Civil Society Resource Centre: Emerging Civil Society Leaders Fellowship Program

The Emerging Civil Society Leaders Fellowship Program 

A key objective of CSIF is to strengthen Ethiopian civil society and, as part of this, the Emerging Civil Society Leaders Fellowship Program has been implemented to mentor and train the next generation of civil society leaders.  

The core objective of the project is to create a more vibrant civic space in Ethiopia by providing potential civil society leaders with opportunities for training and professional development in leadership, institutional capacity strengthening, access to information, and networking. 

20 students from universities in Addis Ababa, Hawassa, and Bahir Dar were selected to become fellows based on their genuine interest to be involved in the Ethiopian CSO movement. 

The fellowship program is one of the five components of The Ethiopian Civil Society Engagement Program, which is funded by the Civil Society Innovation Fund (CSIF) and implemented by a consortium led by the Civil Society Resource Centre (CSRC), with Ethiopia Lawyers’ Association, Inclusive Vision for Democratic Ethiopia, Ethiopian Labour Rights Watch and Digital Rogue Society Experiment Group.  

Fellows first underwent monthly training sessions in a wide range of areas, such as leadership, CSO operations, strategic advocacy, project management, identifying innovative funding sources, grant writing and support with grant applications.  

Following this, each of the fellows was assigned to a host organisation, based on their areas of interest. There were around ten hosts, including Human Rights Council and Addis Powerhouse as well as some organisations from within the CSIF consortia, including Digital Rogue Society Experiment Group and Mizan Young Lawyers Center. The hosts provided work experience, giving fellows the opportunity to implement what they’d learned during the training, and consistent mentoring support alongside.  

Most fellows have made good progress, reporting feeling a heightened sense of purpose and confidence in their ability to effect change within civil society. They have gained professional skills, such as communication, time management, teambuilding and report writing, and strengthened their knowledge in specialist areas, including human rights and feminism. Through the fellowship itself and their experience at the host institutions, they have also boosted their professional networks.