If you have the courage to look into the eyes of suffering and awaken the changemaker within you, this fellowship is for you.
THE SATYARTHI
FELLOWSHIP
As the world faces rising inequality, conflict, climate crisis, and social fragmentation, there is an urgent need for a new kind of leadership - one that places Compassion at the centre of decision-making and systems change - to achieve Justice, Equality, Peace, and Sustainability for all.
The Satyarthi Fellowship, launched by Satyarthi Movement for Global Compassion, aims to fill this critical gap. It is a one-year global leadership programme that will give our world a new cadre of leaders ready to question the status quo and act with a sense of urgency and accountability.
If not now, then when?
If not now, then when?
If not you, then who?”
If not you, then who?”
Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Laureate
A Global Leadership Model for Systemic Change
Grounded in the vision of our Founder and Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, the Fellowship brings together 25 exceptional changemakers aged 23–40 for a year. Through immersive training, mentorship, action projects and real-world problem-solving, they will drive systemic change across disciplines such as business, law, technology, healthcare, politics, education, and faith.
The Satyarthi Fellowship
As the world faces rising conflict, climate crisis, polarisation, and inequality, there is an urgent need for a new kind of leadership. One that places Compassion at the centre of decision-making and systems change - to achieve Justice, Equality, Peace and Sustainability for all.
Our Mentors
José Ramos-Horta, President, Timor Leste & Nobel Peace Laureate 1996
“The commitment of people like Kailash and others around him has been extraordinary. And I’m proud to be part of this movement.”
José Ramos-Horta, President, Timor Leste & Nobel Peace Laureate 1996
“The commitment of people like Kailash and others around him has been extraordinary. And I’m proud to be part of this movement.”
José Ramos-Horta, President, Timor Leste & Nobel Peace Laureate 1996
Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Laureate 2011
“Our world can only be changed if we harness the power of compassion.”
Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Laureate 2011
“Our world can only be changed if we harness the power of compassion.”
Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Laureate 2011
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO
“Compassion is a medicine. Supporting other people in your community can help you as much as it does them.”
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO
“Compassion is a medicine. Supporting other people in your community can help you as much as it does them.”
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO
Kerry Kennedy, President of Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights
“Compassion is not passive, it is active. You have to be willing to run into the fire to take a stand.”
Kerry Kennedy, President of Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights
“Compassion is not passive, it is active. You have to be willing to run into the fire to take a stand.”
Kerry Kennedy, President of Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights
Martin Chungong, Secretary-general, Inter-Parliamentary Union
“We need a global system that prioritises the needs and aspirations of all people, especially the marginalised, through compassionate leadership and inclusive democracy.”
Martin Chungong, Secretary-general, Inter-Parliamentary Union
“We need a global system that prioritises the needs and aspirations of all people, especially the marginalised, through compassionate leadership and inclusive democracy.”
Martin Chungong, Secretary-general, Inter-Parliamentary Union
Compassionate
AI
Artificial intelligence that recognises harm, understands context, and embeds justice, equality, peace, and sustainability into its design, deployment, and governance systems.
Compassionate
Business
Businesses that pursue profit responsibly, ensuring that people and the planet are not harmed in the process. They create shared value for all stakeholders and take a long-term, resilient approach to growth.
Compassionate
Faith
Faith institutions that embed pluralism and inclusion into their practice, enabling faith to serve as a force for reconciliation, social cohesion, and the protection of dignity for all.
Compassionate
Justice
Fast, fair, and accessible legal and judicial systems that embed human dignity, equity, and accountability into institutions and processes.
Compassionate
Healthcare
Health systems that guarantee equitable, dignified access to care for all - embedding compassion into institutional design, resource allocation, and service delivery.
Compassionate
Education
Education that embeds Compassion into its system - ensuring equitable access to quality education and building learning environments that develop critical thinking and moral accountability.
