MINELRES: UN OHCHR: Funding for projects against racism

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Sandra Aragon <saragon@ohchr.org>


Information Note 30 Funding for projects against racism

Dear Colleagues,

The Anti-Discrimination Unit and the Human Rights Education Team of the
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights are launching a pilot
project that will fund, through small grants (max. US$ 5,000) projects
aimed at promoting respect for diversity. It is our hope that this
initiative will strengthen civil society and youth groups in their
efforts to combat racial discrimination. The project will be implemented
in collaboration with UNDP.

Examples of projects eligible for funding - in addition to the ones
mentioned in the project description - are:
- national consultations on NGO and youth participation in the
elaboration of national action plans against racism
- organizing discussions in schools on racism, multi-culturalism and
respect for diversity
- research projects on aspects racial discrimination
- making leaflets with information of instances to which victims of
discrimination can turn
- information sessions on the themes and the outcome of the World
Conference against Racism in Durban
- training for journalists and advertising agencies aimed at combating
stereotypes and prejudice in press reporting, entertainment programmes
and advertising
- making a documentary with interviews of victims of racial
discrimination
- mobilization campaign for the ratification of international human
rights instruments
- training on how to write a "shadow" report to a United Nations human
rights treaty monitoring body
- writing a publication or newspaper articles on issues of racial
discrimination

Please find a list of participating countries, as well as a detailed
project description attached and application form attached. For
additional questions, please contact Mr. Alexandre Girard
(agirard@ohchr.org).

(See attached file: project description (English).doc)

Best regards,

Sandra Arag?n-Parriaux
NGO liaison officer
Anti-Discrimination Unit
OHCHR
Tel: 00 41 22 917 93 93
Fax: 00 41 22 917 90 50



Project Description

ACT Project (Assisting Communities Together)
Brief Description

In order to support local initiatives for the promotion and protection
of human rights, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), established the ACT Project to financially support, through
grants, grass-roots activities carried out by community-based
organizations.  These funds will assist activities which require a
relatively small amount of support to be implemented (up to US$ 5,000)
but which, nevertheless, can make an important impact on the promotion
and protection of human rights at the local level.  By supporting such
initiatives, the ACT Project will facilitate local human rights work
which is vital to lasting improvements in the daily lives of people.

Countries eligible for the Fourth Phase of the ACT Project (listed by
region):

� AFRICA
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of
Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger,
Somalia, Sudan, Togo

� ARAB COUNTRIES
Egypt, Jordan, Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
Syria, Yemen

� ASIA PACIFIC
Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Mongolia, Samoa, Thailand, Timor Leste 

� EUROPE
Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Romania,
Serbia & Montenegro, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan

� LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARRIBEAN
Barbados, Colombia, Nicaragua, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay
 
Examples of initiatives (non-exhaustive list) supported during the
previous phases of the ACT Project:

� organizing human rights workshops and training courses for teachers,
women, students, social workers, public officials and indigenous
peoples;
� building awareness of children�s human rights through theater
performances and discussions;
� producing an album of popular songs based on human rights in a local
language;
� translating and recording human rights information for women on
cassettes; 
� translating and distributing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
in local languages;
� organizing a conference for human rights activists;
� creating information centres for the promotion and protection of human
rights;
� producing a television documentary on specific rights;
� elaborating education programmes for specific populations such as
prisoners, prostitutes, HIV-positive persons, orphans, etc;
� establishing human rights youth clubs;
� implementing radio campaigns on human rights;
� supplying activists and lawyers with the Universal Declaration and
other relevant materials;
� developing materials for human rights education;
� assisting victims of human rights violations and their families by
informing them about their rights;
� organizing literary competitions for children/youth on specific
rights;
� organizing discussions in schools on multi-culturalism and respect for
diversity..


Examples of other initiatives (non-exhaustive list) which could be
funded:

� providing human rights education materials to local schools and
libraries;
� establishing human rights corners in schools and public libraries;
� broadcasting audio recordings of the Universal Declaration in local
languages on local radio stations;
� establishing connections to the Internet in the context of human
rights projects or for human rights purposes;
� reviewing the local human rights record (in terms of
legislation/practices);
� organizing the observation of trials where human rights are at stake;
� organizing round-table discussions or interviews of victims of racial
discrimination.


Priority will be given to projects that respond to the following
criteria:

� projects aimed at combating racial discrimination, xenophobia and
related intolerance; projects aimed at encouraging the implementation of
the outcome of the World Conference Against Racism (South Africa, 2001),
and victim-oriented projects;
� applicants involved in human rights education, advocacy, training or
related fields at the local level;
� the general budget of the applying organization does not provide
adequate means for implementation of the proposed project;
� focus on women�s human rights, children�s rights.

