Nicaragua

Comisión Permanente de Derechos Humanos de Nicaragua

(Permanent Human Rights Commission of Nicaragua) (CPDH)

$50,041
To promote citizen oversight of access to the judicial system and public debate on local and national judicial reform. CPDH will continue to work with its network of volunteers in five departments – Chontales, Granada, Jinotega, Managua, and Matagalpa – to monitor and improve citizen access to justice. CPDH will also work to educate the media, members of the judicial branch, and citizens about the weaknesses in and possible reforms to the judicial system.

Fundacion Grupo Cívico Ética y Transparencia (Ethics and Transparency)(EyT)

$72,110
To encourage citizen participation in the electoral process at the municipal level. EyT will work with its volunteer network to host televised multiparty-candidate forums from each of the 17 departmental capitals in advance of the upcoming municipal elections. Additionally, EyT will gather information on the public perception of municipal officials to provide citizens and newly elected officials with an understanding of the expectations and demands of the electorate.

Grupo Fundemos (Foundation Group)

$46,928
To strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations in Nicaragua to work together to develop strategies and campaigns to promote and defend democracy. Fundemos will coordinate a broad coalition of civil society organizations to develop a consensus platform on democracy. Fundemos will host meetings in all fourteen departments to develop a draft platform, followed by a national meeting of civil society leaders in Managua to finalize and publicize the document.

Asociación Hagamos Democracia (We Make Democracy) (Hagamos)

$60,000
To promote transparency and citizen oversight and to encourage citizen participation in the electoral process at the municipal level. Hagamos will hold public forums with candidates running for municipal office in the November 2008 elections. Additionally, Hagamos will continue to provide citizens with the capacity to monitor government activities at the national and local level through its legislative monitoring newsletter.

Instituto de Estudios Estratégicos y Políticas Públicas (Institute for Strategic Studies and Public Policy) (IEEPP)

$73,120
To promote active and informed citizen participation in and monitoring of the formulation of security and international policy and to improve civilian oversight of the military and the police. IEEPP will continue to provide high quality research and technical assistance to civilians, in both government and the NGO community.

Instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Humanísticos (Nicaraguan Institute for Humanistic Studies)(INEH)

$71,886
To consolidate democratic governance at the local level through citizen participation. To encourage citizens and government officials to participate in open, comprehensive, and tolerant dialogue about community needs, INEH will provide training to community leaders, municipal authorities, and youth, promoting citizen participation and supporting the consolidation of Municipal Development Committees (MDCs) in six municipalities.

Fundacion Iberoamericana de la Cultura (FIBRAS, or Movimiento por Nicaragua, Movement for Nicaragua, MpN)

$84,083
To promote citizen participation in local government, especially in rural Nicaragua. MpN will work in its departmental offices in Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli, Granada, Leon, Masaya, and Matagalpa,to expand the leadership and organizational capacity of local leaders in rural areas, and to ensure that the goals and values of MpN reach a broader audience.

Red Nicaragüense por la Democracia y el Desarrollo Local

(Nicaraguan Network for Democracy and Local Development) (Red Local)

$51,972
To strengthen the capacity of the members of Red Local and to promote active and informed participation in local government. Red Local will hold regular member meetings, provide training seminars to members, and participate in a Central America regional conference. Red Local will also work with its members to facilitate citizen participation in local government and candidate forums for the municipal elections.

Civic Education

$40,000
To educate indigenous communities on their civil and political rights and responsibilities. This project will consist of a series of training seminars to educate a new generation of leaders and encourage citizen participation in local and national government and political processes.

$70,167
To promote citizen oversight of government policies and encourage active and dynamic civic participation in government, especially regarding the economic and political challenges facing Nicaragua. This project will work at the national level to implement a large-scale economic literacy and civic education campaign and will encourage participants to advocate for their interests before the local and national government.