Compassionate
Governance
Public systems that are inclusive, accessible, participatory, and accountable to all.
Thematic Focus Areas
Compassionate
AI
Artificial intelligence that recognises harm, understands context, and embeds justice, equality, peace, and sustainability into its design, deployment, and governance systems.
Compassionate
Business
Businesses that pursue profit responsibly, ensuring that people and the planet are not harmed in the process. They create shared value for all stakeholders and take a long-term, resilient approach to growth.
Compassionate
Faith
Faith institutions that embed pluralism and inclusion into their practice, enabling faith to serve as a force for reconciliation, social cohesion, and the protection of dignity for all.
Compassionate
Justice
Fast, fair, and accessible legal and judicial systems that embed human dignity, equity, and accountability into institutions and processes.
Compassionate
Healthcare
Health systems that guarantee equitable, dignified access to care for all - embedding compassion into institutional design, resource allocation, and service delivery.
Compassionate
Education
Education that embeds Compassion into its system - ensuring equitable access to quality education and building learning environments that develop critical thinking and moral accountability.
Compassionate
Governance
Public systems that are inclusive, accessible, participatory, and accountable to all.
Thematic Focus Areas
Thematic Focus Areas
Compassionate
AI
Artificial intelligence that recognises harm, understands context, and embeds justice, equality, peace, and sustainability into its design, deployment, and governance systems.
Compassionate
Business
Businesses that pursue profit responsibly, ensuring that people and the planet are not harmed in the process. They create shared value for all stakeholders and take a long-term, resilient approach to growth.
Compassionate
Faith
Faith institutions that embed pluralism and inclusion into their practice, enabling faith to serve as a force for reconciliation, social cohesion, and the protection of dignity for all.
Compassionate
Justice
Fast, fair, and accessible legal and judicial systems that embed human dignity, equity, and accountability into institutions and processes.
Compassionate
Healthcare
Health systems that guarantee equitable, dignified access to care for all - embedding compassion into institutional design, resource allocation, and service delivery.
Compassionate
Education
Education that embeds Compassion into its system - ensuring equitable access to quality education and building learning environments that develop critical thinking and moral accountability.
Compassionate
Governance
Public systems that are inclusive, accessible, participatory, and accountable to all.
Compassionate
AI
Artificial intelligence that recognises harm, understands context, and embeds justice, equality, peace, and sustainability into its design, deployment, and governance systems.
Compassionate
Business
Businesses that pursue profit responsibly, ensuring that people and the planet are not harmed in the process. They create shared value for all stakeholders and take a long-term, resilient approach to growth.
Compassionate
Faith
Faith institutions that embed pluralism and inclusion into their practice, enabling faith to serve as a force for reconciliation, social cohesion, and the protection of dignity for all.
Compassionate
Justice
Fast, fair, and accessible legal and judicial systems that embed human dignity, equity, and accountability into institutions and processes.
Compassionate
Healthcare
Health systems that guarantee equitable, dignified access to care for all - embedding compassion into institutional design, resource allocation, and service delivery.
Compassionate
Education
Education that embeds Compassion into its system - ensuring equitable access to quality education and building learning environments that develop critical thinking and moral accountability.
Compassionate
Governance
Public systems that are inclusive, accessible, participatory, and accountable to all.
Thematic Focus Areas
Core Components
Compassionate Leadership
The curriculum is inspired by Mr. Satyarthi’s doctrine of compassion and his five-decade journey of leading global impact at scale. The Compassionate Leadership curriculum is intentionally interdisciplinary, integrating systems thinking, moral leadership, problem-solving, and compassionate action.
Mentorship & Global Exposure
Throughout the year, fellows engage with and are mentored by global leaders—including heads of state, Nobel Laureates, stalwarts from various disciplines, policymakers, academicians across leading institutions—gaining strategic insight, broader perspectives, and exposure to proven models of transformative change.
