Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Forum on Economic Freedom 2021
$410,882
Public Summary: To increase the international visibility and reach of resources and tools on democratic and economic reform efforts and to provide thought leadership on the center’s key themes. The center will provide a platform for such exchanges in order to support the flow of information to advance democratic and market-oriented reforms. Activities will include the publication of articles and reports as well as the organization of various public discussions on priority topics, including empowerment of women and youth and countering corrosive capital.
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Strengthening Democratic Institutions by Leveraging Anti-Corruption Forces
$1,170,012
Public Summary: To advance the understanding of transparency and accountability tools within civil society and the private sector, and to bolster the effectiveness of the center’s thought leadership on approaches to anti-corruption efforts. To strengthen democratic institutions in countries at risk of backsliding, the center will promote a multi-faceted approach to fighting corruption that engages the private sector, collaborates with international humanitarian aid organizations, and builds upon growing interest in the international investment community to prioritize environmental, social, and governance goals.
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Policy & Program Learning 2021
$993,157
Public Summary: To improve the capture and transfer of program lessons and policy innovations for application by the Center’s partners and other reformers; and to strengthen the global network of the Center’s partners, including the Free Enterprise and Democracy Network (FEDN). The Center will facilitate exchange of good practice across countries and conduct applied research on the relationship between the private sector and democratic development. By sharing international experience on themes of economic recovery, public-private dialogue, deliberative democracy, and inclusive entrepreneurship, the Center will enable its private sector network to make better policy choices and apply tested program practices. Through a FEDN retreat, small grants, and outreach events, the Center will tap the collective voice of more than 60 distinguished champions of freedom. The Policy & Program Learning initiative contributes to more impactful programming and thought leadership in support of strategic goals of fostering resilience and inclusivity.
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Advancing Democratic And Market Values In Digital Transformation
$1,383,398
Public Summary: To strengthen private sector capacity to integrate democratic principles in digital commerce and governance and promote local knowledge and private sector leadership on democratic digital transformation in response to authoritarian threats. The Center will pursue a comprehensive initiative on private sector-led engagement toward advancing democratic and market values in digital transformation. The work on this timely issue will span globally and include activities centered on strategic programmatic coordination across the Center with special focus on Asia and Europe, outreach to external audiences, technical and financial assistance to partners, and efforts to counter anti-democratic and authoritarian influence in the technology space. The first year of activities will strengthen private sector knowledge and leadership on democratic digital transformation while year two will emphasize multi-stakeholder dialogue and consensus building on digital governance.
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Center For Women’s Economic Empowerment: Promoting Women Leaders Globally In Economic Recovery
$1,160,645
Public Summary: To support women leaders globally to connect and engage in economic recovery and amplify women’s economic empowerment as a catalyst for local change. COVID-19 caused more women than men to leave the formal economy due to business closures and increased care responsibilities, threatening wider engagement in their communities. Containment at home from forced lockdowns also contributed to increased reports of gender-based violence and sexual harassment (GBVH) against women. In response to these exacerbated inequities the Center and its partners will connect women leaders across regions through networking and collective action to advocate for democratic reforms. Building off last year, themes will focus on women’s leadership, technology transformation and private sector response to GBVH. The Center will facilitate thematic and regional conferences and subgrants, support six country offices to expand women’s economic empowerment efforts, and serve as an internal resource to integrate gender considerations through training.
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Evaluation 2021
$275,000
Public Summary: The Center will strengthen results-based democracy support in ways that enhance program learning, build local partner capacity, and contribute to expanding the much-needed evidence base for private sector-led approaches to democracy and good governance programming. In this second phase of a multiphase program, the Center will build internal and local capacity to assess program performance through training on monitoring and evaluation knowledge and skills. The Center will conduct a rigorous program evaluation on a program area central to the Center’s efforts to build democratic institutions around the globe, and share the results and lessons learned with the democracy and governance community. The Center will also improve the tools to measure the effectiveness of democracy support programs and encourage discussion among the democracy and governance community of best practices and challenges of measuring democracy support programs.
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Anti-Corruption Mobilization Phase IV
$807,995
Public Summary: To bolster the effectiveness of anti-corruption interventions in transitioning countries. In this fourth phase, the Center will provide rapid support to stakeholders both through direct intervention and by strengthening a DC-based anti-corruption hub. The Center will pilot new, innovative approaches to combatting corruption in multiple windows of opportunity in order to make critical progress on anti-corruption reforms and develop lessons about combating corruption during windows of opportunity.
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Strengthening Democratic And Economic Resilience
$552,176
Public Summary: To strengthen the capacity of local private sector organizations to foster democratic and economic resilience in times of crisis. The Center will capture and share best practices on adapting during times of crisis, contributing to rebuilding democratic governance, and restarting economies. The Center will also pilot a new training curriculum to support local private sector organizations across different regions in playing a key role in crisis response and recovery, and support partners in implementing projects that foster resilience in their communities. Finally, the Center and its partners will develop strategic partnerships and actively participate in global conversations where norms and standards around building resilient societies are shaped.
