Last month, Acumen held a celebration ceremony for the Pakistan Fellows Class of 2016 to commemorate the completion of the cohort’s first year as Acumen Fellows. Keynoted by Acumen President, Carlyle Singer, the event brought together Acumen community members from across Pakistan and showcased the leadership journeys of these 21 dynamic social change-makers.
This year’s Fellows are innovating across sectors, geographies and disciplines from promoting education to address the struggles of tribal communities, to unlocking the capacity of people with disabilities through sports, to running an ethical fashion company employing rural female artisans, and more.
Created in 2013, the Pakistan Fellows Program is a one-year leadership development program that equips emerging social leaders with the skills, knowledge and moral imagination to drive positive change in their communities. Over the course of the Fellowship year, Fellows participate in five week-long seminars, where they receive tools, training and space to innovate new ideas and transform society to create a better, more inclusive world. The Fellows Program is fully sponsored, allowing participants to remain in their jobs so they can apply what they learn to their work in real time. At the end of the Fellowship, each cohort joins an extensive global community of social leaders.