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Grants >> Description of 2003 Grants: Latin America & the Caribbean
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Regional Programs: Go to 2003 Annual Report |
Andean Region American Center for International Labor Solidarity $774,893 To conduct a program to build alliances between unions and civil society at both the community and national levels. The program will specifically focus on the issues of the loss of social benefits, good jobs, and the right to organize and participate as workers and citizens. Instituto de Prensa y Sociedad (Press and Society Institute) $82,000 To continue its network to protect journalists in the Andean Region and to expand its access to information initiatives. The Institute will also work to expand monitoring efforts in Colombia, hold a training workshop for Colombian journalists, conduct journalist training in Peru, and support the development of an alert network to protect journalists in Venezuela. Argentina Association for Civil Rights $57,000 To promote the transparency of Congress by making citizens aware of its importance and how it functions. The Association will conduct a program that will involve the publication of reports and manuals on congressional voting, workshops, creation of a network for journalists, and advocacy and civic education. Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (Center for Legal and Social Studies) $52,000 To improve the capacity of human rights organizations in the interior of Argentina. The Center will train representatives of human rights organizations from six provinces in human rights standards and advocacy to better monitor local conditions. Fundación Nueva Generación Argentina (New Generation Foundation) $31,613 To promote community initiatives, the Foundation will conduct training sessions for leaders of neighborhood associations in and around the city of Rosario on topics such as democratic leadership, local government, and mediation. International Republican Institute $300,000 To work with the Argentine NGO Center for the Implementation of Public Policies Promoting Public Equity and Growth (CIPPEC) to support electoral-reform efforts. IRI will provide technical support and assistance to CIPPEC in efforts to reform the electoral law in three provinces, as well as the national electoral law. IRI and CIPPEC will also work with local emerging leaders and political movements to promote greater respect for democratic values among potential future decision makers. Bolivia National Democratic Institute for International Affairs $72,245 To provide on-the-ground support to participants of NDI’s 2003 Political Leadership Program. NDI will sponsor expert training visits to Bolivia to provide technical assistance to participants as they implement party reform projects. Colombia Asociación de Grupos Juveniles LIBERTAD—AfroAmerica XXI $49,890 To promote citizen participation in local government by establishing a dialogue to create municipal and state action plans in response to the Afro-Colombian community’s needs. The Association will urge elected officials to incorporate these plans into their annual budgets. Center for International Private Enterprise $84,146 To support the Confederación Colombiana de Cámaras de Comercio (Colombian Confederation of Chambers of Commerce) in working directly with the business sector to improve state governance. This project will focus on promoting ethical standards, strengthening transparency in public procurement procedures, and building the skills of journalists to report on best practices in transparency. Corporación Región (Regional Corporation) $30,000 To consolidate the work of the Regional Corporation’s three peace and reconciliation centers by training new conciliators, providing continuing education to current center staff, helping to promote the centers, and maintaining a dialogue with government officials. Corporación Transparencia por Colombia (Transparency Corporation for Colombia) $51,261 To examine the illegal influence of the private sector on the formation of laws through a broad based research coalition consisting of civic organizations, academics, media and other individuals and organizations interested in corruption issues. Federación Nacional de Concejos (National Federation of Council Members) $85,000 To strengthen this membership association of local councilors to better serve and represent the needs of its elected constituents throughout the country. The Federation will train councilors on the use of the internet to improve communication among the 12,200 councilors and hold educational workshops on municipal management. In addition, the Federation will hire a full-time lawyer to provide legal advice and human rights assistance. Fundación para un Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano (Foundation for New Latin American Journalism) $70,000 To carry out a series of training sessions for journalists that will cover technical aspects of war reporting and precautionary strategies for self-protection. In collaboration with five related organizations, the Foundation will strengthen the alert network for the protection of journalists. Liga de Mujeres Desplazadas (League of Displaced Women) $45,000 To provide education and support to displaced Afro-Colombian and indigenous women in the department of Bolivar. The League will carry out an educational program to teach human rights and establish a community center to coordinate assistance and improve communications. League staff will advocate before national and local governments for the recognition of displaced women's’ legal and educational rights. Plural – Corporación Centro de Estudios Constitucionales (Plural—Center for Constitutional Studies) $65,000 To continue its program promoting the tribunal system of the justice of the peace. Plural will work in eight municipalities located within the department of Valle del Cauca to solidify support of the system at the policy level, organize community support for the system, provide new training to elected justices, and evaluate the work of the justices. Universidad de Los Andes (University of the Andes) $70,000 To continue the Visible Candidates/Visible