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Empowering The Private Sector To Combat Disinformation
$536,942
Public Summary: To enhance strategic engagement of local private sector stakeholders in efforts that combat disinformation and to facilitate cross-regional learning and thought leadership on the private sector’s role in combatting disinformation. The Center will support partners in Europe, Eurasia, and Africa to play a key role in limiting the destabilizing effects of disinformation and promoting investment in quality media. The Center will also foster networks committed to ethical advertising and independent media by working with local coalitions to raise awareness about the economic and political risks of disinformation. Finally, the Center will connect with democratic and economic reformers focused on combatting disinformation to capture lessons learned and share best practices. In this exploratory phase, the Center will also assess the project’s potential to serve as a foundation for a multi-phase initiative.
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Consolidating Democratic Norms: Shifting The Corrosive And Constructive Capital Balance
$851,701
Public Summary: To strengthen democratic market norms by supporting local efforts to address corrosive capital inflows in Argentina, Chile, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. The Center and its local partners will analyze the impact of corrosive capital on democratic and market institutions, raise awareness of the governance gaps utilized by capital inflows from authoritarian states, and develop recommendations and tools for partners to advocate for the closure of these gaps, contributing to the establishment of investment systems that are subject to democratic practices and norms. Through this work, the Center will build country-level networks of actors committed to supporting processes that create transparency and accountability. Additionally, the Center will foster democratic unity among civil society and business community partners in Central Asia and South America through cross-regional collaboration to advance global democratic norms that pave the way for inclusive economic growth and constructive capital.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Building Resiliency for Interconnected Democracies In Global Environments (BRIDGE) IV
$1,150,000
Public Summary: To build democratic resiliency against malign authoritarian influence, the Institute will conduct research that identifies authoritarians’ evolving influence toolkit and the impact on democracies through country case studies and thematic reports. The Institute will also provide tailored trainings to further expand the number of stakeholders that understand the increasingly nuanced and sector-specific approach to undermining democracy and equip them with the tools and resources to prevent and mitigate that effect. This iteration of BRIDGE will emphasize and support sustainable policy response to bolster democracies against authoritarian influence by creating a democratic resilience guide, incorporating lessons-learned from previous IRI research and project implementation, as well as global best-practices from IRI’s diverse network of partners in this field. Lastly, to support the creation and implementation of political solutions, the Institute will mobilize elected-officials to share best-practices and collaboratively design interventions for their respective country contexts.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Promoting Peaceful Democratic Openings
$750,000
Public Summary: To support locally-driven approaches that help prevent the emergence of conflict, the Institute will equip local democratic stakeholders with the tools and resources to diagnose, forecast, and mitigate flashpoints for conflict during a political transition. The Institute will deploy contextualized and strategic interventions by developing strategic foresight tools, widely disseminating information on early indicators of violence, and piloting civic projects that respond to emerging conflict flashpoints during a transitional period in each country’s democratic trajectory.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Women’s Democracy Network
$800,000
Public Summary: To provide its global network of women with a platform to gain skills, leverage opportunities and collaborate to build more inclusive democracies and advance women’s leadership in decision-making processes worldwide, the Institute and its partners will conduct trainings for women and men participants on how to eliminate barriers that limit women’s political participation (i.e., gender-based violence and economic disempowerment) and support global members to form a broad coalition for gender responsive policies by engaging male allies. Further, programming will actively support women to participate in the political process and include campaign management and leadership trainings. The Institute will also provide support to build the organizational capacity of its regional networks, local partner organizations and country chapters to become sustainable resources for women’s empowerment in their communities.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Generation Democracy
$450,000
Public Summary: To equip young political and civic leaders with skills, resources and opportunities to advance youth participation and leadership in democratic decision-making processes, the Institute will continue to support and strengthen the Generation Democracy network. The Institute will support the network’s youth-led Global Member Advisory Board (GMAB) by assembling the second Board cohort in Washington D.C. to engage in learning and networking opportunities and providing GMAB members with regional and global funding to address network priorities. The Institute will offer space for young leaders in the Network to connect with peers at virtual training sessions, as well as at a hybrid in-person and virtual Global Summit. The Institute will also provide selected members with opportunities to receive small grants; represent the Network at events; correspond with peers, government stakeholders and development practitioners; and join working groups to outline the future of the Network.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Transnational Responses Against Corruption and Kleptocracy (TRACK) II
$750,000
Public Summary: To equip anti-kleptocracy activists in South Asia and Latin America with a common understanding of kleptocracy and to provide a platform for knowledge-sharing and cooperation, the Institute will create two regional, informal anti-kleptocracy support groups. In each region, the Institute will host workshops based on the IRI developed Kleptocrat’s Playbook, where activists will learn about regional and international kleptocratic trends, improve their ability to identify and counter high-level corruption and be invited to join the IRI-supported anti-kleptocracy communities in their region. To ensure sustainability and sensitivity to local context, the Institute will issue subawards to civil society partners in each member-country to serve as national-level facilitators within the regional support groups. The Institute will then host members of both regional groups at an International Anti-Kleptocracy Forum and connect them with officials from corruption destination countries to explore possibilities for future collaboration.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
The Empowered Elections Project
$300,000
Public Summary: To advance inclusivity and accessibility within electoral processes for youth and young persons with disabilities (PWD), the Institute will elevate the role of youth and young PWD within democratic election observations and among election observation decision-makers. The Institute will support a network of like-minded peers to empower young and PWD communities to participate as voters, election observers and election administrators by providing 20 youth election practitioners from transitional democracies with the necessary skills and network to conduct analysis on election practices through an inclusion-sensitive lens. The Institute will also provide the cohort with mentorship and networking opportunities to highlight their knowledge and experience to decision-makers in regional and global election integrity communities of practice. The Institute will provide members of the cohort the opportunity to apply their skills and deepen their understanding of election observation and analysis through education tours to select countries in Asia, Africa, and Eurasia.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Democracy 2030 in Action
