The next generation of Iraqi leadership is shaping a better future for everyone: one where efficient public services and political stability enable fair resource-sharing and environmental resilience.

Through catalytic funding and strategic flexibility for partners such as the Iraq Leadership Fellows (ILF) program, we encourage young changemakers aged 25-35 to take adaptive leadership to the next level.

Because evolving social and environmental challenges demand advanced skills in leadership, communication, and policy analysis, our support connects local expertise with international policymaking. Together, we can drive sustainable, meaningful change.

From Basra in the south to Duhok in the north, they steer change against a strained social, political, and environmental backdrop. That is why the ILF, for nine years in a row now, continuously adapts to their rapidly changing high-pressure environments to offer the support this new generation of leaders needs to confidently act when the window of opportunity presents itself.

“ILF reshaped how I understand leadership–not as a stereotype, but as a set of skills I can apply and pass on to my team.”

Dalia Qais, ILF Alumna

Each year, between 30 and 50 fellows are divided into two groups to receive focused training through social and policy classes delivered via in-person workshops. With a growing network of 350+ alumni, this program has built a vibrant community of changemakers who continue to collaborate, advocate, and contribute to Iraq’s future long after the fellowship has concluded.

Both DT Institute and the Institute of Regional and International Studies (IRIS) have maintained our responsibility to ensure this alumni network continues engaging through a combination of online activities and in-person events, ensuring sustained connection, learning, and collective action. In 2025, fellows from 12 governorates joined the ILF program.  They brought a wide range of experiences, alongside a seriousness and level of engagement that was evident throughout.

This report reflects their time together: it captures the conversations that mattered, the challenges they navigated, and the work they are beginning to take forward. It offers a sense of a network that is forming, and the kinds of leadership it is starting to sustain.