Deadline: 3-May-21
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that support Religious Freedom in Malaysia.
DRL’s goal is to support religious pluralism and the equal protection under law for all Malaysians across religious and ethnic communities. Competitive applicants will have experience addressing parallel civil and religious legal systems that may be discriminatory against members of religious minority groups due to their religion or belief and will propose work in a broader geographic scope and not be limited to Kuala Lumpur.
Where appropriate, competitive proposals may include:
- Opportunities for beneficiaries to apply their new knowledge and skills in practical efforts;
- Solicitation of feedback and suggestions from beneficiaries when developing activities in order to strengthen the sustainability of programs and participant ownership of project outcomes;
- Input from participants on sustainability plans and systematic review of the plans throughout the life of the project, with adjustments made as necessary;
- Inclusion of vulnerable populations;
- Joint identification and definition of key concepts with relevant stakeholders and stakeholder input into project activities
- Systematic follow up with beneficiaries at specific intervals after the completion of activities to track how beneficiaries are retaining new knowledge as well as applying their new skills.
Funding Information
- Funding Floor: $493,827
- Funding Ceiling: $493,827
- Anticipated Number of Awards: one
- Type of Award: Grant or Cooperative Agreement
- Period of Performance: 18-36 months
- Anticipated Time to Award, Pending Availability of Funds: 4-6 months
Program Activities
Program activities could include, but are not limited to:
- Train legal practitioners, legal societies and law students on existing legal rights and protections for individuals on account of their religion or beliefs, with particular focus on members of religious minority communities;
- Work with legal advocates and rights groups to design tailored interventions to address the needs of communities in strengthening protections of freedom of religion or belief, such as supporting impact litigation, preparing submissions proposing legislative reform to address discriminatory laws and policies, or advocating on behalf of individuals or communities who have experienced violations of religious freedom because of their beliefs or because of interactions with parallel legal systems;
- Build sustainable networks among legal practitioners, legal societies, or law students to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and action to address the legal needs of religious minority communities and advance legal and policy reforms addressing religious discrimination;
- Advance targeted advocacy to ensure legal authorities uphold the law and follow established legal procedures pertaining to protections for all individuals (either members of religious minority, majority or non-religious communities) to be free from religiously motivated discrimination
- Promote appreciation of an advocate for diversity, pluralism, religious minority rights, and concepts of freedom of religion and expression as a matter of law and good governance;
- Establish best practices or legal precedent for defending individuals from discrimination, abuses, or harassment on account of their religion or beliefs.
Expected Program Outcomes
Expected Program Outcomes could include but are not limited to:
- Increased awareness among local communities and community leaders of the value and importance of mutual respect and pluralism irrespective of one’s religion or beliefs;
- Increased awareness among communities and legal actors of the legal framework and principles relating to freedom of religion and belief;
- Increased capacity of lawyers and other legal sector actors to protect freedom of religion;
- Increased tolerance and inclusion for members of all religious groups that result in more inclusive legal and justice systems;
- Strengthened legal protections for members of Malaysia’s religious and ethnic minority groups;
- Legal sector actors and/or local government officials deepen trust with community stakeholders through equitable access to justice.
Eligibility Criteria
DRL welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO) and public international organizations; private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses. DRL’s preference is to work with non-profit entities; however, there may be some occasions when a for-profit entity is best suited.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=332232