Collective Leadership Institute

What does it take to move from fragmented efforts to a functioning collaboration ecosystem?

In mid-May, representatives from the federal level, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa came together to tackle one of the most persistent challenges in skills development: how to strengthen collaboration between public institutions, the private sector, TVET providers, industry associations, and development partners.
What emerged was more than a workshop.
Participants worked together to develop stakeholder-owned initiatives, map critical actors, identify collaboration strengths and gaps, and design practical roadmaps for implementation.

The outcomes included:
• Shared visions for more connected and responsive TVET systems
• Action teams committed to driving implementation beyond the workshop
• New collaboration mechanisms linking public and private sector actors
• Concrete initiatives tailored to provincial and federal priorities
• Clear next steps, responsibilities, and follow-up processes

For us at the Collective Leadership Institute, this is where collective leadership creates value.
Not by providing answers.
But by creating the conditions for diverse actors to align around a shared purpose, build trust, navigate complexity, and take collective ownership of change.
The real work begins after the workshop.

Over the coming months, CLI Managing Partners Mai ElAshmawy and Dominic Stucker will continue accompanying the Action Teams as they move from vision to implementation, helping sustain momentum, strengthen collaboration, and support learning across the different initiatives.

A special thank you to our partners at GIZ Pakistan, Ms. Sabrina Gabel and Mr. Waqas Waheed, for their continuous support, coordination, and commitment throughout the process. Their dedication was instrumental in bringing together the right actors and creating the conditions for meaningful collaboration.

We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to Ms. Qurrat-ul-Ain for her leadership in mobilizing and securing strong private sector participation. The active engagement of businesses, chambers, and industry representatives significantly strengthened both the dialogue and the resulting initiatives.

As development challenges become increasingly interconnected, the question is no longer how individual organizations perform.
The question is whether ecosystems can align, collaborate, and act together.
This is the work of collective leadership.

This activity was organized by the TVET Sector Support Programme, funded by the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany.

Meet Ada Riziki - a young woman who found her voice for peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Her story represents a process that Community Support Center / CSC-Asbl started with our methodological support to make sure that more voices for peace will be raised in this conflict-affected region. The more people like Ada discover that their voice matters, the more healing and local development.

Thank you dear CSC-Asbl team for making the individual and collective transformations visible and for the great collaboration we have on this project!

For a 3rd year in a row, the Young Peacebuilders Program is beginning! 🌱

We recently hosted our Annual Gathering to welcome 6 new Young Peacebuilders who will be joining our 2026 program. They connected with alumni from the 2024 and 2025 groups, as well as with our core donor Christa of the Still Point Fund. “It was a joy to come together for the journey that lies ahead! Our vibrant community is growing!” said CLI’s Dominic and Guillem who facilitated the gathering.

What lies ahead of the Young Peacebuilders?
It is a journey of cultivating peace from the inside out. Together, we will explore how to navigate complexity through systemic approaches that CLI will share across three different online workshops. In complementarity with Jazmine from Depth Work, participants will deepen their capacity to cultivate inner peace through practices of inner transformation, mapping their inner ecosystems, and engaging with inner conflict through embodied and somatic approaches. Exciting, isn't it?

What will CLI learn from this year's YPBs about peacebuilding in practice? How are they nurturing peace, resilience, and social transformation in India, Ethiopia, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Germany, and Ecuador? How will the approaches of CLI and Depth Work be adapted, translated, and brought to life in these localities? We are curious to see what emerges through this shared learning journey!

👉 Former and current Young Peacebuilders, we'd love to hear from you in the comments. What has been most meaningful in your experience of the program so far?

Stay tuned! We will be sharing more about this journey as it unfolds!

Spotlight: Circular innovations in the Caribbean for clean coastlines and thriving communities

“Take care of the environment. Don’t just pretend to care. It’s essential that we genuinely recognize the importance of taking care of the world around us.” This was one of the final participant’s statements during a workshop that CLI’s Dominic Stucker and Guillem Vallbona facilitated in Panama City in May. It is part of our ongoing collaboration with the Cartagena Convention Secretariat on “Circular Cities beyond Plastic,” a project to reduce plastic pollution in the Caribbean Sea.

Six cities in Colombia, Jamaica, and Panama are enlivening collaboration ecosystems of diverse, relevant actors for establishing action-oriented multi-stakeholder partnerships that address marine plastics pollution. The workshop in Panama City laid the foundation for planning industry round table dialogues on circular economies in each city. Representatives of Colombia’s Ministry of Environment, Jamaica’s Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change, and Panama’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change exchanged with diverse private sector actors and UNEP during the Art of Stakeholder Engagement workshop.

