UNESCO selects 50 leaders from 38 countries to build dialogue and trust in the AI age

“As artificial intelligence transforms how we communicate and interact, intercultural leadership is more essential than ever,” said Denise Pires De Carvalho, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Sciences.

UNESCO's Sciences Sector has selected 50 participants from 38 countries for the second edition of the Youth for Peace: UNESCO Intercultural Leadership Programme, bringing together emerging leaders to explore how dialogue can strengthen human connections in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

The programme trains participants to use intercultural dialogue to address shared challenges in their communities. This year's cohort will examine the opportunities and risks of AI, including its influence on how people communicate, build trust and relate to others, and explore ways to respond to social fragmentation.

The new edition builds on the first programme, "Learning to Collaborate for a Shared Future", which explored how dialogue could strengthen social cohesion in a world on the move. Its focus on AI places human relationships at the centre of discussions about technological change and peacebuilding.

A global cohort bringing different perspectives

The 50 participants, aged 25 to 45, were chosen from 6,786 applicants by an international jury of 26 members. The selection panel brought together UNESCO staff from Headquarters and field offices with external specialists in artificial intelligence and peacebuilding. Participants represent Africa, the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Women make up 52% of the cohort.

Their professional backgrounds span entrepreneurship, research and academia, policymaking, public administration and civil society. The group includes specialists in AI governance, responsible AI, digital policy, education and technology for social impact, creating opportunities to connect technical knowledge with experience of community needs.

"As artificial intelligence transforms how we communicate and interact, intercultural leadership is more essential than ever," said Denise Pires De Carvalho, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Sciences. She welcomed the second cohort of emerging leaders and highlighted the need for people who can bridge differences, build trust and ensure that technological progress strengthens human connections.

Mentoring and funding for community projects

The programme officially opens with a high-level event on 26 October. Participants will receive mentoring, specialised training and masterclasses examining how technology affects social cohesion, trust and peace. The learning will support practical work in participants' communities. Once a project is approved, each grantee will receive $10,000 to implement an intercultural dialogue initiative, giving them resources to apply what they have learned to local challenges.

The combination of training, mentoring and project funding will help participants develop their ideas and put them into practice, drawing on the different experiences and areas of expertise within the cohort.

Community experience will inform policy discussions

The programme will conclude with a Global Youth Dialogue for Peace, where participants will share their experiences with policymakers and contribute lessons from their projects to policy discussions.

This exchange will connect community-level work with broader conversations about technology, intercultural understanding and peace, giving policymakers an opportunity to hear directly from those implementing dialogue projects.

Participants will then join the programme's alumni network, through which they can stay connected, exchange knowledge and continue their peacebuilding work beyond the programme.