Civil Society Leadership Institute
Encyclopedia
The Civil Society Leadership Institute (CSLI) is a not-for-profit
training center founded in February 2007 as a civic education
initiative of FIBRAS/Movimiento por Nicaragua—one of the largest pro-democracy movements in Central America
. His founding-director is Felix Maradiaga who is also a Young Global Leader (2009–2013) by the World Economic Forum
and a Yale World Fellow
(2008) by Yale University
.
Its mission is twofold: to foster transformational leadership
based on the ideas of liberty and democracy and to educate grassroots activists about the fundamentals and importance of non-violent
social change
.
To accomplish this mission, the Institute identifies recruits and trains grassroots democracy
activists in Nicaragua
. CSLI alumni embark upon a meaningful participation in the development of their communities.
CSLI signature academic programs—taught in conjunction with Universidad Americana
based in Managua
—help participants reflect on key concepts such as open society
, adaptive leadership and the politics of non-violent action. In March 2007 CSLI became the first college-accredited leadership institute in Central America.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
training center founded in February 2007 as a civic education
Civics
Civics is the study of rights and duties of citizenship. In other words, it is the study of government with attention to the role of citizens ― as opposed to external factors ― in the operation and oversight of government....
initiative of FIBRAS/Movimiento por Nicaragua—one of the largest pro-democracy movements in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. His founding-director is Felix Maradiaga who is also a Young Global Leader (2009–2013) by the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
and a Yale World Fellow
Yale World Fellows Program
The Yale World Fellows Program is a program run by Yale University that seeks to build a network of emerging global leaders and broaden international understanding at Yale...
(2008) by Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
Its mission is twofold: to foster transformational leadership
Transformational leadership
Transformational leadership is defined as a leadership approach that causes change in individuals and social systems. In its ideal form, it creates valuable and positive change in the followers with the end goal of developing followers into leaders...
based on the ideas of liberty and democracy and to educate grassroots activists about the fundamentals and importance of non-violent
Nonviolence
Nonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
social change
Social change
Social change refers to an alteration in the social order of a society. It may refer to the notion of social progress or sociocultural evolution, the philosophical idea that society moves forward by dialectical or evolutionary means. It may refer to a paradigmatic change in the socio-economic...
.
To accomplish this mission, the Institute identifies recruits and trains grassroots democracy
Grassroots democracy
Grassroots democracy is a tendency towards designing political processes where as much decision-making authority as practical is shifted to the organization's lowest geographic level of organization: principle of subsidiarity....
activists in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. CSLI alumni embark upon a meaningful participation in the development of their communities.
CSLI signature academic programs—taught in conjunction with Universidad Americana
La Universidad Americana
La Universidad Americana is located in Nicaragua and was founded in 1892. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in a variety of professional fields, such as law, medicine, business, and engineering. It offers student exchange programs through International Student Exchange...
based in Managua
Managua
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in...
—help participants reflect on key concepts such as open society
Open society
The open society is a concept originally developed by philosopher Henri Bergson and then by Austrian and British philosopher Karl Popper. In open societies, government is purported to be responsive and tolerant, and political mechanisms are said to be transparent and flexible...
, adaptive leadership and the politics of non-violent action. In March 2007 CSLI became the first college-accredited leadership institute in Central America.