 
Obtaining application forms:

Application forms will be available through the following channels:
� UNDP Offices in selected countries 
� OHCHR field presences in selected countries (if applicable).


The Application Process:

1. Applicants obtain and complete an ACT Project application form and
return it to the UNDP Resident Representative or the OHCHR field
presence in their country (where the activity will be implemented).

2. Selection takes place at the national level by the local ACT Task
Force, which forwards the list of selected activities to OHCHR and UNDP
headquarters.  The grant disbursal process takes place as indicated
below.  Selected recipients are notified by the local ACT Task Force.

3. OHCHR headquarters transfer each ACT Project grant to be paid under
OHCHR funds to the account of the grant recipient (in case the grant
recipient does not have a bank account, the funds will be transferred to
the UNDP Country Office, which will disburse the funds). The first 80%
of the grant will be paid within one month following the signature of
the grant agreement between the grantee and OHCHR; the remaining balance
will be paid upon approval of the final report and the report on
expenditures.  UNDP Country Offices transfer each ACT Project grant to
be paid under UNDP funds to the grant recipients� account according to
UNDP�s procedures.

4. The local ACT Task Force is responsible for ensuring the
implementation of the ACT Project on the ground by: providing technical
assistance to the recipients, monitoring the implementation of the given
projects through direct periodic contacts.

5. Selected projects are evaluated at the completion of activities
(evaluation will include description of the activities carried out,
summary of the results, final budget indicating how ACT Project funds
were used; in this regard an evaluation form and a standard report on
expenditures will be sent to the ACT Task Forces) by the recipients and
by the local ACT Task Force and submitted to OHCHR headquarters. 

6. OHCHR produces a global report on the implementation of the ACT
Project. 



Application Form (please, contact Mr.Alexandre Girard agirard@ohchr.org
or the OHCHR / UN Representative)

Please return completed application form to the OHCHR field presence or
the UN Resident Representative in your country at the following address:

APPLICATION 
FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACT PROJECT 
PHASE 4
(Assisting Communities Together)


Name of applicant (organization): 
Name of legal representative: 
Address: 
Telephone:
Fax:
Email:


PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT - PLEASE EXPLAIN AS PRECISELY AS POSSIBLE:

1. What are the issues to be addressed by the project? 

2. What specific activities will be carried out to implement the
project? Please be as concrete as possible.

3. Who specifically will benefit from your project (please indicate
numbers)? How will they benefit?

4. What are the expected results of the project? What results will be
sustainable?

5. How will you evaluate the achievements and shortcomings of your
project?

6. How will you follow up after the project is completed? 

7. Please provide examples of any current or past activities you have
undertaken relating to the promotion or protection of human rights.



Please fill in the budget form below or copy it. Please also attach
additional information which you believe would be helpful in reviewing
your application for ACT Project funding.

Applicant agrees to and signs the following:

If selected, I (representative of the organization) agree to sign a
grant agreement with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights (OHCHR), which verifies that the proposed project will
be implemented and that a written evaluation of the project will be
submitted to the local ACT Task after the completion of the activity.    



(date)                  (full name in upper cases and signature)

 

ESTIMATED BUDGET          
          
Organization name      
GLO/00/AH/20 Output 4, ACT Project

Budget total :          
Budget Timeframe:          
Location:          
          
Category of Expenses by Activities  
Unit  Duration  Number of Unit  Rate/Unit(USD$)  Total costs(USD$)

Activity 1. {Description}          
Requirements:          
Human resources          
Personnel, consultants          
Travel           
Travel fares, accommodation          
Sub-contracts          
External printing, interpretation/translation, advertising and
promotion          
Training and seminars activities          
Training activities, organization of seminar/workshop,
airfare/accommodation/subsistence for participants, local
transportation, rental of conference space and equipment          
Procurement          
Office equipment and furniture, computers, operational equipment,
stationery and expendable supplies, books          
Other operating costs          
Communications, miscellaneous services          
           
Sub-total Activity 1.          
          
Activity 2. {Description}          
Sub-total Activity 2.          
          
Activity 3. {Description}          
Sub-total Activity 3.          
          
Total Estimated Budget by Activities              
 
Application for the Human Rights ACT Project, Phase 4 
  (Assisting Communities Together)
  (ACT Task Force�s Comments)

Please provide any comments on the selected project, including
information concerning your past contacts with the applying
organization, if any, as well as your views on the relevance of the
selected project to current needs at the local level.



(place, date)          (ACT Task Force Representative�s signature)