Every year, the PCNS gathers 30 to 50 rising change-makers who have demonstrated leadership and initiative in their fields and who aim to shape the regional and global agenda in politics, finance, business, civil society, academia, and the media, the PCNS said in a statement.
Held two days prior to the AD Conference, the ADEL program is a tailor-made program that engages young leaders in policymaking and in shaping narratives. This year, a cohort of 30 young leaders will join an already established community of 350 alumni and will participate in seminars and workshops held from 11 to 13 December.
Atlantic Excellence Gathered in Morocco
For this edition, more than 1600 young people, aged 25 to 35, have submitted outstanding applications. This alone signifies the program’s success as well as its Atlantic and Moroccan excellence. The selection process was based on the four criteria of initiative, leadership potential, vision, and the ambition to strengthen transatlantic ties.
The 2022 Emerging Leaders include 18 women and 12 men. Among these are 10 Africans (including 4 North Africans), 7 Europeans, 6 North Americans, 6 South Americans and Caribbean’s and 1 Asian. These members hail from NGO’s and civil society (7), the private sector (5), the public sector (5), International Organizations (4), consultancy (4), think tanks (2), universities (2), and the media (1).
Some prominent members include Marianna Albuquerque (Brazil), Deputy Director of Projects at the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI); Salim Dehmej (Morocco), Economist at the International Monetary Fund; Strahinja Matejic (Serbia), Associate Director at the Eurasia Group, Winnie Mutai (Kenya), Climate Change Finance and Readiness Expert, African Development Bank and Theodora Skeadas (USA), Public Policy Team Member, Twitter Inc.
Intergenerational Dialogue
Empowering young leaders, promoting intergenerational dialogue, and bridging the North-South divide through more balanced conversations… Such are the cornerstones of the ADEL program. Through this initiative, the PCNS encourages discussion between leading experts, senior officials, and high-potential change-makers, during the conference and beyond.
Speakers such as Obiageli Ezekwesili, Former Nigerian Minister of Education, Claude Grunitsky, CEO of The Equity Alliance and Chairman of TRUE Africa, and Larabi Jaïdi, Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South will be among the mentors of this year’s cohort.
Furthermore, the new cohort will also have the opportunity to exchange with the ADEL program alumni. Through peer learning, each participant will be able to strengthen their skills through experience sharing.
Building a Resilient Community
The objective of the ADEL program is to build a community that transcends the Atlantic Dialogues conference. This community will be active not just during the dialogues but will be presented with various opportunities throughout the year. In 2022, the ADEL alumni have published numerous opinion editorials on the Policy Center’s website and took part in the African Peace and Security Annual Conference (APSACO) in Rabat. Furthermore, ADEL 2018 alumni Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi and Hamza Rkha Chaham have both contributed to the Atlantic Currents Report, which will be presented this year at the opening of the 11 th Edition of the Atlantic Dialogues.
Throughout the conference, this new cohort will be taking part in the main discussion and will interact with the Atlantic Dialogues community. The closing plenary session will be, as usual, dedicated to the new members of the ADEL network.
Recognizing the growth of this community, we have dedicated a book compiling 30 portraits of the Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders entitled “Impactful Emerging Leaders of the Wider Atlantic”. This book explores the journeys, aspirations, and personal accounts of 30 ADEL alumni, inspiring trajectories for future ADEL cohorts.
