Delhi: Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi launches fellowship for young leaders

Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi on Thursday evening launched the inaugural Satyarthi Fellowship, a 12-month global leadership programme aimed at nurturing young leaders through mentorship, grassroots engagement and projects focused on compassionate action.

The fellowship was launched at the SCOPE Complex in New Delhi in the presence of Supreme Court Judge Justice N Kotiswar Singh, International Judge at the Singapore International Commercial Court Justice AK Sikri, former UNESCO Assistant Director-General Gabriela Ramos and other members of the Satyarthi Movement for Global Compassion (SMGC).

Satyarthi said the fellowship was different from programmes that merely trained or engaged young people in social causes, as its participants were being prepared to take on leadership roles.

“Many fellowships are designed to train, capacitate and engage young people in some causes. But this is different. Because these young people are not here just to learn. They are prepared to lead the world,” he said.

Justice Kotiswar Singh said the future belonged to the younger generation, while Justice Sikri told the fellows they were “carriers of a legacy”.

Ramos described the fellowship as a testament to young people’s commitment to changing the state of the world.

The fellowship will bring together emerging leaders from different sectors and countries and include immersive learning, grassroots engagement, mentorship and the implementation of Compassionate Action Projects.

It builds on SMGC’s three-week Satyarthi Summer School for people aged 18 to 25.

The organisation said the fellowship was part of its broader effort to develop a global network of leaders working on issues related to justice, equality, peace and sustainability.

Its mentors include Timor-Leste President and Nobel Peace Laureate José Ramos-Horta, Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee, Robert F Kennedy Human Rights president Kerry Kennedy, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy, among others.

The SMGC said the fellowship was working with institutions and organisations including the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, GoodWeave, WHO, Ashoka University, Harvard Kennedy School and Project Zero.

Applications for the inaugural cohort have closed, while applications for the 2027 cohort will open in January next year.