$700,000
Public Summary: To realize a positive 21st century vision for democracy and the use of technology that can respond to digital authoritarianism, the Institute will identify and support innovative public servants and civil society organizations open to using technology to advance democratic principles, good governance, and the public interest. Activities will include subawards, mentorship, distilling best practices, and a support network for like-minded individuals interested in learning from and inspiring one another.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Confronting the Authoritarian Nexus: Bolstering Democratic Resilience to Compounding Malign Influence
$1,400,000
Public Summary: To address an increasingly salient challenge to democratic societies, the Institute will build democratic resilience against the compounding impact of multiple authoritarian actors in individual country and regional contexts. The Institute will network a diverse body of researchers to overcome silos in research and approaches on countering authoritarian influence; conduct research and tailored trainings to expand the number of stakeholders that understand and investigate the net effect of multiple malign actors on democratic societies; and equip beneficiaries with tools and resources to counter them, including self-sustaining skills such as digital forensics and media monitoring capabilities.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Improving Citizen Engagement Through The Process Of Participatory Budgeting
$400,000
Public Summary: To improve municipal officials’ awareness and use of available tools and practices for participatory budgeting (PB) and to increase citizen engagement in fiscal decision-making and local governance, the Institute will work with a partner organization to develop a Participatory Budgeting Roadmap; a comprehensive resource including a review of available participatory budgeting platforms, best practices and lessons learned from a variety of contexts. Subsequently, the Institute will assist local officials with the implementation of tailored PB practices in three countries with varying levels of experience with implementing PB processes. The Institute will also train civil society on participatory budgeting and citizen engagement and issue subawards to civil society to conduct large scale civic awareness campaigns and inform citizens about the benefits of PB and the new platform that is being piloted.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Fortifying Party Resilience in the Wake of Political Disruption
$700,000
Public Summary: To improve European and Latin American mainstream political parties’ capacities to bolster resilience in the face of political disruption and shifting electoral expectations, the Institute will facilitate a series of Transatlantic workshops, consultations, and summits among political parties focused on engaging disaffected voters and enhancing future electoral prospects. By building a nexus of learning and exchange, the Institute will empower mainstream political parties from Europe and Latin America to rethink policy platforms, assess gaps in voter outreach, and develop strategies aimed at adapting to emergent political landscapes.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Ending Online Violence and Gendered Disinformation Against Women in Politics
$150,000
Public Summary: To promote a safe and open internet for women in politics through the identification of and mobilization around strategic intervention points as an agenda for change. The Institute will map potential intervention points including platforms, policies, and monitoring and accountability actions; conduct in-country workshops in two to three countries to review and refine interventions with partner organizations; present the interventions at a global solutions summit and identify additional opportunities to disseminate the interventions. The global solutions summit will bring together government officials, political women, women’s rights organizations, business leaders and digital platforms to create global momentum for action to end online violence and gendered disinformation against women in politics.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Helping Local Partners Achieve Performance Improvements through Diversity and Inclusion
$150,000
Public Summary: To support civil society organization (CSO) partners’ capacity to identify areas for improvement and make progress towards inclusive organizational structures and practices in the advancement of inclusive democracy, the Institute will develop, pilot and disseminate an organizational assessment tool that will enable partners to assess and take actions to improve their overall organization’s inclusion resulting in improved performance. The assessment will provide CSOs a way to identify and address challenges to institutionalizing diversity and inclusion, while also understanding how more inclusive CSOs contribute to human rights and democratic progress in their countries. CSOs will learn how to utilize assessment results to develop specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound actions to address inclusion gaps related to leadership, human resources, partnerships and communications. The Institute will consult various stakeholders and support partner organizations to pilot the tool to ensure the final product is user-friendly and meets the organizational needs of partners.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Creating Shared Knowledge for ‘Radical Transparency’ and Open Parliamentary Development to Counter Illiberal Influences
$650,000
Public Summary: To promote the democratic norms and standards of government openness, integrity, and accountability, and proactively defend against foreign disinformation operations around the world, by further developing and sharing global legislative learning, tactics and knowledge. The Institute will facilitate training targeted parliamentary transparency strategies, including the development and implementation of open parliament action plans that respond directly to the democratic challenges posed by foreign disinformation campaigns. The Institute will equip civil society members in each country with the knowledge and skills needed to monitor government activities and hold elected officials accountable through a series of capacity-building activities. Building on its previous and ongoing efforts to advance democratic norms and counter illiberal influences, the Institute will organize international exchanges to foster collaboration, peer learning and knowledge-sharing among subnational, national, and international partners and stakeholders in the global parliamentary and open government communities.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Developing a Cadre of Expert Facilitators on the Men, Power And Politics (MPP) Approach
$200,000
Public Summary: To contribute to building more gender inclusive political organizations by engaging male political leaders as transformative agents of change to take action to address gender inequality in collaboration with women. The Institute will conduct a series of workshop academies on its Men, Power and Politics approach to develop an international cadre of facilitators and trainers who are committed to supporting and achieving gender-inclusive democracy building and are able to apply the Men, Power and Politics tools and approaches for effective program implementation. The Institute also will offer opportunities for international cadre participants to share and practice the skills and knowledge gained, and to connect with relevant global networks. The final goal will be an expanded roster of facilitators that will be able to undertake more effective and efficient implementation of masculinities activities in democracy and governance programming.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Civic Technology as an Accelerator for the Democracy Community
