Sri Lanka 2021

Sri Lanka 

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)

Supporting Grassroots Youth Leadership and Political Engagement

$325,000

Public Summary: To support Sri Lankan civil society efforts focusing on preserving the democratic space through youth leadership and political engagement. The Institute aims to cultivate youth agency by developing their political engagement skills; provide opportunities for youth to implement those skills through community engagement and advocacy activities; and prepare  them to engage with power holders. 

Sri Lanka 

Centre for Justice and Change

Leadership Development for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
$30000
Public Summary: To support the development of community leaders and advocate for the promotion and protection of human rights in eastern Sri Lanka. The organization will undertake a multi-faceted training program in Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts aimed at strengthening the capacity of village leaders, including its staff, youth, and women, to raise awareness about the needs of their communities and advocate on their behalf. It will also facilitate the engagement of its network members, many of whom are victims of human rights abuses, in the transitional justice process. 

Sri Lanka 

The International Working Group on Sri Lanka Ltd.

Seeking Human Rights Protections, Justice, Reform, and Reconciliation
$14460
Public Summary: To support human rights, justice, reform, and reconciliation. The organization will coordinate a series of capacity building, strategy, and advocacy activities in conjunction with Sri Lankan civil society activists to mobilize domestic and international support for the protection and promotion of democratic values and systems. 

Sri Lanka 

 Freedom of Expression

Promoting Freedom of Expression and Access to Independent Journalism
$100000
Public Summary:  To generate content and spur debate around democratic governance, human rights, and other critical political issues in Sri Lanka. The organization will maintain an independent media network that researches and publishes articles, interviews, feature pieces, and videos that highlight contemporary political issues for distribution in the country. The organization will provide informative content for a variety of news outlets.

Sri Lanka 

Centre for Human Rights and Development

Redressing Victim Communities through Legal Assistance & Advocacy
$70000
Public Summary: To raise awareness about and seek redress for victims of human rights violations. The organization will provide legal aid in cases of human rights violations, including rape, torture, and detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), provisions of which are contrary to international human rights standards. In addition, the organization will conduct advocacy and public awareness campaigns supporting a more transparent judicial system and calling for the repeal of the PTA and other policies that infringe on civil liberties and human rights.  

Sri Lanka 

Janawaboda Kendraya

Civic Engagement for Sustained Collective Action
$41500
Public Summary: To build knowledge and create opportunities for citizens to become more engaged in the political process at the local level. The organization will strengthen and sustain the work of its volunteer structures in ten districts through programming that incorporates leadership development and community training on democracy, good governance, citizens’ rights and religious tolerance, moderated discussions, and street theater in an effort to encourage engagement between citizens and government officials on the political life of their communities. 

Sri Lanka 

Law and Society Trust

Improving Legal Literacy on Land Rights
$50000
Public Summary: To facilitate coordination between civil society and government authorities for the implementation and reform of existing laws and ordinances on land rights. The organization will manage a nation-wide network of organizations focused on land rights, convene government officials and citizens on land laws and policies, document land disputes, and advocate for new, equitable laws.

Sri Lanka 

Centre for Environmental Justice (Guarantee) Limited

Citizen Participation in Monitoring Economic Development
$36000
Public Summary: To promote good governance, adherence to regulations for transparency and accountability, and the rule of law in the development sector and strengthen legal protection for communities adversely affected by severe environmental degradation as a result of development. The center will raise awareness about decision-making in the development sector and equip civil society and relevant government actors with the appropriate tools to engage in the development process.

Sri Lanka 

Accountability 

Tracking Transnational Economic Crimes
$106556
Public Summary: To document and raise awareness about corruption and economic crimes, including identifying individuals and institutions involved from Sri Lanka as well as those that abet them from abroad, and the damaging consequences for rule of law and democratic values. The organization will focus on the transnational character of these crimes and research which countries are implicated and being used as money laundering hubs.

Sri Lanka 

Aham Humanitarian Resource Center

Developing a Forum for Democratic Actors in the Eastern Province
$30000
Public Summary: To foster relationships between elected local government members, local journalists, and CSOs to advance transparency and accountability in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. The project seeks to establish a forum in which these three groups regularly interact and share information among each other to build trust and recognize their roles in a democratic society. Activities will include regular forum meetings and capacity building trainings to build relationships between and skills for these groups

Sri Lanka 

Viluthu

Strengthening Civil Society Networks for Active Political Participation
$60000
Public Summary: To raise awareness of political and social rights, provide a venue for reflection and discussion, and empower participants to take action on issues of concern. The organization will conduct a series of community discussions and learning workshops aimed at engaging youth, including university students, and women’s network leaders on democracy, good governance, and transitional justice issues.    

Sri Lanka 

Human Rights Advocacy

Gathering and Archiving Women’s Experiences
$60000
Public Summary: To gather and archive the experiences and social issues of women during the war and post-war periods. The organization will systematically gather data and stories about women’s experiences in the north and east, catalog and analyze the information, and distribute it to interested entities. It will provide feedback to individuals and bodies that solicit ideas on the development of an environment friendly to rights and sustainable peace.

Sri Lanka 

Verite Research Pvt. Ltd.

Parliamentary Tracking Tool for Accountability and Good Governance
$75000
Public Summary: To promote accountability and good governance through the application of a web-based parliamentary tracking tool. The organization will operate an online platform that documents the biographical information and political activities of members of parliament and conduct outreach to promote its usage by the media and civil society. Using the data, it will contribute, through articles and other media, to the political debate around the development and implementation of governmental policies and legislation 

Sri Lanka 

Families of the Disappeared

Mobilize Families of the Disappeared in Support of Reconciliation and Justice
$18000
Public Summary: To mobilize families of the “disappeared” in support of reconciliation and transitional justice. The organization will raise awareness about the systematic nature of disappearances, impunity in past cases, and efforts by victims’ families to seek redress. It will highlight human rights violations experienced in the context of the ethnic conflict and leftist insurrections and commemorate the lives of disappeared citizens. It will also seek to build support for transitional justice mechanisms and broader democratic values and reform efforts.

Sri Lanka 

Uva Shakthi Foundation

Promoting Citizen Participation and Enhancing Capacity in Estate Tamil Communities
$29500
Public Summary: To promote citizen participation, inter-ethnic solidarity, and local government accountability in estate Tamil communities. The organization will conduct trainings on governance and democracy to raise awareness among Indian Origin Tamils working in the estate sector of their roles and responsibilities as citizens and encourage their full participation in Sri Lankan society.