Deadline: 15 July 2019
The U.S. Consulate General. Public Affairs Section in Kolkata (PAS Kolkata) is accepting applications for “Working Together to Combat the Dark Web of Human Trafficking.
Objectives
This project will bring together diverse stakeholders—law enforcement, governments, civil society, and private companies—across the Indo-Pacific region to collaborate on strategies that will effectively address online human trafficking. Due to the complexity of the crime of human trafficking, the role of the private sector is also increasingly vital. In order to create effective strategies to combat human trafficking, it is critical to combine the knowledge, experience, and skills of the private sector with public sector and civil society organizations. The all-pervasive global nature of the problem make it all the more important for stakeholders to collaborate, cooperate, and share solutions.
Key objectives will include the:
- Sharing best practices and technology solutions among law enforcement and government departments;
- Encouraging public-private partnerships to combat human trafficking;
- Encouraging the use of the internet to boost awareness of and recruit anti-TIP advocates to fight human trafficking; and,
- Increased vigilance by civil society in order to identify and report cybercrimes
Program Description
Based on funding availability, PAS Kolkata will support a three-day conclave at the American Center in Kolkata that will convene stakeholders across the Indo-Pacific region to collaborate and build solutions to identify the threats and develop solutions to reduce the human trafficking incidents through cybercrimes. Fifty to sixty stakeholders representing countries from the South Central Asia and East Asia Pacific regions will participate in the three-day conclave, which will be structured on sharing information and case studies, workshops on successful strategies, and brainstorming sessions on collaboration across state and national governments. Key themes will include the mapping of hidden online services directories, customer data monitoring, social site monitoring, hidden service monitoring, semantic analysis and market place profiling. A second focus of the conclave will be strengthening cyber technology and boosting awareness of the responsible use of technology and social media. Technology companies and developers can create innovative solutions for detecting and disrupting human trafficking on their networks and assume a proactive role in advancing research in this area, which is still at a nascent stage.
The workshop will end with a public presentation by conclave participants for civil society and private enterprises on how they can collaborate with the government and law enforcement to tackle this problem. Building on the West Bengal Commission for the Protection of Child Rights-organized December 2018 conference on the sexual exploitation of children in a digital era, this project will generate public awareness, build on existing partnerships, and engage diverse stakeholders towards data driven solutions to human trafficking. After the three-day workshop, the grantee will be required to host informational sessions in at least five public venues on raising awareness on online-human trafficking and the responsible use of social media.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $70,000
- Award Ceiling: $70,000
- Award Floor: $60,000
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility is open to all non-profit, non-governmental organizations. Individuals are not eligible for an award under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Organizations may sub-contract with other entities, but only one, non-profit, non-governmental entity can be the prime recipient of the award. When sub-contracting with other entities, the responsibilities of each entity must be clearly defined in the proposal.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted via given website.
For more information, please visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=316914