Imani Duncan Price among 25 global leaders selected as 2018 Eisenhower Fellows

Jamaica's own Imani Duncan-Price, former senator and currently chief of staff in the office of the leader of the Opposition, has been selected as one of the 25 global leaders to participate in the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowships' Spring Global Programme in 2018.

For seven weeks, from April 2 until May 18, Duncan-Price, along with the other Eisenhower Fellows, will crisscross the United States, pursuing individual projects and engaging in transformative exchanges of knowledge and ideas with leading thinkers in their respective fields. At the end of the programme, they will return to Philadelphia, the headquarters of the Eisenhower Fellowships, to share observations and then carry what they have learned back to their home countries.

General Colin L. Powell, USA (retired), chairman of Eisenhower Fellowships (EF), said that these mid-career leaders will continue the proud tradition of Eisenhower Fellows crossing boundaries to promote peaceful dialogue and international understanding.

"These leaders represent an incredibly talented cohort that is full of potential to serve as change makers," the general said. "They are committed to the mission of Eisenhower Fellowships, of creating a world more peaceful, prosperous, and just."

Representing 23 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific, the recipients were chosen based on the ingenuity of their ideas and their proven track records of leadership in a variety of fields, including government, education, entrepreneurship, energy, health care, law, non-profits, and the arts. They serve in a mix of traditional and innovative industries and have the wide-ranging expertise needed to lead in the 21st century, notes EF president George de Lama.

VERSATILE BACKGROUNDS

"These men and women specialise in fields ranging from leadership development to the future of work to the strengthening of democratic political systems," said de Lama. "Their versatile backgrounds will enable them to be decision makers in how their countries respond to and prepare for an ever-changing global landscape at a time of great disruption."

Duncan-Price was nominated by Jamaica's Eisenhower Fellows Morin Seymour, Sandra Glasgow, and Dr Parris Lyew-Ayee.

"We are immensely proud of Imani for representing Jamaica so well in the rigorous selection process to earn a place in this highly competitive global fellowship. She will find, as I did, that the customised Fellowship programme will significantly advance her personal and professional growth and allow her to make an even greater impact as one of Jamaica's bright, young leaders," said Sandra Glasgow, Fellow in 2000.

Lyew-Ayee, EF Fellow in 2014, said: "Imani embodies the modern Eisenhower Fellow in a global setting - a brilliant and high achiever who aims to take consequential actions to make the world better and more than just through hard work and sacrifice. Imani represents the best of Jamaica in the world."

... Fellowship brings together innovative leaders from around the world

Now in its 65th year and named for America's 34th president, the Eisenhower Fellowships (EF) brings together innovative leaders from across geographies and sectors, visionaries who tackle big challenges to better the world around them. Since 1953, more than 2,300 mid-career leaders from 115 countries have benefited from the unique, customised experience of an Eisenhower Fellowships.

Successful candidates for EF programmes commit to lifelong engagement with the organisation and its influential network of nearly 1,600 active Fellows around the world. Fellows apply what they learn from their peers and in their meetings with experts in their respective fields to maximise their potential and produce sustained impact through their fellowship experience and collaboration within the EF global network.

Eisenhower Fellowships identify, empower, and connect innovative leaders through a transformative fellowship experience and lifelong engagement in a global network of dynamic change agents committed to creating a world more peaceful, prosperous, and just.