International Republican Institute (IRI)
Promoting Increased Transparency and Government Accountability in South Kivu and Katanga
$500,000
To strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) in the provinces of South Kivu and Katanga to conduct citizen outreach and government advocacy campaigns, as well as equip provincial assembly (PA) members in both provinces with the knowledge and skills to better fulfill their legislative duties and increase government transparency and accountability, the Institute will provide technical support to members of grassroots CSOs and PA officials. The Institute will also provide funding to CSOs to conduct sensitization and community mobilization activities on key policy issues, as well as funding and support for PA officials to organize town hall meetings during which they will share information on PA activities and discuss legislative initiatives with citizens.
Observatoire de la Liberte de la Presse en Afrique
Building the capacities of independent media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
$70,640
To strengthen the capacity of independent media and promote freedom of the press in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The project will monitor and investigate cases of violence against the Congolese media and journalists. The organization will organize public awareness-raising campaigns, set up a toll-free number to denounce violations of freedom of the press, host press conferences, and conduct training workshops on the role of the media. Since 2004, the organization has been working to defend and promote freedom of the press through public awareness campaigns and capacity building initiatives.
Groupe Lotus
Ensuring transparency in provincial and local budgets and monitoring of human rights in Oriental Province
$55,000
To promote transparency in provincial and local budgets and monitor the human rights situation in the Orientale Province. The organization will conduct capacity building workshops, citizen forums, town halls, round tables, and advocacy missions with local elected officials, decision-makers, and CSO actors. The project will convene representatives of CSOs, churches, and authorities for public hearings on local budget and respect for human rights. The organization will produce radio programs and reports on local budgets and the situation of human rights. Founded in 1992, this human rights organization has years of experience working on both human rights and accountability issues in the DRC’s Orientale Province, including NED funded programs on both topics.
Congo Peace Network
Engaging Youth to Promote Political and Human Rights
$75,000
To engage youth in the democratic process and promote non-violent advocacy for improving human and political rights in the DRC. The organization will support their nine youth democracy clubs in Maniema and Tshopo provinces. The grantee will hold a series of workshops to build the capacity of youth to pressure the government to hold democratic elections and promote good governance. The organization will host a series of meetings with local government officials to advocate for good governance and respect for human rights. Finally, the grantee will open a branch in Kinshasa to expand advocacy efforts to the national level. This organization has effectively engaged with tens of thousands of youth in the eastern DRC and will now expand to operate and advocate at the national level.
Ligue des Electeurs
Promoting the support of local authorities by citizens’ watch groups through the decentralization process and monitoring of public policies
$50,350
To monitor the implementation of the decentralization policy at the local level, promote the participation of local communities in the development of public policies, and increase the accountability of decentralized local authorities towards their communities. The organization will update the government policy monitoring tools, set up citizen watch units in four new towns, conduct advocacy campaign activities, document incidental cases of human rights violations, monitor the activities of citizen watch units and evaluate their impact on government policies. The 30-year old organization is dedicated to promoting democracy through advocacy, and civic and electoral education.
Journalistes pour la Promotion de la Democratie et des Droits Humains
Promoting Independent Media
$52,000
To strengthen the capacity of journalists to report objectively on human rights and governance issues. The grantee will use three journalist training centers in Goma, Bukavu, and Uvira to train over 120 journalism students on covering governance and human rights issues in the DRC. They will hold a series of meetings and workshops to engage journalists and local officials on the importance of freedom of the press. Finally, the organization will continue publishing articles on the political situation and democratic principles on their website. The organization has quickly grown to become one of the largest media houses in the eastern DRC and publishes multiple news stories every day on important developments in this troubled region.
Centre de Formation et d’Action pour le Développement
Engaging Communities to Promote Government Accountability
$50,000
To engage marginalized groups in the decision-making process and promote government accountability. The organization will engage women, youth, and other marginalized groups in a workshop on active participation in local government. The grantee will host a series of meetings between local elected officials and citizens on improving citizen participation at the local government level. Finally, the organization will support these groups to actively participate in local planning meetings and the implementation of local development plans. This grantee is working to reestablish trust between citizens and local elected officials in some of the areas hardest hit by the ongoing conflicts.
Panzi Foundation USA
Promoting Women’s Rights in South Kivu
$55,000
To strengthen the capacity and knowledge of civil society actors on the importance of peacebuilding, gender equality, and women’s rights and to guarantee the rights of women to effectively participate and lead in conflict resolution efforts. The organization will first conduct a comprehensive mapping of CSOs focusing on women and conflict in the region. The grantee will organize and train these groups on conflict prevention and advocacy techniques. Finally, the group will launch an advocacy campaign with radio programs to educate citizens on the important role of women in conflict prevention. The grantee is one of the leading organizations responding to the conflict and now seeks to use that expertise to expand their operations to prevention measures as well
Commission Diocesaine Justice et Paix Matadi
Strengthening CSOs capacities to be institutionally and professionally more effective in their interventions
$44,745
To build the technical capacity of youth-led CSOs from Kongo Central Province to be more effective in advocating for youth and promoting their participation in local governance. The organization will host technical capacity building activities, organize exchange forums, and set up thematic groups for youth-led CSO actors. The organization will establish citizen’s watch groups, conduct advocacy activities, and hold town hall meetings with decision-makers and authorities. The project will create radio programs led by young members. Created in 2001, the organization works closely with the local populations, CSOs, and authorities to promote justice, peace, human rights, civic engagement and accountability through capacity building and public awareness-raising initiatives.
