Young African Leaders Initiative Competition Announcement

The competition is now closed.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of YALI, the U.S. Department of State, in partnership with the Wilson Center, is hosting a Virtual Summit in May 2021. To support this effort, we are pleased to announce the YALI 10 Year Anniversary Competition under the theme YALI@10: My Life, My Community, and My World—Young African Leaders’ Stories of Transformation and Servant Leadership.  

YALI alumni and active Network members who have demonstrated a commitment to leadership in their communities are invited to submit videos, short essays, poems, songs, spoken word, and sketches that will be showcased at the Summit. We want to know how YALI has impacted your personal and professional development, and how you’ve made a difference in your communities and around the world.   

YALI alumni from the following programs are eligible: 2010 President’s Forum for Young African Leaders, 2011 First Lady’s Forum for Young African Women Leaders, 2012 Innovation Summit and Mentoring Partnership for Young African Leaders, Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, and the YALI Regional Leadership Centers. Active Network members who demonstrated a commitment to leadership in their communities are also eligible. Selected submissions will be showcased at the YALI 10th anniversary virtual summit in May 2021, where we will celebrate a decade of YALI changemakers and their achievements.