$100,000
Public Summary: To scale with new relationships and expertise and to strengthen the Code for All network, particularly in the area of disinformation, the Institute will facilitate closer coordination between the Code for All Disinformation Community of Practice and the Institute’s disinformation networks. Code for All assessed the needs and goals of their members and recrafted their strategy to solve their problems of limited funding and lack of civic tech subject matter expertise in the fast-moving disinformation space. Therefore, planned activities include community learning sessions, mentorship and support for the Disinformation Community of Practice, and coordinated engagements with technology companies. This will help create sustainability within the civic tech community and will help facilitate financial and programmatic collaboration between this community and the tech industry. The Institute will provide a subgrant to the Code for All network to develop this thematic area within civic technology and to forge new relationships.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
International Mentorship for OGP Local Open Government Action Plan Implementation
$100,000
Public Summary: To improve local government openness and transparency through global learning on open government mentorship processes, the Institute will support knowledge production, networking, and a pilot experience focused on local open government action plan implementation. The pilot mentorship will connect local government officials and staff and civil society representatives with international openness technical experts. This will occur through a set of activities that includes consultations among local government officials and CSOs in one target municipality, delivering technical workshops on specific topic areas regarding government openness and transparency. In parallel, the Institute will support global learning and action on open government mentorships by organizing a global dialogue on government openness, developing a report on the mentorship pilot to share lessons learned, and the formation of a global mentorship network. Through all of these activities, the Institute will connect a global set of local government and civil society peers with experience in the implementation of local government openness action plans.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Building Cyber Resilience Into Digital Organizing Processes
$100,000
Public Summary: To strengthen the capacity of local partners to integrate cybersecurity best practices and to identify and mitigate digital risks in online organizing approaches, the Institute will conduct a global survey to identify new tools and tactics utilized by partners to conduct digital organizing activities in the post-COVID-19 era. The Institute will utilize survey results to develop and adapt responsive cybersecurity guides and training resources to meet emerging risks related to these new organizing approaches. Guided by these new resources, NDI will equip partners to effectively and securely integrate these tools and techniques in their work through cybersecurity training and mentorship.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Strengthening Norms, Principles And Networks For Electoral Integrity
$225,000
Public Summary: To promote greater cooperation, coordination, and consensus building concerning norms and principles for electoral integrity, the Institute will facilitate dialogue and targeted engagements between and among citizen election monitors, international election observers, election management body leaders, and other key international actors. To build capacity, strengthen linkages, and enhance solidarity actions among organizations and networks of citizen election monitors, the Institute will foster online and, where feasible, in person experience sharing and will disseminate new resources and tools to enhance systematic election observation methodologies.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Strengthening the Capacity of Disabled Persons Organizations
$110,000
Public Summary: To improve the capacity of disabled persons organizations to engage political parties on substantive public-policy issues and disability inclusion priorities, the Institute will develop, pilot, and disseminate tools and guidance that will enable disabled persons organizations (DPOs) to create strategies and utilize different tactics for working with political parties. The tools and guidance will provide DPOs fundamental political knowledge and introduce practical skills, such as planning meetings with party leaders, communicating policy preferences, and monitoring party decisions and actions. DPOs would also learn advocacy approaches for encouraging parties themselves to be more inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities, and more representative and responsive when crafting public policies. The Institute will convene an advisory group of disabled persons organizations and disability and political party experts to ensure the final product meets the needs of disabled persons organizations and properly reflects the voices and experiences of the disability community.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Strengthening the Impact of Youth Political Participation Programming
$25,000
Public Summary: To improve the effectiveness of youth political participation programs, the Institute will develop monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) resources for NDI staff and democracy assistance practitioners to improve the design, implementation and impact of youth programming globally. The Institute will coordinate with NDI’s youth working group and MEL focal points to revise the tools and resources and integrate them into program design, implementation and evaluation processes. Through these activities, NDI will assist staff, local partners and other development organizations to deliver more effective programs involving young people.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Ensuring the Voice and Agency of Women through Polling
$230,000
Public Summary: To mitigate the exclusion and regression that women experience from the political sphere globally as a result of political, social and/or economic shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, this program will develop and test polling tools to hear directly from women and work with local women’s rights organizations to integrate responses into advocacy platforms for policy. This research will address gender gaps in data on recovery from shocks, and will enable more evidence-based policymaking by local, national, and international actors.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Establishing Timebanks to Overcome Time Poverty
$180,000
Public Summary: To increase women’s capacity to participate in politics and public life. The institute will develop, pilot, and evaluate an innovative community-based mechanism to enhance the political participation and empowerment of women and girls, enabling participants to accrue exchangeable time credits for their unpaid labor. Activities will also include a set of trainings to strengthen civic engagement, leadership, and advocacy skills.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Leveraging Openness to Combat Illiberal Influences
$110,000
Public Summary: To facilitate global learning and commitment regarding the use of transparency as an effective tool for combating foreign illiberal influences. The Institute proposes to create a set of open government policy recommendations to address the anti-democratic threats at the nexus of illiberal influence operations and corruption.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Local Government and Gender Assessment and Action Planning
$140,000