Congress (CV) project to monitor the work of the Colombian Congress and provide information on its activities to the public as a way of increasing the accountability of elected officials to the electorate. Cuba Center for a Free Cuba $55,000 To provide humanitarian assistance and emergency relief to political prisoners and their families. Assistance will go to family members of recently detained prisoners and to the more than 280 prisoners that were already in prison before the spring 2003 crackdown. Cuban Committee for Human Rights $65,000 To cover the operating costs and program activities of its Miami office, which works on behalf of human rights and human rights activists in Cuba. The organization’s activities will include collaboration with the United Nations’ Human Rights Commission in its monitoring and investigation of human rights conditions in Cuba; publication and dissemination in Cuba and internationally of several publications on human rights; and provision of humanitarian assistance to political dissidents and prisoners of conscience in Cuba. CubaNet $41,000 To provide humanitarian and material assistance to independent journalists in Cuba. CubaNet will continue its support to the professional development of the independent journalists who contribute regularly to its website. Disidente Universal de Puerto Rico $55,000 To continue publication of its monthly journal, El Disidente. The journal contains articles and editorials from activists living on the island, dissidents living in exile, and international news organizations. Federación Sindical de Plantas Eléctricas, Gas y Agua en Exilio (Federation of Electric, Gas, and Water Plant Workers in Exile) $75,000 To promote labor rights in Cuba, the Federation will report on forced child labor and other labor-rights violations inside Cuba. The reports will be presented to the International Labor Organization and distributed to human rights and labor groups throughout the world Group for the Support of the Independent Farmers’ Cooperatives in Cuba (GACICUBA) $58,000 To provide technical, organizational, and material assistance to the independent-cooperative movement in Cuba and to support a wide sector of civil society groups in rural areas throughout the island. GACICUBA will contact cooperatives and cooperative associations in Latin America and Europe to build links between these groups and independent associations in Cuba. Information Bureau of Human Rights Movement in Cuba $60,000 To maintain regular contact with Cuban groups to collect information on conditions in Cuba and the activities of dissident groups and share that information with different groups in Cuba and with a wide network of international organizations, journalists and human rights groups. The Information Bureau will also publish and disseminate its newsletter, Palestra Cívica. International Republican Institute $350,000 To work with the Cuban Democratic Directorate (Directorio) to aid the pro-democracy movement within Cuba. Directoro will design and disseminate informational and educational material to aid the pro-democracy movement in its development of citizen initiatives and distribute information outside the island on the Cuban pro-democracy movement to generate greater international solidarity and recognition for its goals and methods. National Democratic Institute for International Affairs $198,000 To promote greater international awareness of the Varela Project. NDI will attend international civic and intergovernmental meetings and will work to inform international leaders and the general public about the activities of dissident leaders. Pan American Development Foundation $45,000 To promote international awareness of the library movement in Cuba, the Pan American Development Foundation will encourage libraries outside Cuba to collaborate with and send support to independent libraries inside the island. People in Need Foundation $60,000 To work with various independent groups in Cuba to develop their capacity to produce and distribute samizdat. The Foundation will work closely with local journalists and dissident groups and help promote their work internationally. Pontis Foundation $16,372 To share experiences with youth activists inside Cuba. The Pontis Foundation will also undertake a campaign to promote awareness in Slovakia of the situation in Cuba and promote greater activities by Slovak citizens and the Slovak government in supporting the activities of independent Cubans inside the island. Revista Encuentro de la Cultura Cubana (Encounter Journal of Cuban Culture) $65,000 To provide support to production of the quarterly journal Encuentro. Encuentro is dedicated to discussion and promotion of political change in the larger context of Cuban culture, philosophy, and history. Ecuador Center for International Private Enterprise $205,737 To work with the National Association of Entrepreneurs (ANDE) and the Ecuadorian Institute of Political Economy (IEEP) to train business and political leaders on the importance of improving their market-based economic systems and defining the role of political leadership through a series of seminars and international workshops on topics such as free-market economy rules and institutional political reform. Guatemala Institituto de Enseñanza para el Desarrollo Sostenible (Training Institute for Sustainable Development) $55,000 To promote an effective and democratic police force by producing the first ever study to evaluate the 1996 Peace Accords and police reforms to date. The findings will be used to produce training manuals to address critical issues of corruption and crime prevention, as well as be incorporated into the Police Academy’s curriculum. International Republican Institute $299,999 To implement a program to prepare political parties and civil society for the country’s November 2003 national elections. Assistance to parties will focus on communications, platform building, and constituent relations. IRI will continue with its youth program, aimed at promoting leadership, engagement, and civic responsibility, and will also develop a new program to promote citizen participation in the electoral process. MesoAmerican Centre for Sustainable Human Rights $42,547 To help