Facilitators introduced the Dialogic Change Model and the energy in the room changed. Communication, interaction and exchange among participants continued increasing. “The methodology and team dynamics is what I liked most, plus the great energy from Guillem and Dominic!” one of the participants wrote. A goal achievement score of 96% in the feedback forms supports this statement. With trusting relationships and strengthened capacity, the multi-stakeholder city teams are now ready to lead and organize their upcoming industry round table dialogues. Shining a light on stakeholder engagement before moving into action was perceived as very helpful by the teams.

Guillem and Dominic are grateful to have met inspiring city teams and look forward to the collaboration journey ahead!

"The process of stakeholder collaboration is often painful, takes long, and we tend to rush it, as we have limited project timelines or want to meet goals and targets. But it's actually the core of everything that we do, particularly in relation to projects."

We cannot agree more with this reflection from our course alumnus and certified Collective Leadership Specialist Dr. Paul Tuda.

If you want to find out how to make stakeholder collaboration less painful, rather an impactful and effective strategy for your projects and initiatives, join CLI's Art of Stakeholder Collaboration workshop on 16 - 18 September: https://www.collectiveleadership.de/blog/event/the-art-of-stakeholder-collaboration-hybrid/.

Workshop time is working time! Therefore, we have special offers for teams or project partners that want to kick-off or improve their stakeholder engagement right away. This is impactful and effective, and even fun!

If you want to know more about the offers, the course itself, or other CLI services to support your stakeholder collaboration, register for our free online information session on 2 July, 12:00-2:00pm CEST: https://forms.gle/wEPwxY87zqPQNNub8.

How can core partners move from parallel attempts at implementation toward an integrated ecosystem approach for transformative change? 🔀

Two weeks ago in Pakistan, our Managing Partners Dominic Stucker and Mai El-Ashmawy facilitated a strategic reflection and alignment session with Programme and Component Leads of the GIZ TVET Sector Support Programme on enhancing private sector engagement and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

The dialogue focused not only on what each Component is doing, but also on how stronger alignment, shared language, and more connected collaboration approaches can increase overall impact.

Using the Collective Leadership Compass as a reflection framework, participants explored:
• where collaboration is already working well
• what currently limits better coordination
• which mindsets and approaches need to shift for more systemic collaboration to take root

What emerged were important strategic directions around:
• speaking to core partners with “one voice”
• creating more accessible and human-centered communication approaches
• increasing continuous engagement to move beyond siloed coordination
• strengthening intentional collaboration
• improving visibility of success stories and impact

For us at CLI, these spaces for dialogue and reflection matter. Sustainable transformation rarely comes from isolated interventions — it emerges when actors across a system align around shared understanding, shared direction, and shared ownership.

Many thanks to Franziska Seel, Mansoor Khan, Sabrina Gabel and all participants for the trust and opportunity to support this important process!

Have you missed CLI's Transformation Literacy Conference this year? Or do you want to rewatch sessions on "Intergenerational Collaboration for Cultures of Peace"? The full video documentation is now available online: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF4dj1yAX8QKjtkF34xP3RjISoaJJx09V.

Big thanks to all panelists Angelica Fontes, Pech G Dak, Nomvula Dlamini, Helene A. Mikanda, Amr Abdalla, Zainab Zahid, and our moderators Lulekwa Gqiba, Guillem Vallbona, Maryana Zaviyska, and Dominic Stucker, as well as our participants for making this conference happen.

Enjoy watching! And save April next year in your calendars for the 6th TLC edition.

Transformation Literacy Conference 2026 | Intergenerational Collaboration for Cultures of Peace Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

Bringing people together rather than dividing them
INFO IN GERMAN BELOW

“This is exactly what I was looking for!” was feedback we received at the end of the kick-off workshop of our new programme “Vermitteln statt spalten” (bringing people together rather than dividing them). This counter-polarization programme offers German NGOs and initiatives methodologies for dialogic process facilitation.

Local civil society actors active in international cooperation are more and more under pressure to justify their work. This ranges from budget cuts, over comments such as “we don’t need you anymore” up to – in the worst case – physical attacks. CLI strongly condemns this and wants to support depolarization efforts through the new programme. We are happy that Engagement Global’s FEB programme supports this with funding.