Public Summary: To strengthen the ability of local governments to develop policies and provide services that are responsive to women as well as men, the Institute proposes a project that will support the development of local action plans that are inclusive and transparent. To achieve this, the Institute will develop a gender assessment and action planning tool and begin to implement the tool in partnership with a local government.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Galvanizing Political Party Network Collaboration to Foster Democratic Unity
$220,000
Public Summary: To better respond to the challenges that political parties face in an era where democracy’s foundational principles of pluralism and international cooperation are consistently attacked and maligned, the Institute proposes to initiate an international and cross-ideological council of political party networks that commit to strengthening democratic unity through supporting transnational alliances and collaboration and develop a strategic report.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Keeping the Window Open: Sustaining Anti-Corruption Momentum
$250,000
Public Summary: To facilitate global learning on the role of two-way communications in sustaining support for anti-corruption reforms, the Institute will conduct a literature review and develop a country case study and lessons learned report with special attention to communications approaches that are nimble and appropriate to sudden ‘windows of opportunity’ contexts. It will work with partners in one target country to collect data on citizens’ preferences that will inform the design of two-way communication channels and effective messages.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Developing Specialized Approaches and Tools for Democratic Political Parties
$500,000
Public Summary: To better respond to the challenges that democratic political parties face in closed and closing societies, the Institute proposes to create, pilot and disseminate a new specialized suite of tools and approaches for democratic forces to strengthen their ability to find creative solutions to organizing and preparing for an eventual democratic transition. To improve practitioners’ ability to address the unique needs of democratic parties in these environments, the Institute will develop a complementary guidance note to the suite of tools and approaches.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Building Democratic Technology Norms
$200,000
Public Summary: To strengthen the capacity of local democratic actors to participate in global discussions on technology and internet governance. The institute will support the participation of civil society representatives from Africa and the Middle East in two international technology forums. Activities will include the assessment of current levels of engagement on technology debates in each region and the development of a white paper identifying opportunities for elevating civil society involvement in global conversations. Through training, it will also develop its partners’ capacity and understanding of key issues in the intersection of democratic norms and technology.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
DISRUPTHER Curriculum Development and Piloting
$240,000
Public Summary: To foster politically-active leadership among young women. The Institute will develop a civic education curriculum to be incorporated into existing empowerment programming for young women and girls. The institute will work with a partner organization to pilot its application in at least two different socio-economic settings, testing for relevance, good partnership dynamics, and impact. The goal is to deepen the pool of adolescent girls and young women with political skills and aspirations to be politically active young leaders.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Women, Resilience and Democratic Delivery in COVID
$500,000
Public Summary: To improve support to civil society and sub-national governments in ways that bolster democratic outcomes in the face of crisis response, the institute will strengthen the capacity of and connections among local women’s rights organizations to build inclusive response strategies to systemic shock at the community level. It will also support partners’ efforts to strengthen responsive service delivery through more consultative connections between local governments and these women’s rights organizations. As a start to this initiative, the institute will work in three shock contexts in Asia and Africa related to violent extremism, unexpected political transitions, and rapidly closing democratic space, to develop program guidance to disseminate to other communities experiencing similar shocks.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Developing a Hub for Democracy Tools and Resources
$60,000
Public Summary: To enhance the capabilities of democratic actors to more effectively make use of technology to strengthen democratic processes in the digital age. The institute will continue to support and improve its suite of open-source digital tools related to such programmatic areas as civic education, election data management for election monitors, constituent relationship management for organizers, and crowdsourced community problem reporting. A new online hub that it will develop to provide access to these tools will also host a library of resources produced by other organizations on a broad range of topics related to the impact of technology on democratization, such as information integrity, cybersecurity, and internet openness.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Supporting Parliaments for Public Debt Oversight during and Beyond the Pandemic
$250,000
Public Summary: To facilitate learning and engagement about strategies for parliamentary engagement in public debt management, the institute will develop a global analysis that maps legislative and constitutional frameworks, features country studies, and identifies lessons learned, with special attention to procedures that are nimble and appropriate to crisis contexts. To enhance democratic decision making and oversight related to public debt, the institute will support partner parliament capacity for more effective analysis, deliberation, and scrutiny in select countries in Africa and Eurasia.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Smooth Transitions and Executive Assistance – Codifying Transition Mechanics into Law
$280,000
Public Summary: To enhance the capacity of leaders across political contexts to support smooth executive transitions and to contribute to the development of informed legal frameworks that enhance the success of executive transitions at the institutional level. In addition to collaborating with leading organizations to cultivate expertise to support a global knowledge hub on effective transitions of executive power, the institute will work with stakeholders in select countries in Africa and Eastern Europe at the executive and legislative levels, as well as civil society, to empower officials to develop policies that codify transition best practices into countries’ formal legal frameworks.
Solidarity Center (SC)
Labor Leadership Initiative to Strengthen Democratic Governance in MENA and the Americas (Phase I)
$800,000
Public Summary: To create a cross-regional learning network of labor and pro-democracy movement leaders worldwide, and to strengthen the collective and individual capacity of union leaders and pro-democracy allies to engage in opposing illiberal forces and advancing democratic reform. The Center will adapt its Global Labor Leadership Initiative (GLLI) curriculum and carry out Phase I of regional leadership training programs in both the Americas and in the Middle East and North Africa, expanding the reach of the program into every region of the globe. Each intensive six-day training session will strengthen the skills, vision and relationships of labor leaders and their pro-democracy partners, while also preparing them to engage effectively in democratic and economic transitions, both directly and through their organizations. The project also will include leadership coaching and peer-mentorship initiatives.