promote the organizational development of nine grassroots human rights organizations. Activities with the groups will include drafting a strategic plan, designing, monitoring, and evaluating projects; and introducing them to new training techniques and technology. Mexico Acción Popular de Integración Social (Popular Action for Social Integration) $45,000 To monitor the federal congress and twenty state legislatures concerning women’s issues. The results of their monitoring activities will be distributed through a newsletter, Agenda Afirmativa, and through the consortium of women’s groups Consorcio por la Equidad. American University $50,000 To work with the Universidad Iberoamericana, to strengthen the incorporation of human rights curriculum in Mexican law schools. The project will work with deans of Mexican university law schools to implement pilot programs in human rights law. Alianza Cívica (Civic Alliance) $52,000 To promote citizen participation in monitoring the work of deputies in congress through its pilot project encouraging citizens to “Adopt a Deputy.” The project will consist of monitoring a particular deputy’s work in congress. At the same time, Civic Alliance will disseminate information on the structure and functions of congress. Democracia, Derechos Humanos, y Seguridad (Democracy, Human Rights and Security) $50,000 To create a baseline study for use in making recommendations for police policy reform and to promote pilot projects to engage citizens in the area of public security. The organization will create a working group to research several topics related to police behavior; seminars will be held to further the debate and analysis of corruption; and press conferences will be held to inform citizens about the project and final recommendations. Fundación Información y Democracia (Information and Democracy Foundation) $42,000 To conduct training for state legislators, judges, journalists, and activists on the legal, political, and ethical aspects of access to public information. The object of the training and of a national event to be sponsored by the Foundation is to continue generating an informed debate among the participants and the public and to expand the coalition supporting reform. Instituto para la Seguridad y la Democracia (Institute of Security and Democracy), $55,000 To bring together public-security experts, government and police officials, and citizen groups to promote democratic reform of the police system. Through educational seminars and advocacy efforts with government officials, the Institute will work toward designing laws, regulations, and training manuals to improve the organizational and human capital in the area of public security in Mexico. International Republican Institute $174,999 To train the Mexican women’s group, Asociación Nacional Cívica Femenina (ANCIFEM), on topics such as organizational development and strategic planning in order to strengthen ANCIFEM. To increase participation in the Mexican political process by training citizens to be effective leaders of their communities, civil society and non-governmental networks and hold Mexican elected officials accountable for the way they discharge their public duties through citizen observation and interaction. Libertad de Información México (Freedom of Information Mexico) $43,000 To create state chapters that will advocate for the passage and implementation of state-level freedom of information laws throughout the country. The organization will train chapter leaders in the principles and practices of the law and publish manuals and bulletins to encourage citizens’ use of the law. In addition, the organization will monitor efforts to implement freedom of information laws at the federal level and will produce a report outlining its successes and failures. Nicaragua International Republican Institute $250,000 To continue to support programs focused on encouraging citizen participation in political discourse and promoting accountability of elected officials. IRI will work with political parties to establish youth auxiliaries with formal mechanisms to influence party platform development, and encourage youth involvement within the party structure to enhance participation in elections and other aspects of the democratic process. Instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Humanísticos (Nicaraguan Institute for Humanistic Studies) $43,493 To promote informed citizen participation and accountability for local government in response to the November 2004 municipal elections, and to conduct training workshops for citizens and candidates for local elected offices. The workshops will promote understanding of the powers and limitations of a mayor and council member to enable candidates to create realistic political platforms. Peru Andean Commission of Jurists $60,600 To educate judges and civil society about the importance of citizen monitoring of the judicial system. Research will be conducted on how civil society and the judiciary can cooperate to increase transparency. A series of workshops will be held to bring together representatives of civil society and the judiciary to discuss how to enhance community-judiciary vigilance and cooperation. Workshop results will be presented to authorities involved in reforming the judicial system. Center for International Private Enterprise $143,410 To work with Instituto APOYO and El Comercio newspaper in Peru to lay the groundwork for a national business agenda with the input and participation of a core group of business leaders. The project will also seek to initiate a new relationship among different business associations in the country and strengthen these institutions’ leadership in the development of a private-sector agenda for reform in Peru. Instituto de Defensa Legal (Institute for Legal Defense) $59,265 To support the development of new leadership and organizations, the Institute will implement a program designed to prepare three regional organizations, Coordinadora de Líderes por la Democracia, Colectivo por la Democracia de Huancavelica, and La Escuela de Líderes – Junín, to carry out projects. The program will include conducting citizen leadership training schools, educating citizens on the