Federation Nationale des Associations des Personnes Vivant avec Handicap du Congo
Changing the Inclusion and Accountability Policies and Practices to Improve Social Services for People with Disabilities
$65955
To promote effective inclusion policies and practices that promote the rights and improve the socio-economic conditions of people with disabilities in the DRC. The organization will conduct targeted capacity building activities and community advocacy and mobilization activities. The project will establish a national strategy and advocacy plan for the promotion of the rights of people with disabilities and inclusion of their needs in public programs and policies. It will support a national law that protects the rights of people with disabilities. For 17 years, the organization has worked to defend civil rights, political rights, and strengthen the capacity of people with disabilities. The organization’s approach includes capacity building activities, advocacy efforts, and awareness raising campaigns.
Solidarité Sans Frontière
Preventing Human Rights Abuses and Protecting Civilians
$65000
To improve the capacity of local officials and security forces to protect the population of North Kivu. The grantee will engage the local population and security forces to promote collaboration on protecting civilians in rural areas. The group will coordinate local protection committees in the targeted areas to monitor activities of armed groups in North Kivu and report human rights abuses. Finally, the organization will regularly release reports on human rights violations and armed group activity. This organization produces some of the most comprehensive human rights reports coming from the eastern DRC and has a vast network of organizations that receive these detailed reports.
La Voix des Sans-Voix pour les droits de l’homme
Monitoring Socio-economic and Human Rights in the DRC
$160000
To advance the socio-economic and human rights of targeted populations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Through awareness and mobilization, lobbying and advocacy, conferences, forums, and publications, the project will empower citizens of 12 districts of Kinshasa and expand work to four new provinces of Equateur, Kasai Central, Kwango, and Kwilu to fight violations of human rights, and monitor and demand socio-economic rights from local authorities.
DR Congo Bridges to Justice
Strengthening the Rule of Law and Providing Legal Assistance
$145000
To promote respect for the rule of law in the DRC and to provide pro-bono legal assistance to detainees. The grantee will host a roundtable with justice sector officials to draft recommendations for improving due process rights. The organization will provide pro-bono legal assistance to at least 200 detainees, conduct rights awareness events at six prisons in South Kivu, and work to strengthen the organization’s Women Lawyers Network. The DRC-based branch of this international organization draws upon the expertise of a worldwide network of lawyers promoting human rights and respect for the rule of law.
Collectif pour le Developpement Economique, Social et Culturel Integre
Promoting Citizen Oversight of Public Action through E-Governance to Improve Public Governance
$55000
To increase citizen oversight and improve public governance as a vehicle to ensure transparency and accountability in local government in Kasai Oriental Province. The organization will promote the use of information and communications technology (ICT) for participatory governance by conducting capacity building activities, digital awareness campaigns, public consultation forums, public governance assessment meetings, parliamentary monitoring sessions, and lobbying for chosen civil society actors, local authorities, and community leaders.
Karibu Jeunesse Nouvelle Bukavu
Promoting the Role of Youth in Peace and Security in Eastern DRC
$43500
To promote the role of youth in peace and security efforts in the eastern DRC. The organization will conduct a baseline study of the role of youth in peace and security efforts in their communities and launch an advocacy campaign to encourage greater participation. The grantee will host a Peace Camp to engage 100 youth leaders on these topics and encourage actions in their communities to address peace consolidation. The organization will also host the sixth edition of the KJN Festival to engage thousands on peace and security issues.
Amis de Nelson Mandela pour la Defense des Droits de l’Homme
Promoting Human Rights and Strengthening Democracy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
$33250
To promote the respect of human rights and strengthen democracy in five provinces of the DRC. The organization will lead awareness-raising missions on the defense of democratic values and respect of human rights for local civil society actors, authorities, and populations of the targeted provinces. In addition, the organization will conduct a citizen dialogue, host a refresher workshop, document human rights violations, and carry out professional monitoring by collecting data on human rights violations.
Femmes Artisanes de la Paix
Promoting Good Governance and Citizen Participation in South Kivu
$50000
To engage citizens and local leaders in promoting citizen participation, good governance, and accountability in South Kivu. The grantee will host a series of workshops with key stakeholders to raise awareness and combat corruption in local government, public service delivery, and infrastructure projects. The organization will engage newly formed local governments to adopt rules and regulations to improve transparency in their institutions Finally, the grantee will organize events with social movements to raise awareness of the problem on International Anti-Corruption Day.