Solidarity Center (SC)
Strengthening the Rule of Law for Workers by Conducting Legal Research, Promoting Labor Law Reform, and Utilizing Domestic and International Legal Mechanisms
$1,537,900
Public Summary: To improve the capacity of legal advocates, workers, unions, and human rights organizations to effectively use domestic, regional and international laws and institutions, the Center will support activities in countries where worker rights are at particular risk and/or where the country is in transition. This includes training and assistance as well as efforts to bridge the human rights and labor rights communities.
Solidarity Center (SC)
MENA & Africa Regional: Strengthening Interregional Alliances to Raise Migrant Worker Voices and Defend Labor Rights
$520,801
Public Summary: To strengthen the ability of African migrant workers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to raise their voice individually and collectively through unions to defend their rights, and to support joint MENA-Africa advocacy and cooperation among unions and migrant workers to promote safe and regular migration. The Center will support organizing campaigns for sub-Saharan African migrants to MENA, as well as media training, so that migrants can better participate in and be better represented by unions. The Center will convene preparation meetings with MENA and African partners to coordinate advocacy strategies for the first International Migration Review Forum in 2022. The Center will also convene regular planning and coordination meetings for trade union partners, migrants, and embassy officials to improve interregional migrant rights legal case handling, information sharing, and actions to protect migrant rights.
Solidarity Center (SC)
Solidarity Across Regions For Migrant Worker Rights Phase II
$1,000,000
Public Summary: To support trade unions and other migrant worker rights organizations through cross-regional collaboration to more effectively influence the relevant migration policy environments (national, regional and international) to achieve greater respect for migrant worker rights and protect their essential basic freedoms. The Center will encourage coordinated labor movement responses in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Eurasia and the Middle East and North Africa to develop policy positions and strategies centered in workers’ rights to more effectively influence the migration policy environments within the context of the Global Compact for Migration. Labor advocates will also build stronger coalitions between unions, NGOs and others in civil society.
Solidarity Center (SC)
Equality And Inclusion
$836,831
Public Summary: To comprehensively address the long-term damaging socio-economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on all workers, the Center will support unions and their allies to increase the social and political participation of marginalized workers into efforts to build back better and stronger economies and democracies. The Center will engage in targeted programming in Asia and Latin America to develop cross-movement networks of unions and allied organizations working to increase awareness of and address the unique challenges facing women workers, and LGBTQ workers, workers with disabilities and other marginalized workers to increase their participation in democratic processes and assist in developing regional coalitions of union leaders to exchange best practices to ensure that the labor rights of who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic are engaged in the development new forms of democratic transformation.
Solidarity Center (SC)
We Are All Workers
$500,000
Public Summary: To strengthen the capacity of unions and worker organizations to effectively organize and advocate for the rights of platform workers with employers and legislative and judicial bodies to ensure workers might exercise their freedom of association and access social protection programs, the Center will support worker rights organizations and union partners in Africa and Asia by researching corporate drivers which enable laws and regulations that allow proliferation of non-standard precarious employment, specifically through online platforms. This will seek to strengthen worker organizations to protect against degradation of workers’ freedom of association and social wellbeing resulting from the expansion of precarious work schemes of platform-based economies.
Solidarity Center (SC)
Promoting Union Engagement in Just Transition Advocacy
$300,000
Public Summary: To support and enhance union efforts to influence government emissions reduction plans and policies to include pro-worker, just transition commitments in select countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. The Center will provide technical and financial assistance for coalition-building, awareness-raising, and advocacy activities.
Justice and Peace Netherlands
Strengthening Protection of Human Rights Defenders
$115000
Public Summary: To strengthen collaboration in the protection of human rights defenders. The group will strengthen a network of shelter cities and stakeholders in Africa, Eurasia, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean, offering temporary relocation for at-risk human rights defenders and enabling members to better respond to threats and adapt to changes. The group will hold virtual meetings and strategic planning consultations to address the increasing global need for support and protection, and to grow the network in Asia. The group will also facilitate cooperation and learning between members on developing alternative strategies in response to COVID-19-related limitations.
International Coalition of Sites of Conscience
Building Respect for Human Rights through Memory Initiatives
$236000
Public Summary: To foster democratic values by connecting past struggles for freedom and human rights with contemporary challenges to democracy. The organization will support the work of a global network of museums, memory initiatives, and civil society groups dedicated to preserving memories of historical events and applying lessons from these events to ongoing efforts to promote human rights. A series of workshops and discussions on various programmatic approaches will enable network members across all regions to share strategies for catalyzing public dialogues on pressing issues, especially those related to the discrimination of marginalized communities and building inclusive democracies.
Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO)
Strengthening Global Standards on Responsible Business Conduct
$250000
Public Summary: To enhance the capacity of civil society to strengthen global standards on responsible business conduct and promote human rights. Working with civil society groups in multiple regions, the organization will conduct research and analysis to evaluate and strengthen accountability mechanisms, hold consultations to assess developments related to multinational business and human rights, and organize capacity-building workshops on strategies to promote democratic accountability in cases of alleged abuses.
