Belarus 2021

Universal Rights

Supporting Families of Political Prisoners

$100,000

To support victims of political repressions. The organization will provide monthly humanitarian assistance to the families of political prisoners who have lost their income and need assistance with basic living expenses. The foundation will work with local partners to vet the cases and will coordinate efforts with other groups providing aid.

 

Universal Rights

Broadening Understanding of National Security Issues

$18,000

To increase access to quality information and analysis on national and regional issues. The organization will produce, translate, and make available analytical materials. In addition, the team will increase its monitoring and analysis of the political environment in the regions. The organization will engage with media outlets and experts, hold roundtables, and organize a conference.

 

Democratic Governance

Belarus in Transition to a New Economy

$342,852

To raise the voice of the country’s private sector in articulating a new vision for the economy while expanding the scope of private sector support for market reforms. The Organization will support the private sector and civil society to clearly articulate a vision for a new economy through analysis on economic reforms, dialogue on reform priorities for a new government, and sharing of case-based recommendations using 30 years of reform lessons in Eastern Europe.

 

Citizen Participation and Inclusion

Strengthening Civil Society in the Eastern Regions

$59,000

To increase the capacity of civil society. The organization will conduct a survey to identify the pressing issues and concerns for the local population. The group will publish the survey results and organize discussions on the key findings. It will also hold trainings for activists and assist with the implementation of local projects.

 

Democratic Norms, Ideas and Values

Strengthening International Support to Belarus

$53,800

To strengthen international engagement with the country’s political crisis. The organization will provide immediate response to the political stalemate by engaging the international policy community in regular discussions to build policymakers’ knowledge, maintain international pressure, and facilitate informed and timely recommendations regarding human rights and meaningful participation in democratic processes. It will also increase local civil society’s capacity for effective involvement in policy discussions with international partners through briefings, analysis, and network development.

 

Citizen Participation and Inclusion

Fostering Citizen Participation and Democratic Reforms

$250,000

To foster citizen participation and democratic reforms. The organization will strengthen civic activism through advocating and campaigning in support of democratic reforms; working with volunteers; consulting civic initiatives; and doing public outreach. The organization will promote its activities online, spearhead discussions on key reforms; and promote its activities online and offline.

 

Citizen Participation and Inclusion

Fostering Independent Culture and Activism

$50,250

To strengthen civic activism and national identity. The association will organize events on social and cultural topics. To stimulate local civic engagement, it will conduct workshops for new community activists. The group will also develop its website, which serves as a source of objective information, independent cultural content, and democratic ideas.

 

Universal Rights

Bolstering Support for Civil Society – CONTINGENCY

$70,000

To bolster support to civil activists facing persecution. The organization will help to relocate activists, as well as prepare and implement personalized plans to assist them in remaining engaged in the professional and activist communities.

 

Democratic Governance

Promoting Citizen Engagement

$16,300

To foster civic participation and government accountability. The initiative will conduct civic campaigns, roundtables, and presentations to engage citizens in public governance around historical, architectural, and cultural topics.

 

Universal Rights

Building Resilience in Civil Society to Foster Democratic Change

$383,000

To provide emergency support to democrats-at-risk. The organization will assist civil society by providing emergency aid to persecuted activists; helping relocated activists to extend their legal stay in the host country; and offering professional development opportunities. The organization will also provide activists with training and psychological support.

 

Universal Rights

Fostering Freedom of Expression

$46,000

To foster freedom of expression and access to independent information. The organization will produce media materials and publications on prominent figures and key political developments in the country. It will hold online events to promote its work. The organization will also disseminate its materials on social media, through independent media, and via its networks of volunteers.

 

Citizen Participation and Inclusion

Supporting Civil Society to Hold the Government Accountable

$44,000

To strengthen civic engagement in fostering government accountability. The organization will maintain, develop, and promote its portal that focuses on pressing civic issues. It will publicize and develop its website, as well as hold online trainings and discussions on citizen participation issues.

 

Universal Rights

Supporting Citizen Engagement in Exile

$50,000

To support civic activists and journalists in exile. The initiative will provide beneficiaries with a space to work, collaborate, and receive legal, psychological, and other support services such as translation to help participants adapt to life and work in exile and continue their work. It will also organize networking events to build and sustain connections between program participants.

 

Supporting Independent Media

$87500

Public Summary: To promote freedom of expression and the sustainability of independent media. The media outlet will partner with a likeminded publication to pursue an innovative viability and audience-growth strategy. While publishing as separate entities, the independent outlets will share administrative costs and engage in exclusive content sharing. The program will develop a model for greater sustainability and cooperative development for independent media.

 

Universal Rights

Supporting Democrats at Risk

$137,000

To build the capacity of humanitarian efforts. The initiative will run a humanitarian support campaign for victims of political repressions. The organization will also stand ready to cover emergency assistance for activists who fall victim of harassment, obstruction, and other retaliatory actions on the job.

 

Universal Rights

Supporting Independent Media in Crisis – CONTINGENCY

$50,000

To support independent media. The organization will provide direct emergency support to local media outlets that have suffered revenue losses because of politically motivated pressure. It will create new avenues for impacted outlets to generate income.

