Blog

It is just over one week since our Fellows embarked on the first of their two residentials of the 2025/26 Fellowship Programme. We want to take this moment to showcase what our Fellows got up to and to thank every facilitator who contributed to a fantastic week in Oxford.
An influential group of business leaders from across Northern Ireland have come together to launch the fifth year of the acclaimed Centre for Democracy and Peace Fellowship Programme.
Twenty-eight leaders from across Northern Ireland have been named as the newest cohort in the Centre for Democracy and Peace’s Fellowship Programme.
The Centre for Democracy and Peace has opened applications for its Fellowship Programme 2025-26 to address real-world challenges and equip Fellows with practical skills in complex decision-making, design thinking, and collaboration, which are essential for navigating today’s economic, political, and social landscape.
Fellow Vincenta Leyden addresses attendees of the 2025 Fellowship Graduation.
Ladies and Gentlemen, distinguished guests, esteemed colleagues, current and future leaders. My friends, mo chairde, moi przyjaciele, in Royal Hillsborough this evening, I stand humbly among you as Kings and Queens. It is my great honour to speak on behalf of this year’s Fellows and to capture some of our collective and personal experiences from the Centre for Democracy and Peace Fellowship Programme.
Good evening, everyone. It’s a real honour to stand in front of you this evening, among this brilliant cohort, the dedicated team behind the Centre for Democracy and Peace, and of course, the supporters and sponsors who help make all this possible. Thank you for letting me share a few reflections on what is, undeniably, a bit of a milestone.
Declan Barry, CEO of ExportExplore, speaks to attendees of the Fellowship Graduation 2025