Deadline: 30-May-22
The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Office of Press and Public Diplomacy (NEA/PPD), in cooperation with the Syria Regional Platform Public Diplomacy (SRP PD) office of the U.S. Department of State, is pleased to announce this preliminary round (one of two) for organizations to submit a Statement of Interest (SOI) to carry out a public diplomacy program (or programs) to advance U.S. foreign policy goals and objectives for Syria.
U.S. Policy Goals and Objectives for Syria
- Expanding Humanitarian Access: Support the removal of barriers to aid delivery to address humanitarian needs across Syria
- Accountability and Justice: Support efforts to hold the Assad regime accountable for its gross violations of human rights and international norms
- Political Process: Laying the foundation for, and generating momentum towards, a political solution to the Syrian crisis consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2254
- The Enduring Defeat of al-Qa’ida and ISIS: Preserving the U.S. military presence and partnership with the Syrian Democratic Forces to maintain pressure on ISIS and al-Qa’ida
- Supporting Ceasefires: Supporting international and/or local agreements to reduce levels of violence
Priority Program Areas
- Strengthening youth community engagement: Strong civic engagement is an essential ingredient in fostering an engaged citizenry, social cohesion, democratic norms and values, and rendering societies more resistant to pernicious forces. Consistent with the intent of public diplomacy legislation, projects in this category might engage a community or communities in a shared endeavor via sports, the fine or performing arts, etc.
- Peacebuilding and reconciliation: The philosopher Spinoza wrote (1670), “Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.” Projects in this category would include those which promote dialogue and tailored conflict mitigation approaches in susceptible communities.
- Education: Despite significant U.S. government and other donors’ investment in this sector, substantial deficits in Syrian children’s and youth’s access to education remain. Programs should be designed to address some of these deficits and/or offer educational activities not currently available. Illustrative examples include programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM); in-service training for educators to increase their capacity for effective curricular delivery; sports, recreational, and/or extra-curricular program for girls in particular; or assisting young adult drop-outs with transitioning to employment.
- Media: Strengthening the media sector and/or enhancing journalistic skills to develop the professional capacity of practitioners in this field, with the added benefit of enabling them to combat rampant disinformation in the Syrian context.
- Promote inclusive economic growth and socio-economic development: According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses account for two-thirds of net new job growth and 44% of U.S. economic activity. Projects in this category would focus on sharing U.S. expertise and practices for starting and/or growing a small business enterprise, with the goal of increasing value for the business owner and the firm’s employees alike.
- Countering Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTO): Expanding government, civil society, private sector, community, and individual capacity and partnerships to detect and reduce vulnerabilities; leveraging relations with partner governments to engage, and include vulnerable populations and mitigate policies, practices, and specific factors shown to drive terrorist radicalization, recruitment, and mobilization; and building and institutionalizing CVE-specific prevention architecture. Respected community leaders, women, youth, religious figures, social workers, and educators are key prevention actors; programs building their CVE capacities are critical. Engagement with, and training for, security actors is particularly critical to prevention.
Funding Information
- Number of awards anticipated: Two (2) awards
- Award amount: $500,000 each
- Total available funding: $1,000,000.00 (based on availability of funds)
- Type of Funding: FY-2022 Smith Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds
- Anticipated program start date: October 1, 2022 (10-01-2022)
Priority Region: Non-regime held areas of northeast Syria
Participants and Audiences: Syrian citizens in non-regime-held areas of northeast Syria, with a particular emphasis on at-risk youth.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- U.S. and/or foreign not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations
- U.S. and/or foreign public and private educational institutions
- U.S. and/or foreign public international organizations and governmental institutions
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=339786