 

Universal Rights

Supporting Local Media and Civic Initiatives

$56,700

To support the development of local civil society and independent media. The grassroots civic initiative will partner with multiple resource centers to inform citizens and foster civic initiatives in the country. It will produce and disseminate informational materials and maintain local websites.

 

Universal Rights

Strengthening Access to Independent Information

$65,000

To provide access to independent political news and information. The organization will report political news and information to the public. It will inform audiences of major issues and developments. To broaden its audience and counter propaganda narratives, the outlet will continue to develop its content and social media presence.

 

Universal Rights

Supporting Independent Grassroots Media in Exile

$204,000

To support independent grassroots media. The organization will employ multiple information platforms and allow them to serve their audiences. The platforms will collaborate and share content to maximize impact. The organization will streamline, fact-check, properly source, and edit all content to ensure its quality.

 

Universal Rights

Supporting the Viability of Independent Media in Crisis

$299,000

To support the viability of independent media. The organization will provide emergency assistance and core support to independent media outlets whose work is jeopardized. The program will also provide emergency humanitarian assistance for those in immediate danger and address their humanitarian needs.

 

Universal Rights

Expanding Access to Independent Information

$82,000

To increase access to independent information and a plurality of sources. The organization will expand its collection of publications. The team will upgrade its website, increase its multimedia content and news output, and continue to grow its presence on social media.

 

Universal Rights

Supporting Belarusian Journalists – CONTINGENCY

$94,000

To augment support to a media community under pressure. The organization will launch a residency program for journalists facing persecution. It will provide them with temporary shelter, and with psychological and skills-building support to help them resist politically motivated pressure. The organization will use its annual conference to spotlight the challenges facing journalists by bringing in local speakers and participants.

 

Universal Rights

Supporting Independent Local Media

$66,500

To support local independent media. The organization will maintain and develop its news website that provides timely reporting on key political, social, and economic developments in an underserved region. To expand the outlet’s content and increase its audience, the organization will scale up its reporting and scope of coverage, invest in more staff, and increase its social media presence.

 

Universal Rights

Providing Objective Economic Information

$47,000

To increase access to independent information. The project will support a website that increases citizens’ understanding of the country’s economic situation and developments. It will produce and disseminate weekly news and analysis that provides objective information on key economic issues affecting the government, business, and the general public. The project will also produce targeted content to increase its audience and develop long-term sustainability strategies.

 

Citizen Participation and Inclusion

Strengthening the Capacity of Local Civic Initiatives

$69,000

To strengthen the capacity of new civic actors to engage local authorities in solving community problems. The organization will engage citizens both online and offline to form and design civic initiatives aimed at working with local authorities. It will also provide trainings, consultations, and financial support to promising local initiatives.

 

Universal Rights

Supporting a Free and Independent Press

$54,000

To foster the development of independent media. The media outlet will continue to produce its independent publication that feature updates about key social, political, civic, and economic issues. It will expand freedom of information and raise greater awareness about independent civic initiatives throughout the country.

 

Citizen Participation and Inclusion

Fostering Citizen Participation and Cultivating New Leaders

$140,000

To promote citizen participation and develop the skills of local leaders. Through a series of online and offline trainings, the organization will develop the capacity of local civil society. The group will hold educational events online and offline, organize opportunities for activists to network and exchange ideas, and hold a capstone conference on democracy building.

 

Democratic Governance

Fostering Free and Fair Elections

$50,000

To foster free, fair, and transparent elections. Ahead of future elections, the nonpartisan coalition will carry out a comprehensive informational campaign to educate citizens about electoral rights and independent election monitoring. During the election campaigns, it will educate activists around voting rights, and train and deploy observers to monitor violations. The program will disseminate its monitoring findings through a variety of media.

 

Citizen Participation and Inclusion

Supporting Local Civil Society

$51,000

To strengthen civil society at the local and regional levels. The organization will support and coordinate civil society initiatives. It will assist regional civic initiatives, convene meetings that bring citizens together with civil society leaders, and hold trainings for new civic activists. The organization will also award small grants to local and regional civil society initiatives.

 

Citizen Participation and Inclusion

Supporting the Activism and Growth of Independent Trade Unions

$500,000

To support independent trade unions with the immediate challenges of defending union leaders and activists against violence, punishment, and arrest while also responding to the demand of thousands of workers clamoring for action and membership in independent unions, the organization will help the country’s independent and democratic trade unions defend worker rights and lay the organizational foundation for sustained worker demands for free and fair elections and a responsive democracy.

 

Universal Rights

Creating Belarusian Newsroom in Exile

$46,500

To foster freedom of information and freedom of expression by producing independent news content. The organization will launch a newsroom, employing journalists forced into exile by the authoritarian regime. The newsroom will create opportunities for persecuted journalists to stay in the profession and report on important events concerning their homeland. To amplify its impact, the organization will connect the newsroom with its network of regional and international media partners. The newsroom will produce daily independent news and periodic investigations on current events.

 

Universal Rights

Supporting Independent Video Bloggers – CONTINGENCY

$68,000

To strengthen the voices and develop the skills of independent video bloggers. Working with local partners, the group will select and train participants. The program participants will produce videos relevant to their country’s current events.