Deadline: July 14, 2026
Applications for the Regional Community Organizing Institute 2026 are now open. The West Africa Regional Community Organizing Institute (COI) is a training and capacity development program hosted by Yiaga Africa with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The program was formerly known as the Youth Organizing School.
The program brings together a group of approximately 30-35 mid-career practitioners from West Africa countries who are working to advance democratic practices and economic and legal reform in contexts where freedom, human development, and good governance are fragile or at risk. This Community organizing Institute is a direct response to increasing demand to support new civic activists and deepen bounds of solidarity between community organizers in Francophone West Africa. While forging a stronger bond between Anglophone and Francophone West Africa.
Program Curriculum
The Program Curriculum draws inspiration from Harvard Kennedy School’s “Leadership, Organizing and Action” course of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. The sessions will cover specialized topics on political and community organizing, effective policy advocacy, non-violent change, scenario building, power mapping, building and maintaining networks and coalitions, gender mainstreaming, and online organizing. Participants will learn strategies for effective engagement with government institutions, political parties, and regional bodies.
The training module will include new themes such as negotiation, transnational organizing, and running effective civic organizations. The Training will also strengthen the technical capacities of youth and women-led organizations in community engagement and promotion of democratic values and principles in West Africa.
Costs
- Yiaga Africa will cover the costs of participation associated with attending the Institute.
Eligibility
- This is not an academic fellowship but is meant for practitioners only. They value practical experience over academic credentials, and they admit participants from civil society, political society, community and student leaders especially applicants who hold leadership roles in their respective sector to qualify for the Institute
- Applicants must be from and currently reside in one of the West African countries – these include Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
- Applicants must not be more than 30 years of age at the start of the Training in August 2026.
- Applicants must be actively working in the field of democracy and development.
- Applicants must have a solid command of written and spoken English or French. All program materials and sessions are in English and French.
- Female applicants and persons living with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Application
The application contains the following sections:
- Applicant Information
- Essay Questions
- English Language Proficiency
- Personal Certification
For more information, visit Regional Community Organizing Institute.
