Deadline: January 25, 2026
Applications are open for the Mindanao Young Leaders Programme (MinYLP) 2026. The Mindanao Young Leaders Programme (MinYLP) is a capacity sharing programme for emerging young community leaders from Civil Society Organisations. Each year, ten participants are selected to further develop their knowledge, skills and confidence as leaders, enabling them to actively contribute to the sustainable and peaceful development of their communities and, more broadly, of Mindanao.
MinYLP offers Young Leaders the opportunity to explore new ideas and approaches to sustainable development both in Mindanao and Aotearoa New Zealand, inspiring them to think creatively about the challenges in their own communities. Participants follow a group programme and work together on an inclusive, cross-ethnic and cross-religious basis. Each Young Leader will explore a specific development challenge affecting their community, undertake basic research on this topic, and prepare a proposal for a participatory Action Project to address this challenge.
Eligibility
- Be aged 23-30 years;
- Be living and working in Mindanao;
- Be working for a community based organisation or NGO such as a women’s or Indigenous organisation, labour union or environmental group;
- Intend to continue working for their organisation for a minimum of one year after completing the programme;
- Have English language proficiency, with ≥5.5 IELTS (or TOEFL 46-59). Note: you are not required to sit an IELTS test, but an English language test will be administered at the interview stage;
- Be available to participate in a full time residential of 2 weeks;
- Have support to participate in the programme from the organisation they represent or work for, including flexibility to attend online study sessions during office hours and to take leave from work for 12 weeks to participate in the programme in Aotearoa New Zealand;
- Not be enrolled in any other full-time courses of study or a similar scholarship/ fellowship during the Sustainable Development Course (SDC);
- Talk to UnionAID before enrolling in any other part-time courses during the SDC;
- Hold, or be able to obtain, a passport issued by the Government of the Philippines valid for 6 months beyond the return departure date from Aotearoa New Zealand.
Selection Criteria
In making the selection, candidates will be assessed using the following criteria:
- demonstrated leadership and future leadership potential;
- a commitment to development and community work;
- a commitment to working with other ethnic and religious groups;
- open-mindedness and maturity;
- support from their employing organisation including a mutual commitment to continue the employment for one-year post-programme;
- identification of a clear and relevant development challenge or area of interest that you wish to explore through the programme that can provide the foundation of an Action Project; and
- that the group reflects an ethnic, religious and gender mix where possible, and that immigration requirements for a student visa can be met.
Application
Apply by filling out the application form before Sunday 25 January 2025 at 11:59 pm Philippine Time.
For more information, visit MinYLP.
