“The problems we face today, violent conflicts, destruction of nature, poverty, hunger and so on, are human-created problems which can be resolved through human effort, understanding and the development of a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share.” ~Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama Fellows, founded in 2010 with the authorization and involvement of the 14th Dalai Lama, is reimagining leadership by cultivating and supporting a global movement of next generation leaders applying universal values to solve global challenges.  The program, is independent, secular and ecumenical.

We award year-long Fellowships that include up to $6,000 for projects in local communities where Fellows are embedded and have strong ties and knowledge of its people. The projects are aimed at ameliorating entrenched global problems including mitigating economic disparities, diminishing violence, gender inequities, improving cross-cultural and intereligious cooperation, and enhancing environmental sustainabilities.

Beyond funding, The DL Fellowship guides next generation leaders in cultivating practices to deepen mindfulness and self awareness, cultivate compassion for oneself and others, harness techniques for working across differences, and build solutions with a long-term perspective.  Fellows will attend two week-long Head, Heart and Hands Assemblies, build lasting relationships with other global leaders and receive personalized coaching throughout the year.

Key Dates:

January 31, 2017: All applications due

April 15-30, 2017: All Fellows are selected and notified

May 1-July 31, 2017: Ethical Leadership curriculum, reflective exercises, and personalized coaching via Skype

August 2017: 5 Day Long Head, Heart, Hands Assembly in California 

September 2017-July 2018: Fellows return to communities and build on their projects; personalized coaching continues 

August 2018: Fellows return to Head, Heart, Hands Assembly

September 2018 and beyond: Fellows graduate into LifeLong Fellows global leadership and learning community

Key Requirements:

In order to fulfill the minimum requirements, a candidate must demonstrate through the application:

(1) Enrollment at one of our partner schools or alumnus/alumna of one of our at-large affiliations: http://www.dalailamafellows.org/dl-fellowship;

(2) Experience in and commitment to practicing a mindfulness /self awareness practice throughout the year ;

(3) In depth knowledge of the community and the issue that the proposed project is seeking to work in and address, preferably with more than one year of previous experience working with the community; 

(4) How the project would benefit from design perspectives that are grounded in mindfulness, compassion, and ethics;

(5) How you will help to shift the narrative on leadership and social change through journalism, the arts, photography, film making, or other media avenues that complement your social innovation project. 

Application Summary:

The application for Dalai Lama Fellows consists of five major parts:

 Your Resume/CV

 Applicant Background and Overview

 Two references

 Essay Questions

 Project Timeline