admin@civicleadershipinstitute.com
+263 242 779727
Who We Are
The Civic Leadership Institute (CLI) is a Pan-African platform dedicated to strengthening civic leadership and supporting leaders who serve their communities.
Across Africa, civic leaders play a vital role in defending democratic values, advancing social justice, and sustaining communities navigating complex social and political environments. Yet many civic leaders operate under conditions of shrinking civic space, institutional fragility, and growing personal pressure.
The Civic Leadership Institute was established in response to this reality.
CLI seeks to move civic leadership from firefighting to architecture — from constant crisis response toward the deliberate construction of institutions capable of sustaining civic life.
Through leadership accompaniment, research, community building, and institutional innovation, the institute works to nurture the next generation of Civic Architects.
Vision
The Pan-African home for civic leadership formation and the vital connection point for civic renaissance.
Mission
To nurture the next generation of Civic Architects who reimagine, practice, and build a resilient future.
Values
Ubuntu
Recognising our shared humanity and collective responsibility.
Lived Wisdom
Valuing the knowledge that emerges from the lived experiences of communities and civic leaders.
Accompaniment
Walking alongside leaders as they navigate the realities of civic leadership.
Agency
Strengthening the ability of civic actors to shape their own futures.
Radical Integrity
Upholding ethical leadership and public accountability.
Civic Reservoir
Building a living repository of African civic leadership knowledge, experience, and practice.
Institutionalising Accompaniment
Providing sustained leadership support through peer learning, mentorship, and reflective spaces.
Institution Building
Strengthening the governance, resilience, and long-term sustainability of civic institutions.
Community Building
Creating a sanctuary where civic leaders can connect, learn, and accompany one another.
Thought Leadership
Advancing new thinking about civic leadership grounded in African lived experience.
Foundational Texts
The intellectual life of CLI is shaped by a set of foundational texts that articulate the institute’s philosophy and public commitments.
The Civic Leadership Manifesto
A foundational statement of CLI’s conviction that the future of civic leadership depends on moving from firefighting to architecture.
Doctrine of Civic Leadership
A set of guiding principles shaping how leadership is understood and practised within the community of Civic Architects.
The CLI is a Pan-African platform for leadership formation, institutional renewal, and civic imagination.
Explore
Explore
Contact Us
11 Sanford Crescent, Eastlea, Harare, Zimbabwe