Deadline: 1-May-23
The Community Engagement Office (CEO) of the Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, U.S. Department of State (hereinafter known as “CEO”) is pleased to announce an open competition for assistance awards, contingent on funding availability, through the Public Diplomacy Grants Program.
Project Objectives
Organizations may submit more than one proposal under this funding opportunity. Projects that address one or more of the objectives and/or sub-objectives are welcome. Each proposal will require its own application and should specify which project objective(s) the activities will support over the course of the project.
- Counter Narrative: Credible voices are convinced to offer positive, tolerant messages in reactive and proactive circumstances as measured by pre- and post- program surveys. Proposals focusing on counter narrative can do so through: people-to-people engagements with leaders of influence, including religious, community, youth, and women leaders; TV, radio, theater, online, and social media projects; or other innovative and strategic communications means of reaching vulnerable populations and delegitimizing violent extremist ideology. This may include:
- Empowering citizens to be critical consumers of information.
- Dispelling extremist narratives that incite violence by providing positive alternatives through critical thinking, creation of safe spaces for debate and dialogues, and peacebuilding activities.
- Capacity Building: Individuals and organizations involved in peace-building or anti-violent extremist efforts, especially community influencers, women and religious leaders, will retain the skills, knowledge, and capacity necessary to take a stronger role in countering and preventing violent extremism as measured by post-program projects carried out by program participants in these areas. Possible activities could include:
- Amplifying the role of women in building secure, tolerant families and communities.
- Critical thinking and peace-building education programs to help build resilience against extremist rhetoric and recruiting.
- Developing the role of credible voices that support tolerance and non-violence and more broadly promoting educational initiatives.
- Promoting local research and information sharing on the drivers of violent extremism in all its forms and how to counter them.
- Preventative Outreach: Credible voices will offer positive, tolerant messages in reactive and proactive circumstances to vulnerable populations. This objective may be achieved through the following means:
- Education and experience-based programs for those at risk of recruitment into violent extremism: Programs should propose directly working with schools and communities to engage young people in educational/experiential activities that provide exposure to moderate viewpoints and help eliminate bias.
- Activities that bring together youth from different schools (madrasas, public, and private), establish tolerance- and peace-building practices via in-school and/or after-school programs, and/or provide exposure to positive role models including ordinary Pakistanis and celebrities/cultural heroes.
- Engaging with various stakeholders – religious leaders, government officials, community leaders, and civil society – on programs and outreach activities that promote tolerance, inclusion, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution
Project Goal
- Build community resilience against extremist ideologies perpetuating violence through innovative community-based P/CVE initiatives offering alternative narratives and opportunities to change the public discourse.
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: 18-24 months
- Number of awards anticipated: 1-2 awards
- Award amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $150,000 to a maximum of $300,000
- Total available funding: $300,000
Project Scope: Projects can be nationwide or focused on specific geographic areas with an explanation of why the specific geographic region is relevant to the strategy.
Project Audience(s)
- The proposal must include one or more target audience(s); Policy makers, community influencers (youth, women, and religious leaders), media.
- Beneficiaries and audiences should be appropriate to the strategies proposed and may include a variety of societal segments addressing leaders and influencers and/or addressing vulnerable populations. Unless a strong justification is provided, all projects should strive to achieve gender balance.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations
- Civil society/non-governmental organizations
- Think tanks (Not-for-profit)
- Public and private educational institutions (Not-for-profit departments)
- Organizations may sub-contract with other entities, but only one, non-profit, nongovernmental 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.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.