Apolitical Academy 2021 Academy Southern Africa Public Leadership Programme for Young Leaders in SADC Region

From September 2018, Apolitical Academy’s Southern Africa Fellows will participate in a 9-month long programme, covering seven residential weekend seminars in locations around the region.

The seminars will be led by a combination of skilled moderators and experienced government and political leaders from across the regional and ideological spectrum.

SEMINAR 1
WHY ME? WHY US? WHY NOW?

The first weekend seminar will primarily be focused on introductions and fellows’ personal exploration of their public purpose. Through a combination of group plenaries, small group discussions and inputs from guest speakers, fellows will explore the internal and external drivers of their decision to transition to public life. 

SEMINAR 3
THE ELEMENTS OF A PUBLIC LIFE

The third seminar introduces fellows to the systems, practicalities and challenges of a career in the public eye. A skills-heavy programme comprising media management, technology, driving issues for impact as well as speechwriting and speechmaking, will be complemented by deep-dive reflections on the personal and social impact of a career experienced in full view of the public.

SEMINAR 4
ETHICS IN PUBLIC LEADERSHIP AND CORRUPTION CASE STUDY

One of the flagship seminars of the Apolitical Academy programme, “Ethics in Public Leadership” will introduce fellows to government and political leaders who have faced an ethical cross-roads in their efforts to be responsible and accountable public leaders. This seminar will explore the ethical, legal and systemic consequences of straying from one’s commitment to serve the people rather than oneself.

SEMINAR 6
POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS AND GRASSROOTS ORGANISING

The third and final case study of the programme will provide fellows with an opportunity to dive deep into the practicalities of running a political campaign for election to public office. Seminar 6 asks fellows to deploy what they have learned about defining a vision, identifying constituencies, making a case for change and leading ethically and transparently to the challenge of seeking election to public office.

• Table of Content
• About Apolitical Academy
• Academy Southern Africa Public Leadership Programme
• Aim and Benefits of Academy Southern Africa Public Leadership Programme
• Requirements for Academy Southern Africa Public Leadership Programme Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About Apolitical Academy

Apolitical Academy Southern Africa was founded in 2017, and accepted its first cohort of Public Service Fellows in 2018. The Public Service Fellowship Programme is a 9-month intensive development and training programme, comprising 7 intensive seminars for emerging leaders between the ages of 20 and 45 who want to run for office or transition to leadership roles in government and the public service. The focus is on personal leadership and public purpose, ethics and values and is underpinned by a high-level mentorship programme. Annual programmes identify and support young candidates, w... continue reading

Academy Southern Africa Public Leadership Programme

Aim and Benefits of Academy Southern Africa Public Leadership Programme

• All ground transport and accommodation will be covered. Fellows will be responsible for making their own travel arrangements to and from the relevant airport.
• For countries that are not exempt from Visas for South Africa, an invitation letter for all Visa Requirements will be sent.
• Please ensure that you have a valid passport for your travels.

Requirements for Academy Southern Africa Public Leadership Programme Qualification

WHO ARE THEY?

• Proven leaders – particularly those not yet active in mainstream political system
• Women and men between the ages of 20-40 (with some flexibility)
• Exploring if and/or how to run for elected position / work in the public service
• Representing a broad swathe of political ideologies without holding extreme ideological views
• Representative of the diversity of the regional population

WHERE ARE THEY FROM?

• Civil Society
• Private Sector
• Global Leadership Programmes
• Public Policy Graduate Schools
• Social Activism
• Community Leaders
• Public Policy & Technology Experts

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details, visit Apolitical Academy website.

Please submit a 3 minute video telling us about yourself, outlining your journey in leadership and telling us about your aspirations for public service. You may wish to consider the following questions:

• Why do you want to serve in public office and what systemic challenges in your city, country or region do you hope to address through public leadership?
• Where do you see your leadership journey taking you 3 to 5 years from now?
• What do you think is the biggest challenge hindering young people from taking up political and government leadership positions in the public sector in Southern Africa?
• In which area of the public service are you most interested in serving? Please explain why and tell us how you feel your experience/knowledge would add value to governance in this area?

Remember that we are interested in who you are and what you have to say – do not worry too much about visual production values – just ensure that your video is clear, audible and well-articulated.