Deadline: 3-Oct-21
The British Embassy in Baghdad is pleased to announce John Bunyan Fund for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) that aims to support the following areas of interest:
- protect the right to freedom of religion or belief in Iraq. Utilise and increase civic space to strengthen interfaith dialogue and understanding between different religious groups
- promote greater integration of views of minority Iraqi communities into mainstream policy including reconciliation. Promote constructive dialogue between Erbil and Baghdad on importance of religious education
- engagement with youth and diverse actors from minority and majority religious groups to ensure youth inclusion in activities that influence Government policy and legislation on FoRB
- promote youth education of diversity of religion and belief in Iraq, broadening understanding of communities and breaking down stigma
- address and progress FoRB in Iraq:
- government of Iraq/Kurdistan Regional Government does not introduce new policies or legislation that restrict freedom of religion or belief for all
- government of Iraq/Kurdistan Regional Government introduce policies and legislation that respect and protect freedom of religion or belief for all
- influencers outside government successfully advocate for greater FoRB for all, in communities and government
- address specific issues which may be experienced by women and girls from religious minority groups. Increase female minority participation in promoting peace, particularly in reconciliation efforts to ensure GoI/KRG takes significant steps to address the impact of current violence and discrimination against minority groups and ensure stronger support to pillars of increased participation as critical steps towards building a stable, democratic society
Funding Information
- The total amount of funding available is 30,000 GBP. They are unable to fund multiple-year projects.
- The successful implementer is required to issue quarterly reports.
- Project activity must be completed before 31 March 2022.
Ineligible Projects
- Projects focused on service delivery or projects that support military, religious affairs, construction activities, capital costs, or mainly staff salaries are ineligible.
Criteria
- Bidders should have significant understanding of religious persecution.
- An understanding of government programming would be an advantage.
- The organisation will be able to demonstrate a strong track record of financial management and internal governance.
- They are looking for creative and original project ideas which could help them achieve any of the above goals.
- Successful bids will be for innovative activities that will have the greatest impact and deliver real change on the Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) agenda in Iraq.
- They are less interested in proposals which focus purely on seminars, workshops or the production of research reports that end in themselves. Instead, proposals should include action-oriented ideas which will bring about concrete outcomes.
Assessment
Bids will be assessed against the following criteria:
- alignment with the above mentioned priorities and outcomes
- clear practical focus leading to tangible next steps
- outcomes are achievable within the funding period
- clear monitoring and evaluation procedures
- strong risk and financial management, including consideration of safeguarding risks
- overall value for money.
For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/news/iraq-call-for-bids-john-bunyan-fund-for-freedom-of-religion-or-belief