Compassionate Action Projects
Fellows design and deliver high-impact projects tackling urgent social challenges across sectors, collaborating with institutions, governments, and civil society to catalyse the force of compassion for urgent, collaborative, and sustainable action.
Experiential Learning
Through the year, fellows will witness grassroots transformation first-hand, and engage with leading institutions, subject matter experts across real-world action projects.
Networking & Peer Learning
Through cross-cultural exchange, collaborative problem-solving, and shared reflection, fellows build lifelong partnerships that extend well beyond the programme year.
Program Structure
01
Application and Selection
The applicants will need to go through a four stage process including a written application, psychometric test, one video interview and a jury interview over the course of two months.
02
Residential Learning (1 month)
The Fellowship begins with an immersive residential learning module in India where the fellows have the opportunity to engage with the grassroot realities, existing compassionate action projects in the communities, compassionate leadership training, project design and systems thinking workshops.
03
Compassionate Action Projects (10 months)
Fellows will move to the city/country of their project placement to work on compassionate action projects within the identified disciplines, designing and implementing high-impact Compassionate Action Projects with monthly mentor check-ins, virtual cohort meet-ups and online masterclasses.
04
Residential Learning Module (1 month)
Fellows reconvene in India to reflect on their journey, present their final projects, integrate key learnings, and explore future pathways through the Alumni Network.
Who should apply?
Doers, disruptors, and dreamers who are ready to tackle complex global challenges, create lasting impact, and lead change that matters.
Eligibility Criteria:
Open to postgraduates and early-career professionals aged 23–40
A bachelor’s degree or higher
At least 30 months of meaningful work experience, including internships or grassroots engagement
Proficiency in English to collaborate, learn, and lead within a global community
A valid passport and readiness to travel and engage globally
Applications Open:
6th April 2026
Applications End:
5th May 2026
Screening & Interviews:
Rolling basis
Offers Rollout
30th June 2026
Fellowship Begins:
September 2026
Fellowship Ends:
August 2027
Please review all eligibility criteria and application requirements before submitting your application.
Important Dates
Karuna: The Power of Compassion
'I see a world where compassion is the only solution. Do you see what I see?’
Compassion is not a soft emotion but a powerful force for transformation. It transcends borders, ideologies, religions, and politics. And it asks only this: act mindfully as if the world is all one family—because it is. In Karuna, Mr. Kailash Satyarthi shows us how Karuna is the answer to our individual, social and global problems, and the key to a better future.
The Fellowship is a transformative 12-month program Compassionate Leadership designed to empower individuals to drive systemic change across disciplines such as business, law, technology, healthcare, politics, education and faith. It begins and ends with immersive residential modules, where fellows engage directly with grassroots communities to gain first-hand insight into resilience, justice, and pathways for systemic change.
At the core of the Fellowship is the Satyarthi Compassion Quotient™ (SCQ). SCQ measures the core components of compassion (awareness,connectedness, feeling and action) at the personal, institutional and societal levels, and helps enhance our ability to act and lead with compassion.
What is the Satyarthi Fellowship?
The fellowship follows a skill and value-based selection process, designed to identify candidates with the potential to drive systemic change. Candidates are evaluated across multiple dimensions including critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership potential, and alignment with the fellowship’s mission.
What is the selection criteria?
Following the initial application, candidates complete a psychometric assessment, participate in a 45-minute online interview, and advance to a final one-hour jury interview with domain experts.
What does the application process entail?
The fellowship is designed for individuals who can fully immerse themselves in the programme. It is not open to undergraduate students, or to those who have competing commitments that would prevent them from dedicating at least 50 hours per week (roughly 8 hours a day) to the fellowship. Applicants must also be able to relocate and commit to the full 12-month residential program, and must hold a valid passport to participate in all program components.
Who is not eligible to apply?
We will provide financial support for your travel. Additionally, fellows will receive grants ranging from USD 5000 - USD 15000 to support their work.