The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that support Syria’s path to stability and a viable political resolution through human rights and accountability programming.
Categories
Programs should address one of three categories:
Accountability, Reintegration, and Reconciliation
Programming should promote long-term peace and coexistence through holistic, locally led, and victim-centered approaches to accountability, reintegration, and reconciliation efforts in Syria. Applicants may consider program topics below or propose other themes within these objectives or topics that best respond to the Syrian context. These include:
Supporting local or international accountability processes, including local mediation, third country prosecutions, and investigations;
Supporting efforts to determine the fate and whereabouts of missing and unjustly detained persons in Syria, and effectively advocating for victims’ and families’ rights, interests, and involvement with local and international accountability bodies;
Securing and analyzing mass and clandestine graves, including antemortem and postmortem samples;
Protecting housing, land, and property (HLP) rights;
Protecting Civic Space
Programming should protect and expand civic space; encourage meaningful citizen participation in public policy and governance; and facilitate the free engagement of Syrians in public life, particularly women, youth, and populations living in vulnerable circumstances. Applicants may consider program topics below or propose other themes and topics that best respond to the Syrian context. These include:
Supporting civil society organizations working on local accountability and rights-based efforts, including protecting the rights and freedoms of religious/ethnic minorities, the disabled, women, youth and other marginalized or historically discriminated against populations;
Supporting the meaningful preparation, participation, and leadership of women in civic space and decision-making processes; and
Strengthening digital safety efforts, including documenting/mapping/assessing the censorship, manipulation, surveillance, and communication through cyberspace of Syrian human rights defenders and key community members, including women.
Direct Support and Services for Witnesses and Survivors of Torture, Gender-Based Violence, and Other Atrocities
Programming should provide direct support and services to witnesses as well as survivors of torture, GBV, and other atrocities. Applicants may consider program topics below or propose other themes and topics that best respond to the Syrian context. These include:
Supporting witnesses, especially those involved in transitional justice processes and accountability mechanisms, as well as victims, and survivors of torture and GBV through online and offline trainings designed to build sustainable local capacity and through specialized services;
Protecting atrocity crime witnesses and survivors by ensuring they have access to tools and resources to effectively and safely engage in local and third-country accountability processes and transitional justice mechanisms (i.e., transportation, lodging, per diem, stipends, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), legal assistance, translation services, etc.); and
Providing direct services to released detainees/activists/witnesses to help them reintegrate into their own or host communities which may include medical, MHPSS, legal, relocation, and emergency shelter assistance.
Competitive proposals must include:
Clear, detailed program strategies that illustrate the logic behind each program’s design, program-specific objectives, and the link between the program-specific objectives and one of DRL’s three categories outlined above. Addressing more than one category will not make a proposal more competitive; proposals should be as targeted as possible.
A proven ability to successfully implement programs in Syria must be demonstrated. As part of the proposal narrative, or as an annex to the proposal submission, applicants are required to submit lessons learned from past programming in Syria, that demonstrate how the applicant has safely operated and responded to challenges, learning from both successes and failures, in the operating environment.
DRL is committed to advancing equity and support for underserved and underrepresented communities. In accordance with the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Underserved Communities, programs should implement strategies for integration and inclusion of individuals/organizations/beneficiaries that can bring perspectives based on their religion, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, national origin, age, genetic information, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, political affiliation, or veteran’s status. Programs should be demand-driven and locally led to the extent possible.
DRL requires all programs to be non-discriminatory and expects implementers to include strategies for non-discrimination of individuals/organizations/beneficiaries based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, marital status, parental status, political affiliation, or veteran’s status.
Funding Information
Total Funding Ceiling: $1,500,000
Total Funding Floor: $750,000
Anticipated Number of Awards: 2-4
Period of Performance: 18-30 months
Anticipated Time to Award, Pending Availability of Funds: 6-9 months
Activities that are not typically allowed include, but are not limited to:
The provision of humanitarian assistance;
English language instruction;
Development of high-tech computer or communications software and/or hardware;
Purely academic exchanges or fellowships;
External exchanges or fellowships lasting longer than six months;
Off-shore activities that are not clearly linked to in-country initiatives and impact or are not necessary per security concerns;
Eligibility Criteria
DRL welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernmental 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 prohibits profit to for-profit or commercial organizations under its assistance awards.
