Applications open for second edition of Youth for Peace: UNESCO Intercultural Leadership Programme

Emerging leaders (aged 25-45) from around the world are invited to apply for UNESCO's flagship Youth for Peace: UNESCO Intercultural Leadership Programme, where intercultural dialogue becomes a tool for building trust, strengthening communities and shaping more inclusive futures. The programme is built on the belief that intercultural dialogue is more than a means of communication. It is a form of leadership that enables people to build trust across differences, navigate complexity and develop shared responses to common challenges.

This edition of the Programme will explore the theme Human Connection and Dialogue in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, encouraging participants to examine both the opportunities and risks presented by AI, and how intercultural dialogue can serve as a tool to address them. As artificial intelligence continues to transform how people communicate, learn and engage across cultures, new opportunities for connection are emerging alongside growing challenges. 

From misinformation and online polarisation to algorithmic bias and unequal access to technology, the rapid evolution of AI is raising important questions about inclusion, representation and social cohesion.

Selected participants will join a global cohort of 50 emerging leaders and take part in an intercultural leadership journey combining online learning, mentorship and practical action.

Following preparatory high-level masterclasses, participants will design and lead a dialogue-based community initiative aligned with the programme's annual theme, supported by seed funding of $10,000 and ongoing mentorship opportunities from an international network of experts and practitioners. Their work will culminate in opportunities to contribute to international conversations on peace, social cohesion and intercultural leadership through UNESCO's global network.

Beyond the programme itself, participants will become part of a growing international community of young leaders working to strengthen dialogue and cooperation across cultures. Through continued collaboration and knowledge sharing, the network seeks to amplify local action while contributing youth perspectives to global discussions on building more peaceful and inclusive societies.

The Youth for Peace: UNESCO Intercultural Leadership Programme forms part of UNESCO's Road to Peace: Dialogue and Action for Tolerance and Intercultural Understanding initiative and reflects the Organisation's commitment to empowering young emerging leaders as partners in building sustainable peace.

Applications are open until 19 July 2026 (23:59 CET, Paris time).

Find out more about the programme, eligibility criteria and application process, and submit your application here.