importance of participation in local government, and promoting civic involvement in regional government. Instituto de Estudios Políticos y Estratégicos (Political and Strategic Studies Institute) $70,000 To train civilian leaders in military and strategic issues to better enable them to work with Congress and the civilian defense ministry in reorganizing and redefining civilian defense and security institutions and policy. The Institute will conduct a comprehensive course for civilian leaders from the executive and legislative branches of government; carry out focus groups to introduce a defense white paper to civil society and receive feedback; continue to inform the public about defense and security issues; and consolidate its organization. International Republican Institute $299,999 To continue to promote the development of political parties through capacity-building training and efforts to improve party infrastructure; provide training in financial management; assist political parties in gaining increased access to the internet in regional capitals; and promote dialogue facilitation and consensus building between new regional authorities and the central government. International Republican Institute $25,000 REPROGRAMMED 1999 FUNDS To facilitate dialogue and consensus building between new regional authorities and the central government and provide training for new local authorities who took office in January 2003. IRI will conduct training sessions focused on ethics and transparency in financial management to augment its ongoing program. Additionally, IRI will sponsor training activities for regional and federal authorities designed to bridge differences, identify mutual objectives, develop consensus building strategies, and implement constructive public policy initiatives. National Democratic Institute for International Affairs $74,001 To provide technical assistance for the party-strengthening projects of emerging political leaders from six major Peruvian political parties by sponsoring expert trainer visits to Peru over the coming year. The projects focus on improving the performance of political parties in the Peruvian congress and increasing party coordination with regional governments, municipalities, civil society, and constituents. Peruvian Press Council $50,000 To prepare government officials to meet the requirements of the freedom of information law. The Council will carry out a pilot program in ten municipalities to train local government officials on access-to-information law. The Council will also work with the National Ombudsman’s office to train thirty members of the judiciary to resolve disputes regarding the application and interpretation of this law. The Council will similarly work on improving administrative transparency within the judiciary. Proética $40,000 To promote citizen participation in the fight against corruption in the region of Lambayeque. The project will include a public education campaign to inform citizens about the need for an anticorruption strategy, workshops with government officials and civil society to draft an anti-corruption plan, regional promotion of the plan, and tracking of public procurement practices. Venezuela Acción Campesina (Farmer Action) $58,000* To promote farmers’ rights at the national and local levels through policy reform on agriculture and land redistribution and draft proposals to reform current agrarian public policies at the state and municipal levels. Acción Campesina will also serve as a source of information to policymakers, political parties, and civil society on the implementation of national laws and their effects. Acción para el Desarrollo (Action for Development) $10,000* To conduct informal civic education workshops for leaders of neighborhood associations in poor neighborhoods in and around Caracas. The organization will hold a total of thirty workshops on democratic values and conflict resolution to train presidents of neighborhood associations in seven major districts. At the end of the workshops, participants will develop a plan to promote development and democratic dialogue within their communities. Asociación Civil Consorcio Justicia (Justice Consortium) $54,000 To implement a program to monitor the status of the judicial system and its operation and to work with the congress to improve legislation and laws. The group will also work with municipal officials and community leaders in the poor neighborhood of Libertador in Caracas to train local communities in peaceful conflict-resolution and to establish local mediation committees in sixty neighborhoods. Asociación Civil Consorcio Justicia – Occidente $14,412* To work in the state of Táchira to train communities in conflict resolution and mediation techniques and to promote the election of local justices of the peace. Asociación Civil Justicia Alternativa (Alternative Justice) $14,107* To provide training on conflict resolution, human rights, the role of police and the local justice systems in conflict resolution in the state of Aragua. Asociación Civil Liderazgo y Visión (Leadership and Vision) $42,207* To conduct a democracy and human rights training program for officers of the Caracas metropolitan police force. The Association will conduct 25 training courses on dialogue and conflict resolution, police-community relations, and citizenship. The Association will also work with communities to serve as a facilitator between neighborhoods and local police. Center for Justice and International Law $83,000 To work on Venezuela-related human rights cases before the Inter-American Human Rights Commission and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The Center will conduct training sessions in Venezuela for human rights groups, journalists and civil society organizations on human rights, the Inter-American system and relevant rights and protections under the system. Centro al Servicio de la Acción Popular (Center for Popular Action Service) $65,000 To monitor social expenditures, the impact of poverty-alleviation programs, and social development and change in Venezuela. The Center will monitor government budgets and programs, gather data through surveys, and monitor social-development indicators to develop a