners they work with. The Fellowship begins with a week-long intensive training course designed to strengthen the knowledge, analytical capacities, and practical skills required for leadership in peace and humanitarian diplomacy.
Over the course of the fellowship, fellows will also be expected to work on cutting-edge practical projects with partner institutions while drawing on Geneva’s unique ecosystem and developing their own strategic ideas within the relevant themes.
A strong emphasis is placed on horizontal learning and peer exchange, complemented by sustained mentoring support from host institutions, strengthening individual Fellows’ leadership and innovation capacity.
A partnership anchored in Geneva
The Programme builds on the combined competences of leading Geneva-based institutions.
Interpeace is an international organisation with 30 years of experience preventing violence and building lasting peace across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Interpeace supports locally led solutions and strengthens capacities for non-violent conflict management.
The Geneva Graduate Institute, founded in 1927 and located in the heart of International Geneva, is a higher education institution and a pioneer in the exploration of global issues. Through its core missions – academic research, teaching, expertise and forum activities – the Institute produces and shares knowledge on international affairs and global challenges, nurturing a generation of professionals equipped to drive positive transformation through scientific excellence and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Six thematic areas shaping the cohort
The Programme is structured around thematic areas defined with partner institutions, reflecting emerging priorities in peace and humanitarian diplomacy. Each Fellow is selected against a specific thematic focus, ensuring alignment between individual expertise, institutional needs, and the bridging of policy and practice.
Fellows will be expected to work with partner organizations on practical projects as well as develop their own strategic ideas in one of the following themes:
The new frontier of peacemaking
This thematic area focuses on bringing greater visibility to under-addressed and neglected conflicts, while strengthening mediation approaches that respond to how conflicts are changing today. It also engages with identifying entry points for dialogue, ceasefires, and inclusive peace processes in protracted conflicts. This theme promotes context-sensitive approaches to mediation that take into account climate change, environmental pressures, illicit economies, and digital dynamics, while ensuring that gender and inclusion remain central to efforts towards peace mediation.
Health and peace
This thematic area is grounded in a holistic understanding of health as closely linked to environmental, social, and security dynamics, recognising that siloed approaches to health are no longer effective. It explores how health, as a central entry point, intersects with peace and security in contexts shaped by conflict, climate pressures, and technological change, treating these factors as part of health systems rather than external to them. In response to gaps in how knowledge production on health is siloed, the theme adopts an integrated approach that connects health and peace within broader multilateral efforts.
Ecumenical peacebuilding and faith-based diplomacy
Advancing the concept and practice of ecumenical peacebuilding through engagement with global church networks and interfaith partners to support dialogue, reconciliation, and social cohesion in diverse country contexts. This thematic area explores how religious actors and institutions contribute to peace processes, including through mediation, community-level engagement, and moral leadership, while examining the role of faith-based diplomacy in shaping international policy discussions in Geneva. It also engages with efforts to connect locally grounded experiences of peacebuilding with multilateral processes, leveraging the ethical influence and convening power of religious leaders to promote inclusive and sustainable peace outcomes.
Youth leadership, participation, and peacebuilding
This thematic area focuses on strengthening pathways for meaningful youth participation and leadership across peacebuilding, policy, and civic processes, positioning young people as agents of change and partners in dialogue, conflict prevention, and social cohesion, particularly in contexts affected by conflict, political transitions, and democratic backsliding. It advances youth-led and youth-inclusive approaches through community engagement, local peace initiatives, policy innovation, and advocacy, while promoting humanitarian values through education and strengthening understanding and respect for International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
Protection of civilians and contemporary conflict dynamics
Strengthening programmatic, policy, and humanitarian diplomacy efforts on the protection of civilians through applied, field-informed analysis of evolving conflict risks. This thematic area engages with priority issues in conflict dynamics, including the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, emerging technologies such as drones and artificial intelligence, humanitarian access constraints, displacement dynamics, and civilian harm mitigation practices, with particular attention to risks affecting vulnerable populations, including women and children.
Women, peace and security and inclusive peacebuilding
Advancing gender-responsive approaches to peacebuilding by strengthening the meaningful participation and leadership of women in conflict prevention, mediation, and peace processes. This thematic area explores how inclusive and gender-sensitive strategies can contribute to more sustainable and equitable peace outcomes, including through support to women-led initiatives, local peace infrastructures, and community-level engagement. It also engages with the structural barriers that limit women’s participation, examining pathways to enhance protection, representation, and access to decision-making spaces.
Across all thematic areas, the Fellowship emphasises a balance between analytical, research-based and practical engagement, ensuring that Fellows contribute both to knowledge generation and to tangible operational outcomes within the respective themes.
Who can become a Fellow
Eligible candidates must fulfil at least one of the following profiles:
MA or advanced PhD
MA programme graduates who completed their studies within 12 months of applying, or advanced PhD candidates transitioning into policy and practice-oriented careers.
1–4 years of experience
Junior professionals at early stages of their career development.
5–10 years of experience
Mid-career professionals preparing for leadership roles in peace and humanitarian fields.
Candidates must demonstrate:
- Exceptional leadership potential in policy and/or practice — particularly in areas such as peace and humanitarian diplomacy, international affairs, and social movements;
- A balance between analytical and practical experience and/or strong research skills are considered an advantage;
- Excellent writing and communications skills in English and/or French; additional languages are an asset;
- Proven ability to work in a multicultural team;
- Ability to be flexible and adapt to different contexts and working environments;
- Availability to commit to a 9-month residency program in Geneva from September 2026 to June 2027.
Submit your application
To apply for the Fellowship, candidates are required to submit the following through the application portal:
- A curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages)
- A cover letter (maximum 1 page/approx. 500 words) clearly outlining:
- the candidate's preferred thematic area;
- the candidate's relevant leadership experience and why they would be a strong fit for the Fellowship; and
- the strategic idea or initiative the candidate would ideally seek to develop over the course of the Fellowship.
Candidates can access the Terms of Reference here:
Terms of Reference →Candidates can apply for the Fellowship through the link below:
Apply now →In case of any questions, please do not hesitate to write to us at: peacefellowship@interpeace.org
