Asociacion Convoca
Promoting Transparency and Accountability about State Procurement
$90,000
To promote transparency and accountability of the state’s decisions regarding public procurement, especially during health crises, in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela and to strengthen investigations about corruption in the infrastructure sector and related to the Car Wash (Lava Jato) scandal. The group will deepen its investigations against public officials that have been accused or are in the middle of inquiries for irregularities and publish their findings in national and regional news outlets.
Casa Editorial Agenda Propia S.A.S
Promoting Collaborative Journalism on Indigenous Issues
$50,000
To increase journalists’ investigative and editing skills regarding indigenous issues and strengthen cross-border, cross-media, and cross-sector collaboration; and to promote media coverage and public discussion of critical transnational indigenous issues. The organization will produce an in-depth series of articles from Latin America on transnational indigenous peoples’ issues. It will also generate articles and stories on how covid-19 is affecting indigenous populations in the Amazonian Basin. Additionally, the organization will produce multimedia stories focused on land issues affecting Andean indigenous peoples.
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Empowering Latin America’s Private Sector to Defend Democracy in Regional Bodies
$521,941
To develop resources, seek avenues, and raise awareness for the private sector to build coalitions and strengthen democratic unity at the Inter-American regional level. To achieve these ends, the Center will commission studies and surveys and facilitate regional workshops, consultations, and summits for practitioners, experts, and business leaders. The Center will develop a Democracy Action Roadmap for the Private Sector, outlining findings and establishing practical mechanisms to fill the existing void of private sector democratic activism at the regional level. The Center seeks strategic cooperation funds to tackle a problem that has not been considered before.
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Public Policies for Restarting Economies
$951,670
To empower local think tanks to identify public policies that spur inclusive growth; to strengthen the capacity of the private sector to adapt to rapid economic changes stemming from digitization and COVID-19 in Argentina; and to support local think tanks to strengthen government commitment to improving digital and regulatory ecosystems that support economic growth in Guatemala. The Center will support think tanks in Latin America to advance solutions improving economic stability and satisfaction with democracy by conducting research, identifying public policies and improving private and public sector capacity.
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Raising Awareness about Corrosive and Constructive Capital
$256,488
To raise awareness of the corrosive effects of capital from authoritarian sources on the governance of Latin American democracies. The Center will partner with the America’s Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA) to organize high-level conversations with decision makers in the region that amplify partner research from previous projects investigating corrosive capital, exposing the risks of capital from authoritarian sources. These conversations will also leverage the positive spillover effects from constructive capital and promote regulatory and legal recommendations to close governance gaps that reduce the risks to democracy associated with foreign capital from authoritarian sources. The Center and AS/COA will work in several countries across the region to raise awareness of the threat to democracy that corrosive capital poses and to explore public policies that act at a bulwark to the corrosive effects of capital from authoritarian sources.
Ciudadano Inteligente
Strengthening Democratic Governance in Municipal Governments
$202,749
To strengthen the capacity of municipal leaders to conduct innovative and participatory governance in countries experiencing democratic transitions and deconsolidation. The organization will train local officials from 24 municipalities in Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico on regional standards and best practices in open government and citizen participation. The grantee will support the officials and local civil society partners to develop and implement municipal government open workplans, prioritizing enhancing engagement with historically excluded communities.
Democratic Governance
Tracing Chinese Financing to Venezuela
$250,000
To foster public awareness about the detrimental effects of opaque Chinese financing in Latin America and the Caribbean; and to foster further research and media coverage about China’s loans and diplomatic involvement to LAC countries. The organization will work with journalists to trace funds received by the Venezuelan regime from the Chinese government. Through this research, the group will shed light on the compounding effect that China’s financing had on Venezuela’s kleptocracy.
Universal Rights
Strengthening Investigative Journalism and Promoting Collaboration
$199,000
To strengthen the capacity of Latin American journalists to produce high-quality and collaborative reports, to strengthen the leadership skills of editors, and promote public debate about democratic governance, corruption, and Covid-19 challenges that the region faces. The organization will host forums with recognized journalists, policy makers, and civil society members from Latin America to debate transnational issues of interest. Its innovation hub will promote collaboration between journalists and provide editorial support to amplify the reach of their publications.
Fundacion Espacio Publico
Strengthening the Latin American Anti-Corruption Network
$90,000
To promote the understanding of institutional sources of corruption and anti-corruption reforms in Latin America; and to strengthen a network of think tanks as a key regional actor in anti-corruption efforts. The network will produce policy-relevant, comparative analyses of the causes and effects of corruption cases in the region with a focus on examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patterns of corruption. It will also develop a regional indicator to measure the prevalence of corruption.