national picture of the state of poverty and social programs in Venezuela. It will also publish a report based on its findings for national and international distribution. Fundación Justicia de Paz del Estado Monagas (Justice of the Peace Foundation in Monagas State) $11,698* To support mediation and conflict resolution at the local level. Fundación Justicia will train local government and judicial officials in mediation and conflict resolution and establish state-wide network of mediators in Monagas. Fundación Momento de la Gente (The People’s Moment Foundation) $64,000* To organize Venezuelan civic groups to collaborate with the National Assembly in developing legislative initiatives and debate around three separate bills on municipal government, electoral procedures, and citizen participation. The Foundation will provide technical advice to assembly members, organize public seminars for the discussion of the bills, and design and propose ways of increasing public awareness of and debate on the proposed legislation. Instituto de Prensa y Sociedad – Venezuela (Press and Society Institute – Venezuela) $44,500* To construct a network of alerts in Venezuela to report attacks and threats against journalists. The Institute will support correspondents in the provinces by monitoring press conditions and investigating cases of attacks or threats, and will offer a series of professional training sessions for journalists. It will also participate in regional press-advocacy meetings and work with international and regional organizations dedicated to freedom of expression. International Republican Institute $116,000* To conduct party training in the states of Zulia, Anzoategui, and Carabobo, with particular emphasis on external communications, grassroots strengthening of parties, and inclusion of marginalized sectors in parties. International Republican Institute $299,999 To help Venezuela’s political parties establish a stronger role in the country and regain the trust of the electorate through a combination of polling and political party training in critical areas of party reform. IRI will support the parties in platform development, effective two-way internal communication structures, and processes for transparent and democratic selection of party leaders. National Democratic Institute for International Affairs $116,000* To work with municipal leaders and governments to rebuild citizen confidence and participation in the political system and the parties through anticorruption initiatives. NDI will also work to help renew traditional political parties and assist with the building of new political parties. Súmate $53,400 To create a network with other organizations in the region that work on elections, produce election-related, voter mobilization materials, and consolidate its national network of volunteers. Súmate will establish a coordinator in each state and train people from local organizations on how to monitor the collection of signatures. Latin America Regional American Center for International Labor Solidarity $40,000 REPROGRAMMED 2001 FUNDS To promote labor rights in the Inter-American human rights system. ACILS will work with a coalition of U.S. and Central American trade unions and NGOs to plan and carry out a thematic hearing on violations of freedom of association and collective bargaining before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in March 2004 in Washington, DC. Center for International Private Enterprise $171,116 To promote institutional reforms in the region, CIPE will host a workshop that will bring together key counterparts from throughout the region. The results of the workshop will shape CIPE’s Latin American reform priorities for the coming years and will set the stage for the development of a series of concrete projects designed to promote specific institutional reforms in particular countries. Center for International Private Enterprise $149,380 To assist the Political Science Institute to publish four new issues of Perspectiva, a magazine that supports democratic, market-oriented reform in the region and offers guidance on how those reforms can be broadened and deepened. National Democratic Institute for International Affairs $60,000 To assist civic groups develop new strategies for strengthening democratic institutions and engaging citizens in the political process through organizational training exchanges and the Civic Network website. National Democratic Institute for International Affairs $40,000 To maintain and expand the distribution of democratic ideals through the Political Party Network website. NDI will increase materials on party reform on the website; maintain and deepen the network of party leaders, directors of political party programs, and emerging leaders affiliated with the network through a monthly electronic newsletter and online forum; continue to develop materials on party reform issues including outreach to underrepresented sectors, internal democracy and party ethics; and sponsor the travel of experts to work with political parties seeking technical assistance on key party reform issues. National Democratic Institute for International Affairs $277,755 To strengthen the capabilities of emerging political leaders to promote modern, transparent, and responsive parties. NDI will continue its Political Leadership Program, inviting and working with new participants from the parties with which the Institute is currently working in Peru, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico. Seguridad Estratégica Regional (SER) en 2000 (Regional Strategic Security in 2000) $102,000 To maintain its regional network of NGOs, academics, and state institutions in Latin America working in the field of civil-military relations, defense, and security. Working with local groups, SER will conduct a three-country research project in Nicaragua, Argentina, and Ecuador on defense and security expenditures and budget transparency and develop a network of Congressional Defense Committees in the region to train and provide technical assistance to Defense Committee staff and legislators. *Indicates funding source other than annual Congressional appropriation |
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