On Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2023, DeepRoot launched the second cohort of the Hikma Fellowship Program for Public Leaders, following the success of "Hikma 1". The Hikma Fellowship for Public Leaders is a groundbreaking year-long program aimed at empowering emerging Yemeni leaders and rejuvenating the country's public sphere.

During the program's online launch, Ambassador Ibrahimi stressed the importance of listening to local voices and understanding the local culture for international mediators to succeed. The first cohort of Hikma Fellowship also had the opportunity to speak with Lakhdar Brahimi, a distinguished peacemaker and diplomat. The second cohort includes members of various political parties, movements, human rights, and civil society leaders from Yemen's different governorates.

Peter-Derrek Hof, the Dutch ambassador to Yemen, spoke to the Hikma Fellows about the responsibility they have in building bridges between the various parties in Yemen to establish just and inclusive peace, and how Yemen is home to a wealth of young talent, and participation in the Hikma Fellowship program provides an important opportunity for emerging leaders to cultivate their skills and contribute to a peaceful future for their country.

The Hikma Fellowship is a year-long program that takes its name from the Arabic word for "wisdom". The fellowship is designed to strengthen the political capital of emerging Yemeni leaders and cultivate their leadership skills through a carefully curated series of dialogue sessions and advanced capacity-building courses.

The Hikma Fellowship seeks to develop the leadership skills and political capital of emerging Yemeni leaders. As part of DeepRoot's commitment to building a peaceful future for Yemen, the program provides cutting-edge training delivered by internationally-renowned experts. Topics include adaptive leadership, negotiations, public policymaking, and values in public leadership.

The program's first online training course on adaptive leadership will start on February 22, 2023, with Prof. Hugh O'Doherty from Harvard Kennedy School.

The Hikma Fellowship project is implemented by DeepRoot and funded by the Government of the Netherlands.