Deadline: 9 January 2018
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 promote religious freedom in India and Sri Lanka.
Categories
Organizations may submit no more than one (1) application per category and must explicitly identify for which category an application is being submitted. If an application does not explicitly identify one of the below categories in the submission, it may be deemed technically ineligible and may not be forwarded to the review panel for consideration.
India Program: $493,827
DRL seeks to reduce religiously-motivated violence and discrimination in India.
- Ideas for successful program activities could focus on one or more of the following, but are not limited to:
- develop and implement early warning systems to mitigate large-scale violence;
- implement conflict mitigation programs between minority and majority groups;
- counter hateful or discriminatory public messages with positive messages through means such as print or social media or via traditional means such as loudspeakers and community gatherings;
- educate civil society and journalists about legal protections for religious freedom, particularly for members of religious minorities;
- document and report religious freedom violations to authorities;
- educate law enforcement on human rights standards;
- engage law enforcement to better protect rights of religious minorities, including preventing incidents of discrimination and violence and holding perpetrators accountable.
Sri Lanka Program: $493,827
DRL seeks to ensure that authorities at all levels of government in Sri Lanka effectively implement national laws and policies protecting religious freedom. While the country’s constitution states “every person is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, including the freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice,” it gives Buddhism the “foremost place” among the country’s religious faiths and commits the government to protecting it. Non-Buddhist religious groups have reported discriminatory restrictions imposed by local government officials on religious minorities.
- Ideas for successful program activities could focus on one or more of the following, but are not limited to:
- trainings for local civil society groups to ensure awareness of non-discriminatory national polices and ensure policies are being implemented ;
- supporting efforts of local civil society groups to educate local and regional government as well as the public on to implementing national policies to promote positive reform;
- promote positive reform;
- develop accountability mechanisms to better monitor, document and advocate against abuses by civil society or government actors;
- support activities which foster greater coordination among civil society organizations leading to stronger networks able to effectively promote religious freedom for all.
Funding Information
- Applicants should not request less than $450,000 and no more than $493.827.
- 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.
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.
How to Apply
Applicants can find application forms, kits, or other materials needed to apply via given website.
For more information, please visit Grants.gov.