Mentorship Programme for Young Leaders in South-East Europe 2025–2027

1. Purpose and Positioning of the Programme

The Balkans Forward Foundation Mentorship Programme is a long-term professional development programme designed for young or future leaders (18–30 years old) in South-East Europe who work, or aim to work, in the fields of human rights, rule of law, non-discrimination, public advocacy, communication, and donor relations.

The programme is not a general or group leadership training, nor is it a theoretical course. Its purpose is to support individuals who already demonstrate motivation and basic experience but lack access to structured mentorship, senior expertise, and practical insight into how change is actually pursued in restrictive political and institutional environments.

The programme is built on the assumption that leadership in the region requires more than values and motivation. It requires strategic thinking, professional discipline, political awareness, and the ability to operate credibly with institutions, donors, media, and decision-makers.

The mentorship programme is therefore designed to be demanding, personalised, and grounded in real professional challenges faced by mentees.

2. Who the Programme is For

The programme is intended for young professionals and activists from South-East Europe who:

• Are at an early or mid-career stage (18–30 years old)
• Are engaged in, or seriously aiming to engage in, work related to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law
• Are able to reflect critically on their own strengths, gaps, and professional goals
• Are ready to commit time and effort over a sustained period
• Have advanced knowledge of English and are able to work professionally in English

Participants may be unaffiliated or may come from civil society organisations, informal initiatives, media, independent institutions, academia, or public administration. What matters is not institutional affiliation, but seriousness of intent and readiness to work in a structured, accountable mentorship framework.

3. Core Principles of the Programme

The programme is built on several non-negotiable principles:

Individualisation
There is no fixed curriculum applied to everyone. Each mentee develops an individual mentorship pathway based on their application, professional background, chosen focus areas, and concrete needs.

Practical Orientation
All mentorship activities are oriented toward real professional situations, dilemmas, and decisions. Abstract discussions without practical relevance are intentionally avoided.

Accountability
Mentees are expected to prepare, reflect, and follow through. This is not a passive learning programme. For example, if a one-hour meeting with an external expert is scheduled, the mentee is expected to prepare questions and participate actively throughout the session.

Exposure to Senior Expertise
A significant part of the programme involves direct interaction with senior leaders, practitioners, and experts who operate at national, regional, and international levels.

4. Overall Programme Structure

Duration and Timing

The initial phase of the programme lasts six months. Entry into the programme is rolling. The call for mentees remains open throughout 2026, and each mentee begins the programme individually once selected.

There are no fixed cohort start dates. This allows the programme to adapt to each participant’s availability and pace, as well as to mentors’ availability.

Intensity and Format

During the six-month initial phase, each mentee participates in approximately 20 online sessions. Sessions are scheduled flexibly and agreed individually. On average, engagement is bi-weekly, but the exact rhythm depends on the agreed individual programme.

Approximately half of the sessions involve external senior experts or leaders, while the remaining sessions focus on mentorship, reflection, and strategic development with the assigned mentor.

5. Mentorship Relationship

Each mentee is assigned one primary mentor for the full duration of the initial programme.

The mentor acts as a strategic guide rather than a supervisor or trainer. The role of the mentor is to:

• Support the mentee in defining realistic professional goals
• Improve knowledge in selected topics and areas, and strengthen relevant skills
• Help the mentee prioritise focus areas and skill development
• Provide honest and, at times, critical feedback
• Discuss strategic choices, risks, and trade-offs
• Assist in navigating professional and ethical dilemmas

The mentorship relationship is professional and structured. It is not informal networking, and it is not counselling. Mutual preparation and respect for time are expected.

6. Focus Areas

Each mentee must choose one primary focus area and one alternative focus area. These areas define the general direction of the mentorship and influence the selection of experts and thematic content.

