Deadline: 8-Feb-22
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 to support religious freedom in Indonesia.
DRL’s goal is to support equitable legislative implementation and access to justice consistent with Indonesia’s international obligations on religious freedom and is respectful toward all faith communities (including those of no faith) and those not among officially recognized religious communities.
Programs should address legal sector responses to government actions regarding tolerance and respect for members of religious minority groups, seeking to work with judicial actors, legal communities, as well as national and local leaders to promote rights-respecting legal and policy implementation. This includes a recognition of historic peaceful coexistence leading to equal citizenship rights through strengthened rule of law. Activities should involve concrete actions and community-engagement that support the Policy Objective identified, rather than be solely deliberative and relationship-building meetings and gatherings.
Funding Information
- Total Funding Floor: $740,740
- Total Funding Ceiling: $740,740
- Anticipated Number of Awards: 1-2
- Type of Award: Grant or Cooperative Agreement
- Period of Performance: 22-30 months
- Anticipated Time to Award, Pending Availability of Funds: 6-8 months
Outcomes
- Government, security, legal, or judicial actors leverage existing domestic and international legal frameworks to advance human rights related to freedoms of religion and expression and reduce discriminatory laws and practices;
- Increased awareness among local communities and community leaders of the value and importance of legal protections regarding religious belief and pluralism irrespective of one’s religion or beliefs;
- Increased awareness among communities, local leaders, and legal actors of the domestic legal framework and principles relating to freedom of religion or belief;
- Increased knowledge about legal strategy and approaches to inclusive advocacy among lawyers and other legal sector actors to protect freedom of religion or belief;
- Strengthened legal protections for members of Indonesia’s religious and ethnic minority groups;
- Legal sector actors and/or local government officials deepen trust with community stakeholders through equitable access to justice; and
- Increased public literacy on domestic and international religious freedom laws, agreements, and protections leading to increased popular support for efforts to bring Indonesia’s domestic laws more in line with international standards, particularly for members of religious minority groups and those of no faith.
Eligible Activities
- 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 impact on members of religious minority communities including those of no faith;
- Work with legal advocates and rights groups to design tailored legal interventions to strengthen protections for 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;
- 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;
- Advocate to reform and/or repeal laws and policies that restrict freedom of religion such as discriminatory bans and policies against non-Sunni Muslims (including non-belief and nonpracticing individuals); and restrictions on houses of worship;
- Monitor implementation of laws to ensure legal authorities 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;
- Build the capacity of community-level NGOs to better advocate for more inclusive policies and more equitable implementation of laws (or repealing such laws, as applicable) that have historically disadvantaged certain individuals and groups. This can include management training, advocacy campaign design and deployment, digital security training, and other technical skill building.
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=336948