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.
Aru Territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo — Since 1957, the communities of Nyatsa and Adravu, located in the Nyatsa-Odru Groupement in the Lu Chiefdom, have been disputing ownership of a strip of land known as UMA. This land conflict, exacerbated by rapid population growth and recurring violence since 2015, has resulted in considerable human and material losses. Despite numerous previous initiatives aimed at resolving the conflict peacefully, earlier resolutions were not properly implemented. A recent misunderstanding between the youth of the two communities led to new tragedies, including mass displacement of populations, two killings, and more than 500 houses burned.
In response to this crisis, a joint mission was deployed in October 2025 by the provincial government following the initiative of Lisanga ya Bana Aru, an organization representing the sons and daughters of Aru Territory. Although this mission initiated dialogue, persistent challenges remain, including the reluctance of displaced persons to return home, the interruption of essential services such as schools and health facilities, the formation of armed youth groups, and the failure by some youth to return weapons seized from law enforcement officers who had been deployed in their villages to support the ceasefire.
From February 2 to 12, 2026, within this context, the project “Support to Mediation for Resilience and Peace in Eastern DRC – Phase II,” funded by the European Union and implemented by Interpeace, Action pour la Paix et la Concorde (APC), Ebuteli, and Pole Institute, provided technical and financial support to facilitate dialogue and reflection activities between the two communities. This initiative was led by a provincial delegation from Ituri (composed of the Provincial Government, P-DDRCS, the Provincial Mediation Commission, and Libaru). The process enabled stakeholders to examine the root causes of the conflict, identify the actors involved, and propose concrete actions toward a sustainable resolution.
The outcomes of this meeting were encouraging, with a shared commitment from both communities to live in harmony and foster a climate of peace. To formalize this commitment, participants developed an action plan aimed at promoting peace between Nyatsa and Adravu.
The mediation consortium remains committed to supporting these communities in monitoring and implementing the concrete action plans resulting from this mission. Together, we can build a future of peace, resilience, and harmonious coexistence for all.
