The Conservation & Communities Fellowship 2023 from the Global Diversity Foundation (GDF) is now accepting applications. For leaders in the Global South, the Fellowship is a 10-month specialized learning and development program. By assisting grassroots civil society organizations in the Global South in gaining direct access to money for their projects and programs, it aims to increase equality in the conservation funding flows from the Global North.
The Fellowship seeks to strengthen the capacities, networks, and leadership of 30 changemakers working for organizations in the Global South on issues related to biodiversity and livelihoods. The CCF will support participants in developing a helpful peer-learning and mentoring community, effectively implementing their projects and programs, and measuring the impact of those projects and programmes.
The CCF is offered for free, thanks to the generosity of funders. They will ask all fellows to contribute a modest sum towards their travel costs for the in-person event in Morocco in May 2024. They will offer support for individuals to fundraise to cover these costs, as well as application-based travel bursaries, to ensure that everyone has the same opportunity of participating.
Benefits:
Taking part in the Conservation and Communities Fellowship will allow participants to:
- Grow new networks and collaborations;
- Acquire mentoring and coaching skills to support colleagues, partners and collaborators;
- Build robust technical and strategic skills in all areas, from building relationships with donors, through project implementation and impact measurement, to scaling up programmes;
- Gain leadership capabilities and learn how to ‘Lead Beyond Authority’ – i.e. to lead and collaborate across sectors, geographies, cultures and social boundaries;
- Support their organisations to successfully fundraise for their projects and programmes;
- Participate in the International Society for Ethnobiology’s 18th biennial Congress in Marrakech, Morocco in May 2024;
- Join the Global Environments Network.
Eligibility:
- Open to applicants from the Global South who are leaders or project managers in local civil society or grassroots organisations whose work focuses on the intersection of biodiversity conservation and community livelihoods.
- Specifically, they are seeking candidates from Least Developed Countries, Low Income Countries and Lower Middle-Income Countries.
- Successful candidates will be highly motivated individuals who show commitment to bring about positive change, and who can demonstrate their leadership potential and capability. They are able to critically assess their personal and organisational challenges and are capable of clearly articulating their learning requirements and needs.
Application:
The deadline to apply is midnight (UK time) on September 17, 2023. This application should take around 30 minutes to complete. You will be informed by September 29, 2023 if you have been shortlisted. Selected participants will be announced by October 16, 2023. The programme starts on November 1, 2023.
