For the second consecutive year, Duquesne is hosting 25 distinguished Africans who are in Pittsburgh for six weeks to study civic leadership as part of the prestigious Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders program.
The Mandela Fellowships serve as the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), which was launched by President Barack Obama in 2010 to support and prepare the next generation of African leaders by empowering young people through academic coursework, leadership training and networking.
Through this hands-on Civic Leadership Institute at Duquesne, the fellows get the opportunity to explore significant issues that are relevant to civil society both in Pittsburgh and North America and gain knowledge and skills that they can then apply to issues emerging in their respective native countries. This year’s fellows represent 20 different African nations, from Gambia to Angola to Sierra Leone.
Dr. Joe DeCrosta, director of international programs and co-director of the Mandela fellows at Duquesne, described last year’s efforts with the fellows as a big success. “The program was amazing. Both the Duquesne and Pittsburgh communities responded so positively to the fellows,” DeCrosta said. “It was amazing to see public diplomacy in action. The whole point of YALI is to create dialogue between people in Africa and the United States and to see how they may be able to partner and create programs and solve problems. People here understand what that means, and they want to be a part of it.”
Through the Civic Leadership Institute, the fellows focus on a weekly theme that informs civic leadership. Their activities include leadership and other seminars, site visits and peer collaborations, community service, and civic and cultural opportunities. Fellows and partnering organizations are addressing topics such as decision-making and problem-solving for leaders; leading mindfully; narratives and perspectives of gender; global perspectives on disability; civil rights; and the impact of religion and civic leadership, among others.
“A lot of the work these fellows do at home has to do with social and cultural issues, helping marginalized communities and working with their local communities to improve people’s lives,” explained DeCrosta. “And civic leadership is really about the grass roots community and how people are really digging into their own local areas to try to figure out how to work with the local people as opposed to from above or through businesses or public management.”
World Pittsburgh, First Commonwealth Bank, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services and the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh are among the organizations who will be working with the fellows. The group will also experience a variety of community service opportunities, social and cultural offerings such as the Jubilee Kitchen, Jewish Relief Agency, Kennywood and the Heinz History Center.’
“Given the focus of Duquesne’s efforts in Africa, it makes sense to invite these fellows to our campus and talk to them about some of the issues that we’re concerned about and what the city thinks about, and what we may be able to offer in terms of some of their problem-solving and issues at home,” said DeCrosta. “It’s also a great opportunity for local Pittsburghers to connect with a unique group of civically engaged, global people.”