Freedom of information
Innovative Digital Tools for Civil Society
$269495
Public Summary: To improve the ability of civil society actors in repressive environments to more fully utilize the internet in their work through the use of new digital tools and research techniques. The group will organize a series of workshops on the use of innovative methods to find, verify, and analyze information online to inform their efforts to investigate various democracy and human rights issues. It will also continue to pioneer and popularize new digital research tools and methods through its own work.
Nadace Forum 2000
Reaffirming and Promoting Democratic Unity
$150000
Public Summary: To strengthen cross-regional cooperation in promoting the central ideas of democracy. The organization will convene the 2021 edition of its annual international conference to provide a platform for pro-democracy activists, thinkers, and policymakers to discuss solutions to some of the most pressing global challenges to democracy; expand and diversify the membership of the Vaclav Havel Circle, which includes leading donor and democracy assistance organizations; and further develop the Coalition for Democratic Renewal and its ability to provide support to democrats globally.
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
Fostering Support for Independent Media
$400000
Public Summary: To strengthen coordination and collaboration in support of the development, sustainability and independence of public interest media. The group will work to expand the resources available to support independent media; strengthen the coherence, coordination and consistency of this support; and improve the impact, assessment and exchange of best practices. Activities will include developing a new vehicle of support for independent media, and cultivating a knowledge hub on models to enhance media sustainability.
Reporters Sans Frontières
Promoting Democratic Principles for the Global Information and Communication Space
$152000
Public Summary: To enable a multiregional coalition to foster democratic norms and human rights principles in the global communication and information space. Through its support for the Forum on Information and Democracy, the organization will establish at least two working groups to design and promote actionable policy recommendations for international organizations, governments, and technology companies to address such topics as disinformation and independent media sustainability. It will also conduct advocacy at the national and global levels to foster the adoption of these recommendations.
East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project
Strengthening Protection for Democrats at Risk
$238540
Public Summary: To enhance the capacity of regional human rights networks in North and sub-Saharan Africa to engage with regional human rights institutions to advance democratic ideals and values. Through a series of workshops and events, the group will foster collaboration between sub-regional human rights networks, facilitate advocacy, and expand cooperation with the African human rights system. The group will focus particularly on providing more opportunities for North African human rights defenders to engage with the regional mechanisms. It will also research civic space issues in the context of democratic transitions in the Horn of Africa.
East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project
Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network
$255833
Public Summary: To promote safer working environments for human rights defenders by strengthening protection mechanisms. The group will further develop, expand, and support a network of four regional shelter cities in North and sub-Saharan Africa to provide temporary relocation for at-risk human rights defenders from throughout the continent. The group will coordinate and respond to case referrals, establish two new shelter cities, develop well-being resources, hold a series of workshops and events, and facilitate exchange and learning with the global protection community.
Freedom of Information
Strengthening Awareness of Authoritarian Challenges to Information Integrity
$588898
Public Summary: To deepen awareness of authoritarian challenges to information integrity, and to foster cross-regional collaboration in support of the digital resilience of democratic institutions. The organization will develop a global community of experts, map and research foreign technological strategies and methods for influencing democratic institutions, and facilitate the creation of new digital tools that will identify and defend against the manipulation of information, digital interference, and malign influence.
Open Briefing Ltd.
Strengthening the Resilience of Civil Society
$800000
Public Summary: To strengthen the resilience of human rights defenders and civil society organizations. The group will mentor and support vulnerable civic actors to develop and adopt tailored policies, procedures, and action plans to improve safety and security. The group will also further develop a set of resources and toolkits enabling activists to assess and manage risks. Additionally, it will expand collaboration with a network of international partners to share good practices and provide emergency support.
Accountability and Transparency
Deepening Understanding of Challenges to Democratic Norms
$280000
Public Summary: To improve understanding of the impact of authoritarian overseas investment on democratic practices and values. The group will conduct research on authoritarian overseas investments and engagement in the multilateral space, assessing implications for democratic norms such as accountability, transparency, and freedom of speech. Drawing on this research, the group will strengthen the advocacy capacity of civic actors to respond to the challenges.
Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum
Strengthening NGO Cooperation in the Eastern Partnership
$65000
Public Summary: To strengthen civil society capacity and collaboration to promote democratic reform in the Eastern Partnership region. The group will convene an annual conference bringing together civil society from the region with decision-makers from the European Union, facilitate policy dialogue, and provide direct support for civil society groups to monitor government performance in carrying out reforms, exchange best practices, develop policy recommendations, and advance shared priorities.
Asociacion Civil Red de Innovacion Local
Fostering a Global Network of Collaborative Democratic Governance Innovators
$160536
Public Summary: To promote collaborative models of governance at the subnational level and foster cross-regional learning. Engaging civil society groups, social entrepreneurs, and local government officials from Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe, the organization will support the adoption of tested citizen engagement methodologies. The participants will form multi-stakeholder teams that will co-design and implement participatory governance initiatives that encourage shared decision-making and cooperation in policymaking. The project will highlight successful practices that are useful across different regions to contribute to the global knowledge base and inform future democratic governance work.
Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI)
Defending Independent Media and Protecting At-Risk Journalists
$250000
Public Summary: To strengthen protection for at-risk journalists and advance media freedom. The organization will provide legal defense to independent media outlets, journalists, and bloggers through an emergency defense fund as well as undertake strategic litigation to promote legal and regulatory frameworks that allow media to report freely on issues of public interest. The group will also provide capacity-building support to local media defense centers to challenge the abusive use of laws to silence the media in places where authoritarian governments are undermining freedom of expression.
mySociety
Strengthening Knowledge Sharing among Civic Technology Organizations
$240865
Public Summary: To promote collaboration among civic technology organizations to enhance public participation, transparency, and accountability. The organization will convene civil society groups, researchers, and public sector stakeholders from across the world for a series of discussions on challenges facing civic technology projects, potential solutions, ways to boost the impact of this work, and ideas for new initiatives that advance democracy. It will then coordinate efforts to put into action the ideas generated in the discussions and support the implementation of follow-on initiatives. The lessons from these experiences will be disseminated through an online resource hub.
Extituto de Politica Abierta
Promoting Deliberative Processes to Strengthen Democratic Governance
$285000
Public Summary: To strengthen the ability of democracy advocates to enhance citizen participation in governance through deliberative processes. The organization will bring together activists from Latin America, Africa, and South Asia for a series of cross-regional discussions to exchange experiences on promoting deliberative democracy. Participants will collaborate to design and test new approaches to overcome challenges to engaging citizens. The organization will coordinate mentoring and technical support for these initiatives, and will also develop an online resource hub to share tools, methodologies, and good practices with deliberative democracy practitioners more broadly.
Global Forum for Media Development
Providing a Platform for Cooperation on Media Development
$220000
Public Summary: To strengthen coordination and collaboration in support of media development and independent journalism. Through convening in-person and online events, conducting policy research, and operating an online resource platform, the network of media development groups will equip its members with skills, knowledge, and tools to advance their work to support independent journalism and identify solutions to challenges confronting the media. It will also facilitate members’ engagement in key debates that are affecting media development, including on such issues as media sustainability and internet governance.
Localization Lab
Promoting an Open Internet and Access to Digital Tools
$215320
Public Summary: To enhance access to secure digital tools for civil society actors around the world and strengthen a global community of contributors to help customize and ‘localize’ digital resources for a diverse range of contexts. The organization will expand the translation of open-source digital tools and the production of technical glossaries and user guides in several languages, including instructions on mechanisms to circumvent censorship and internet shutdowns. It will train activists to use localized tools and foster exchanges among volunteers, civic tech actors, and grassroots organizations working in this field.
Global Dialogue
Supporting Transnational Collaboration to Protect Freedom of Association
$200000
Public Summary: To deepen understanding of the transnational frameworks, technological tools and narratives underpinning restrictions on democratic civic space, and to support collaboration in support of international norms protecting democratic civic space and human rights. The group will research and analyze trends in international security and common systemic restrictions on freedom of association, assembly, and other core democratic values, and will facilitate cross-regional exchange around policy solutions and strategies to improve the operating environment for civil society.
Disinformation Index, Inc
Strengthening Information Integrity in the Digital Space
$315750
Public Summary: To deepen understanding of the challenges to information integrity in the digital space. The group will work with local partners in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America to assess disinformation risks of local online media ecosystems, employing artificial intelligence as well as expert review. The resulting risk ratings will be used to raise awareness among advertising companies and trade bodies of the risks that arise from funding disinformation. Partners will also use the data and reports to drive national policy debates on trust in media and disinformation, and to work constructively with media outlets to improve the quality and rigor of their content
Scholars at Risk, Inc.
Strengthening Support for Democrats at Risk
$373168
Public Summary: To protect and bolster support for individuals who promote free inquiry and expression, democratic debate, and respect for human rights. The organization will facilitate a set of temporary placements for democrats at risk, including scholars, journalists, writers, and human rights defenders facing grave threats as result of their work. It will also coordinate trainings for those transitioning to a new country to develop plans to remain engaged in the professional and activist communities in their new location as well as back at home. Other activities will include monitoring of academic freedom violations and targeted advocacy.
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) SCE
Supporting Journalists in Danger
$144036
Public Summary: To protect and assist journalists at risk. The organization will strengthen the development of a global working group of journalist assistance and temporary relocation initiatives across the world to serve as a platform to exchange good practices, foster coordination, and verify and refer requests for support. It will also engage governments and international institutions to inform policies to protect media freedom and raise public awareness of threats against journalists. Additionally, the center will provide legal assistance and host a modest in-residence program for journalists facing persecution.
Shared Democratic Norms
Bolstering Legislative Support for Human Rights and Democratic Norms
$215000
Public Summary: To foster global support for democratic norms. The group will build and expand an international network of legislators, liaise with civic actors, and convene a series of events to inform international policy dialogue and advocacy for a coordinated international response to authoritarian efforts to undermine human rights, democratic systems and the international rules-based order.
Stichting Global Voices
Deepening Understanding of Digital Authoritarianism
$336700
Public Summary: To deepen understanding and strengthen awareness of transnational trends regarding the use of technology to enforce and advance authoritarian governance. The group will cooperate with its extensive global network of local partners in Asia, Africa, Eurasia, and Latin America and the Caribbean to research, analyze, and report on technology and rights in closing civic spaces, focusing on the processes, policies and technologies that authorities use to control and track populations. It will then convene a series of events to strengthen and inform advocacy.
