Deadline: 6 November 2017
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) has announced an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that support the promotion and protection of religious freedom globally.
The Programs Categories are:
- NEA Regional Program: $500,000
- NEA Regional Program: $700,000
- Malaysia Program: $500,000
- Nigeria Program: $700,000
Objectives & Focus Activites
1. NEA Regional Program($500,000): DRL’s objective is to empower local religious communities to understand how to preserve religious and cultural heritage, both moveable and immovable, while also fostering inter-religious dialogue and cooperation. This should be achieved by enabling religious communities, faith-based organizations, and NGOs to engage local and national governments and international organizations on strategies to protect cultural heritage, including buildings and movable and immovable properties. As cultural sites are often important to multiple religious and ethnic communities, promoting shared commitment to preservation can foster inter-faith dialogue and rebuild community relations.
- Focus activites
- training to build capacity among religious and ethnic communities so that they can both map and utilize financial, organizational, governmental, and other resources as well as to engage international entities on a shared goal to preserve and/or stabilize moveable and immovable cultural heritage;
- provide training on documentation and outreach methods relating to awareness of important heritage sites;
- engaging policy makers at local and national levels, as well as international organizations, to enlist their support for protecting cultural sites and artifacts important to religious and ethnic communities;
- build relationships between government and community members to promote broader tolerance; and
- foster interfaith cooperation and communal dialogue around the importance of protecting shared cultural heritage that is important to different religious and ethnic communities.
2. NEA Regional Program($700,000): DRL’s objective is to promote increased governmental and societal respect for the rights of religious minorities and reduce instances of religiously motivated abuses/discrimination, particularly in educational settings and in the community in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula.
- Focus activites
- developing educational curriculum materials (including but not limited to teacher training, textbooks or supplemental materials either in print or video) that foster appreciation for diversity, minority rights, and concepts of freedom of religion and expression;
- fostering inclusive concepts of citizenship and nationality;
- identifying mutual interests to build shared identities across communal divides; and
- building the capacity of local organizations to promote equal rights and citizenship.
3. Malaysia Program($500,000): DRL’s objective is to promote religious freedom from a rule of law or good governance perspective in Malaysia.
- Focus activites
- efforts to mitigate increasing interreligious tensions and the politicization of religion among societal actors;
- ensuring relevant authorities consistently apply relevant laws to all religious groups;
- promoting appreciation for diversity, minority rights, and concepts of freedom of religion and expression among policy makers and policy implementers;
- encouraging interfaith dialogue between majority and minority groupsand intra-faith dialogue or other activities aimed to reduce tensions within and among religious communities.
4. Nigeria Program($700,000): DRL’s objective is to address state authorities’ use of blasphemy and apostasy laws and associated impunity for vigilante justice in Nigeria.
- Focus activites
- develop a network of legal practitioners ready and able to assist those facing accusations or criminal charges related to blasphemy,
- increase education regarding international human rights norms among local political leaders, judges, lawyers, law enforcement;
- empower civil society (including religious organizations) to support for due process rights for persons accused of blasphemy within the formal justice system;
- support religious communities’ efforts to speak out in favor of human rights and religious pluralism; and empower leaders to counter violent rhetoric.
Funding Information
- DRL anticipates having approximately $2.4 million of HRDF available to support approximately four successful applications submitted in response to this NOFO, subject to the availability of funding. Applicants can submit one application in response to the NOFO.
- Applicants should not request less than $500,000 and no more than $700,000, not to exceed the amount specified for each country or regional solicitation above. Applicants should include an anticipated start date between June 2018 – September 2018 and the period of performance should be between 24 months to 36 months.
- The U.S. government may (a) reject any or all applications, (b) accept other than the lowest cost application, (c) accept more than one application, and (d) waive informalities and minor irregularities in applications received.
- The U.S. government may make award(s) on the basis of initial applications received, without discussions or negotiations. Therefore, each initial application should contain the applicant’s best terms from a cost and technical standpoint.
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.
- Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process. Additionally, the Department of State generally prohibits profit to for-profit or commercial organizations under its assistance awards. Profit is defined as any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs. The allowability of costs incurred by commercial organizations is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR 30, Cost Accounting Standards Administration, and 48 CFR 31 Contract Cost Principles and Procedures.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online via given website.
For more information, please visit Grants.gov.