• International human rights and non-discrimination standards
• Rule of law and judicial independence
• Advocacy and lobbying
• Communication and public relations
• Donor relations and fundraising
• Civic space and civil society sustainability
• Anti-corruption and good governance
• Business and human rights
• European integration and alignment with European standards

The primary focus area represents the main professional direction the mentee wishes to strengthen. The alternative focus area allows for flexibility and interdisciplinary work.

7. Thematic Focuses

In addition to the focus areas, each mentee must select between one and five thematic focuses. These represent issues the mentee wants to work on during or after the programme.

• LGBT+ rights
• Roma inclusion
• Rights of persons with disabilities
• Gender equality
• Youth participation
• Media freedoms
• Anti-corruption and organised crime
• Transitional justice
• Environmental and climate justice
• Fair trial and judicial independence
• Fight against torture and police accountability
• Privacy and digital rights
• Freedom of assembly and association
• Migration and asylum
• Cultural rights
• National minorities
• Access to information

Mentees are expected to explain why these themes matter for their work and how they relate to their professional context.

8. Skills Development

A central element of the programme is skills development. Each mentee must select between two and five skills they explicitly want to improve.

• Strategic advocacy planning
• Policy analysis and legal reasoning
• Public speaking and media appearances
• Writing policy briefs and position papers
• Writing donor proposals and concept notes
• Donor communication and reporting
• Stakeholder mapping and power analysis
• Lobbying at national and European levels
• Crisis communication
• Campaign planning
• Coalition building
• Negotiation skills
• Leadership under pressure
• Organisational governance and accountability
• Ethical decision-making

Skills are not taught abstractly. Each selected skill is addressed through concrete examples, exercises, and application to the mentee’s real work.

9. Programme Components in Practice

Individual Mentorship Sessions

These sessions focus on the mentee’s progress, challenges, and strategic choices. Topics may include career decisions, organisational dilemmas, political pressure, ethical conflicts, or professional stagnation.

The content of these sessions evolves over time and responds to the mentee’s situation.

Consultations with External Experts and Senior Leaders

External sessions provide exposure to professionals who operate in decision-making, donor, media, or institutional environments. These sessions are designed to demystify stakeholders and understand how systems function in practice.

External experts may include senior advocates, donor representatives, editors, policy advisers, human rights lawyers, or international officials.

Targeted Learning Inputs

Short, focused learning inputs address specific needs identified during the programme. These are not general lectures, but targeted sessions responding to concrete gaps.

Examples include advocacy strategy design, donor expectations, public communication under pressure, or institutional engagement strategies.

Practical Output

Each mentee is expected to work on at least one concrete professional output during the programme. This may be an advocacy strategy, policy brief, communication plan, donor concept note, or similar.

The output is used as a learning tool and discussed with the mentor and, where relevant, with external experts.

10. Advanced Programme Phase

Participation in the advanced programme phase is selective and not automatic. The advanced phase is developed individually, based on:

• Performance during the initial programme
• Level of engagement and responsibility
• Mentor recommendation
• Demonstrated leadership potential
• Availability of mentors for the advanced phase
• Availability of resources

The advanced phase may include deeper specialisation, closer involvement in Balkans Forward Foundation activities, or extended expert engagement.

11. Internships and Professional Opportunities

Following the advanced phase, Balkans Forward Foundation engages in dialogue with partner organisations to explore internship or placement opportunities for the strongest mentees.

Internships depend on the hosting partner and may be paid or unpaid. Balkans Forward Foundation facilitates connections but does not guarantee placements.

12. Certification and Professional References

Upon successful completion of the programme, mentees receive:

• A formal certificate of completion
• A written reference describing their engagement and development
• Where appropriate, recommendations for jobs, internships, or further opportunities

These are based on actual performance and engagement, not mere participation.

13. Expectations from Mentees

• Participate actively and consistently
• Prepare for sessions, including questions for meetings with external stakeholders
• Respect confidentiality
• Reflect honestly on their development
• Treat the programme as a professional commitment

This is not a symbolic programme. It requires work. Application form is available here.

14. Contact and Further Information

For all clarification and further information, please contact:
contact@balkansforward.org