Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) is a global network of individuals and non-governmental organizations, committed to sustainable development. LEAD is an independent, not-for-profit organization, established in 1991 by The Rockefeller Foundation. The LEAD network is coordinated through an international secretariat based in the campus of Imperial College London. LEAD Pakistan was launched by the then President of Pakistan in 1995.

Mission

LEAD’s mission is to create, strengthen and support networks of people and institutions promoting change towards sustainable development – development that is economically sound, environmentally responsible and socially equitable.

Activities

LEAD carries out its mission through capacity development and strategic, outcome-oriented activities consisting of policy, research, action-on-the-ground, communications, and training. Capacity development includes training programmes in sustainable development and leadership skills for a variety of publics. LEAD’s outcome-oriented activities are designed to achieve tangible results in sustainable development in pursuance of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These activities are almost always undertaken with partner organizations.

Membership

LEAD has both individual and institutional members. Individual members are called LEAD Fellows. They have all completed a training under our Leadership Development Program (LDP). The program emphasizes: enhancing leadership skills; building knowledge of sustainable development challenges and exploring possible solutions; developing a set of shared ethics and values; supporting collaboration and peer learning.

Today, there are more than 100 LEAD Fellows from the worlds of business, media, public sector, universities and non-governmental organizations in over 27 cities of Pakistan. They communicate continually, meet periodically, embark on joint projects, publish research, undertake professional exchanges, take part in international negotiations and support each other in sustainable development. They are networked with their nearly 2000 counterpart in more than 80 countries.

Through LEAD, they are members of an influential network of peers. LEAD Fellows today are mayors, members of parliaments, heads of corporations, leaders of non-governmental organizations, ministers, newspaper editors and TV producers, scientists and global citizens.

LEAD’s institutional members include affiliated non-governmental organizations in Brazil, Canada, China, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Francophone Africa, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Southern Africa, the UK and the US.