Sudan Leadership Institute (LIONS) Opens Application Process

Posted by metroafrican • September 19, 2009 • Printer-friendly

The Leadership Institute of New Sudan (LIONS) is now accepting applications for their first leadership course beginning this December. We interviewed LIONS Executive Director Mangar Amerdid back in December of 2008, so check out that video to learn a bit of what LIONS is about. And be sure to visit their website for more details on the upcoming class.

The press release is below and can also be downloaded in English here (.pdf) and in Arabic here (.doc)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Sudan Leadership Institute (LIONS) Opens Application Process

Denver, Colorado, USA and Juba, Sudan – September 14, 2009 – Qualified applicants from the Diaspora are invited to submit applications for the first course which will be held in December, 2009 at the University of Denver, Josef Korbel Graduate School of International Studies. The program focuses on: Leadership, Democracy and Economic Development. Sudanese individuals who are ready to work and serve in communities throughout Sudan and who are willing to make personal sacrifices for the greater good will be prepared to lead in local communities, small business, NGOs, as well as government and institutions.

Limited financial support is available to help with travel costs to and from the United States. Applicants are encouraged to seek sponsorship help. However, course fees, lodging and meals will be covered by the Leadership Institute of New Sudan (LIONS), according to the founder and Executive Director, Mangar Gordon Amerdid. LIONS is a Denver and Juba-based non-profit formed to develop leaders who will work in Sudan, and to bring together the skills and talents of Sudanese who became part of a global Diaspora with those who remained in Sudan.

“Now is the time for us to join hands and dedicate ourselves to seeing that the benefits of freedom, security and democracy take root in our homeland, for those in the smallest villages as well as for those in the centers, says Amerdid.

Sudan is recovering from a decades-long civil war between the regime in Khartoum and Sudanese in the marginalized areas (led by the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement). While the Khartoum regime has perpetrated genocide on its citizens in Darfur, it also has failed to implement important elements of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed with the southern Sudanese in January, 2005. The agreement calls for elections in 2010 and Referendum in 2011 that may change the fate of the entire nation.

“My colleagues and I are inviting men and women who embrace the idea that a leader is one who serves their community and strengthens democracy in ways both large and small, to submit an online application available at the LIONS website: www.sudanlions.org not later than October 10, 2009. According to Amerdid, “Developing leaders is an investment that will have a long term structural effect on how or if Sudan develops into a modern nation state. The quality of our leaders is the only thing that will guarantee a secure future for our children and our grandchildren.”

“This first course will bring together participants from the Sudan and the Diaspora. We fervently hope this experience will help the participants forge ties that will last for years. These relationships will form the foundation of the LIONS network. Our aim and commitment is that this first class will help contribute to successful elections in the upcoming years and to long term economic development projects as well, as these leaders go to work in schools, clinics, and agricultural enterprises throughout Sudan”, said Dr. Ballard Pritchett, Program Advisor for LIONS in the United States.

Please direct your questions to info@sudanlions.org and provide your contact information so that you may receive our reply.

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Organization Information
The Leadership Institute of the New Sudan (LIONS) is a 501 c (3) organization with offices in Denver, Colorado and Juba, Sudan. The Juba office is managed by Norma Fodul. The core purpose is to develop and train leaders so that the people of Sudan can experience the virtues of prosperity, civil rights, and social equality. LIONS is supported by individual donations, foundation grants and corporate sponsors.

Contact:
Gideon Abraham
gideon@sudanlions.org
1300 Washington St. Denver, CO 80203 USA
FAX: 303-534-6012
Mobile: 720-366-8199