In an online kick-off session at the end of May, CLI facilitators Theresa Kuschka and Katrin Schulz welcomed 17 civil society representatives. The vivid exchange on personal and collective polarization experiences and how the programme addresses those challenges opened enabling spaces. (Not-so) fun fact: we only saw women participating this kick-off. Where are the men?

As this was the kick-off and it’s still possible to sign up for the programme, we welcome German civil society representatives of all genders to apply here: https://forms.gle/CAGkiymQAi2Z6ozd7.

GERMAN:
„Das ist wonach ich gesucht habe!“ war das Feedback einer Teilnehmerin am Ende des Auftaktworkshops unseres neuen Programms „Vermitteln statt spalten“. Dieses Programm gegen Polarisierung bietet deutschen NGOs und Initiativen Methoden zur Moderation dialogischer Prozesse.

Lokale zivilgesellschaftliche Akteure in der internationalen Zusammenarbeit stehen zunehmend unter Druck, ihre Arbeit rechtfertigen zu müssen. Das reicht von Budgetkürzungen über Kommentare wie „Wir brauchen euch nicht mehr“ bis hin zu – im schlimmsten Fall – körperlichen Angriffen. CLI verurteilt dies aufs Schärfste und möchte mit dem neuen Programm Depolarisierungsbemühungen unterstützen. Wir freuen uns, dass das FEB-Programm von Engagement Global dies finanziell unterstützt.

In einer Online-Kick-Off-Runde Ende Mai begrüßten die CLI-Moderatorinnen Theresa Kuschka und Katrin Schulz 17 zivilgesellschaftliche Akteurinnen. Der lebhafte Austausch über persönliche und kollektive Erfahrungen mit Polarisierung und wie das Programm diese Herausforderungen angeht, schuf einen Raum für neue Möglichkeiten. (Nicht ganz so lustiger) Fun Fact: An diesem Auftakt nahmen ausschließlich Frauen teil. Wo sind die Männer bei diesem Thema?

Diese Veranstaltung war der Auftakt und es nach wie vor möglich sich für das Programm anzumelden. Wir laden Vertreter*innen der deutschen Zivilgesellschaft aller Geschlechter ein, sich hier anzumelden: https://forms.gle/CAGkiymQAi2Z6ozd7.

From deep Finnish winter to bright Tunisian summer - trilateral collaboration continues

Following CLI's inspiring study visit to Helsinki with Rauhankasvatusinstituutti – The Peace Education Institute (RKI) and We Love Kairouan (WLK) earlier this year, the exchange continued in Tunisia last week!
Our three organisations came together to deepen our partnership, continue learning from one another, and explore opportunities for future collaboration.
We visited youth centres and support structures for young people in Kairouan and Sousse. "We gained valuable insights into youth work in Tunisia" says CLI Managing Partner Theresa Kuschka.
She also co-facilitated workshops together with the We Love Kairouan team, sharing experiences from past collaborations, e.g. the Medina Gates project, and supporting the development of future joint initiatives. One of the workshops even took place in a local carpet shop! This created a unique setting for exchange and creativity.

Building on the momentum of previous exchanges, the three organisations developed a draft concept for a joint project focused on youth participation, inclusion, and community engagement. The partners agreed: "The next step is to further refine the idea and identify funding opportunities to help bring it to life."

A big thank you to We Love Kairouan for hosting us and organizing such a great programme, to RKI for coordinating this partnership building process and continuing to put so much effort in. And to everyone involved for the inspiring discussions, shared learning, and continued commitment to collaboration!

How can the Collective Leadership Compass be applied in academic contexts? Does transformative leadership across sectors support innovative and sustainable research outcomes?

These were questions raised by PhD students in ecology and spatial development to CLI’s Head of Academy Cholpon Aitakhunova during the Transformative Leadership course at Dresden Leibniz Graduate School. The participants learned about and applied the Compass both on the personal and the systems level. The goal was to equip students with skills to identify patterns within themselves and their collaborative contexts and to design change interventions that succeed in overcoming dysfunctional patterns.

While applicability of the Compass in the participant’s individual contexts received mixed feedback ranging from “I am not really convinced by the concept of the Compass” to “I learned some significantly useful concepts and will apply them in my research”, it became clear by Cholpon’s facilitation that using Collective Leadership approaches helps to bring different groups together around a collective cause.

Cholpon’s insight from the workshop: “The huge challenges we face cannot be tackled by a single scientific discipline. Multidisciplinary collaboration is therefore an important approach for addressing complex challenges such as sustainability.” Thanks to the Dresden Leibniz Graduate School for organizing this workshop. We look forward to strengthening the applicability of the Compass in future workshops.