Deadline: 31-Oct-20
The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) is pleased to announce a call for proposals to advance effective responses to strategic litigation against public participation (SLAPPs) in the Global South.
ICNL is now inviting proposals from applicants to develop and implement advocacy, monitoring, public awareness, or legal defense strategies aimed at effectively responding to urgent threats posed to civil society by SLAPPs in the Global South.
Strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPPs, are private suits filed not to secure relief, but to use the risks and costs of litigation to defuse criticism and opposition and discourage the exercise of fundamental freedoms. SLAPPs are often filed against activists, civil society organizations (CSOs), journalists, and community members by powerful companies and businesspersons in order to prevent citizens from coming together, engaging in protest, and making their voices heard.
Project Activities
Activities that may be supported include (but are not limited to):
- Advocating for the advancement of effective policy responses to SLAPPs by relevant ministries, regulatory bodies, legislative bodies, and courts;
- Creating and implementing sustainable methodologies for tracking and reporting SLAPPs filed in a country or regionally;
- Building a coalition of companies and investors that pledge to refrain from SLAPPs and from providing business support to entities that do file SLAPPs;
- Designing and deploying awareness campaigns to increase understanding among the public of the threat posed by SLAPPs and, where appropriate, to increase the reputational consequences of filing SLAPPs; and
- Setting up effective networks of attorneys and legal organizations, including law firms, to provide legal support to those who have been SLAPPed.
Funding Information
- Grant amounts are not fixed, but successful grant applications may range from $5,000 to $20,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- This call for proposals is open to domestic civil society organizations located in countries currently listed on the DAC List of ODA recipient countries.
Selection Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on the following factors:
- Compliance with eligibility requirements and application instructions;
- Scale of threat posed to civil society by SLAPPs in the country/region of focus;
- Quality of proposal, including that proposed activities are feasible and designed to have an impact on the threat posed to civil society by SLAPPs;
- Diversity of selected proposals with special weight given to geographic/gender diversity and engagement with marginalized/underrepresented groups;
- Proposed budget and apparent value for cost;
- Demonstrated experience and expertise related to proposed activities; and
- Demonstrated capacity to exercise responsible stewardship of received funds.
For more information, visit https://mk0rofifiqa2w3u89nud.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/Lifeline-SLAPP-Call-for-Proposals-Sep-2020.pdf?_ga=2.58155682.986075936.1599091568-1887570722.1572747060