Centre de Recherche sur l’Environnement, la Democratie et les Droits de l’Homme
Promoting Citizen Participation and Accountability in Local Government
$53000
To promote responsible citizenship and a culture of government accountability in local communities in North Kivu The organization will host a series of workshops with CSOs and government officials on transparency in the local budgeting process The grantee will assist newly formed local governments with completing a needs assessment and promote citizen participation in the drafting and implementation of a community development plan. Finally, the groups will also support collaboration efforts between CSOs and the Provincial Assembly of North Kivu
Association d’Appui aux Initiatives de la Paix et le Developpement
Promoting Good Governance, Democracy, and Human Rights in North Kivu
$45000
To build the capacity of the farmer population to promote good governance, democracy, and human rights in North Kivu. The organization will assist a network of human rights monitors to document human rights violations in Rutshuru, Walikale, and Lubero The group will hold a series of workshops and town halls to engage local authorities with the local population to better protect human rights Finally, the grantee will produce regular reports on human rights violations to increase awareness of the situation.
Association Pour le Developpement Communautaire Mokili Mwinda
Promoting Good Local Governance Through Participatory Budgeting
$40000
To strengthen local government budgeting and accountability through citizens' participation in policymaking and participatory budgeting. The project will produce awareness-raising radio programming and organize neighborhood and communal forums, as well as workshops for local authorities, community leaders, and CSO members. It will develop communal participatory budget and advocacy plans for both local governments and participatory budget committees. The project will organize citizens' days of public action and use information technology to increase openness in public affairs and access to information.
Centre des Droits de l’Homme et du Droit Humanitaire
Supporting Local Governments to Better Manage Revenues for Community Development in the Haut Katanga Province
$42000
To raise awareness and improve the participatory governance capacity of local state and mining companies to manage mining revenues accountably and efficiently for community development projects in the Haut Katanga province. The project will provide training workshops on participatory governance and mining revenues management, host meetings for local participatory governance committees, conduct follow-up support missions, and publish legal and regulatory references on the social responsibility of mining companies. In addition, it will organize citizen plenary consultation and advocacy meetings. Since 1993, the organization has been promoting and defending human rights and freedoms through information, training, research, and promotion of good and efficient governance in the management of public affairs.
Ligue Congolaise pour la Paix, les Droits de l’Homme et les Elections
Promoting Democracy, Human Rights, and Good Governance
$55000
To promote democracy, human rights, access to justice, transparency, and good governance at the rural, local, and provincial levels. The organization will organize a series of round table discussions, free expression forums, town halls, awareness-raising conferences, provincial and national meetings for community leaders, CSO representatives, and local authorities on human rights, access to justice, corruption, and democratic governance. The project will publish investigation and monitoring reports and host fact-finding missions and programs on human rights and access to justice.
Fondation pour le Renforcement des Capacités des Populations
Engaging CSOs and Government Institutions to Promote Good Governance
$75000
To support cooperation between civil society and government institutions in the promotion of good governance The grantee will host a series of workshops to engage local elected officials and CSO representatives to increase cooperation between the two sectors The group will organize trainings for CSOs and engaged citizens on the participatory budgeting process and opportunities for engagement with the provincial assembly Finally, the organization will launch an awareness raising campaign to inform citizens about the upcoming 2023 election cycle.
Centre d’Appui a l’Education et au Developpement Communautaire
Promoting Accountability and Good Governance in the Provincial Assembly
$52000
To engage provincial assembly deputies in good governance best practices and to promote collaboration between deputies and Congolese civil society. The grantee will host trainings designed to promote collaboration between CSOs and provincial assembly deputies. The organization will train other CSOs to monitor actions taken by the assemblies and propose legislation to improve human rights in South Kivu Finally, the group will hold a mission to Kinshasa to engage provincial assembly members with the national assembly to increase collaboration.
Initiative pour le Developpement Local
Empowering Civil Society Organizations to Influence Local and Provincial Governance
$50000
To strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) to influence local public governance in the Kongo Central Province. The organization will conduct awareness-raising activities and CSO meetings on budget development and monitoring. In addition, the organization will lead discussion sessions, technical training workshops, budget evaluation trainings, and advocacy efforts for CSO representatives, union leaders, and city and municipality authorities. Finally, the project will provide coaching on local development plans and institutional mechanisms for citizen participation and establish provincial dialogue platforms.
Initiative Congolaise pour la Justice et la Paix
Supporting Citizen Movements’ Advocacy for Free and Fair Elections
$58000
To support citizen movements’ advocacy actions to promote free and fair elections in 2023. The grantee will host a series of meetings between elected officials and citizen movement leaders to discuss needed reforms and prepare for the electoral cycle. The organization will host a capacity-building workshop for the leaders of citizen movements and provide support to continue advocacy related to the elections. Finally, the organization will produce regular human rights reports and broadcast radio programs on the elections.
Conférence Episcopale Nationale du Congo
Enhancing Youth Civic Participation in Electoral and Democratic Processes in the DRC
$115000
To improve the participation of young Congolese in the 2023 electoral process and promote their post-electoral civic engagement. The organization will organize a virtual training workshop, large-scale awareness-raising activities, and campaigns for young people, community leaders, journalists, and civil society actors. In addition, the organization will conduct short public interviews and offer radio and television programs on topical issues relevant to youth electoral and civic engagement.