Fundación Poder Ciudadano
Strengthening Advocacy regarding Corruption, Gender, and Identity in Latin America
$87,277
To strengthen anti-corruption activism in Latin America, and to advocate for the inclusion of diversity and gender perspectives in addressing corruption. The organization will work with groups in nine countries to understand how corruption, gender, and identity overlap in the local context and articulate these perspectives in policy proposals and advocacy campaigns. The network will contribute to a comparative report and advocate for reforms that include diversity and gender perspectives in the fight against corruption.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Caribbean Youth Democracy Lab
$500,000
To increase the engagement of Caribbean young leaders in the development of policy solutions that address community needs, the Institute will develop a Caribbean Youth Democracy Lab, which aims to increase Caribbean youth capacities in developing and communicating policy solutions to local, national, and regional stakeholders. The Institute will provide a space for young leaders to advocate for their policy solutions with stakeholders in their countries and then learn from these experiences during a regional exchange forum.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Strengthening Political Party Systems
$400,000
To support political parties, civil society, and other stakeholders in identifying and collaboratively addressing systemic deficiencies of political party systems to improve effective citizen outreach and democratic governance, the Institute will develop a political party systems roadmap for action plans and consensus-building that assesses the party system in Latin America and Caribbean countries. The Institute will conduct research and in-depth interviews to inform action plans and design tailored initiatives during future project phases. These research-based actions plans, and stakeholder briefings will increase political actors’ understanding of the incentives to being more responsive to constituent priorities, designing more effective party platforms, and promoting reform efforts to ultimately address institutional deficiencies in political party systems.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Summit of the Americas
$200,000
To support civil society advocacy and organization efforts around the Summit of the Americas, the Institute will equip civil society organizations with the knowledge to collaborate and raise awareness about shared priorities and advocate for international support among key government, private sector and other relevant actors. The Institute will convene a civil society panel during the Summit and provide timely analysis and recommendations following the Summit.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Civil Society Oversight of the Venezuelan Migrant Crisis Assistance
$500,000
To enhance the oversight capacity of civil society, the Institute will develop a methodology and train organizations to monitor public policies and assistance programs tailored to support Venezuelan migrants and refugees in Latin America by strengthening accountability mechanisms, deterring corruption, and improving citizen participation in procurement and oversight processes. To facilitate learning and engagement, the Institute will provide technical assistance to develop an informational toolkit and campaign to inform Venezuelan migrants and refugees about the assistance available to them.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Info/Tegrity: Developing Knowledge and Experience through Networks for Latin America
$125,000
To strengthen information integrity globally, the Institute will pursue an additional critical initiative with 2021 strategic funds to build on working groups it is presently fostering in Africa; developing new, and refining existing tools, pedagogies and methodologies to share with Institute partners in Latin America through workshops and networks of groups throughout the region.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Strengthening Coalitions for Greater Accountability
$450,000
To help advance new approaches for countering attacks against democracy advocates and anti-corruption movements and build support for democratic institutions, practices and activists in northern Central America. The Institute will work at the subregional level with emerging and established civic and political leaders from diverse social sectors to mitigate political polarization and create opportunities for dialogue and collaboration. As part of a pilot program, these efforts will build capacity among civic and political actors to develop communications and advocacy strategies to expand public support for democratic values and institutions in northern Central America.
Democratic Governance
Democratic Innovation and Capacity Building Program for Local Administrations in Latin America
$236,817
To strengthen the capacity of public officials and local elected leaders to implement action plans in municipal governments facing democratic governance challenges in six countries, and to foster a community of practice on methodology, best practices and lessons learned on democratic governance among a wide range of practitioners. The organization will provide peer to peer mentoring and trainings to strengthen innovation and democratic practices through in-person and virtual sessions. The organization will develop a network of peers and foster exchanges of experience and learning.
Democratic Governance
Illegal Activities in the Venezuelan Amazon
$115,111
To uncover, document and map Venezuelan kleptocratic and criminal activities in Venezuela and its connections to regional and international networks; and to strengthen the organization’s data journalism unit by expanding access to databases and incorporating new technologies. An interactive map with hubs of criminal activity will be developed, and complemented with both remote and in-situ investigations. The regime’s efforts to bypass international sanctions and strengthen links with other autocratic regimes will be documented.
Solidarity Center (SC)
Leadership and Movement Building Program
$650,000
To create a network of diverse transnational union and CSO leaders who will engage in democratic reform through coalition building and advocating for and developing inclusive workers’ rights policy, the Solidarity Center will launch a program for activists drawn from historically excluded and marginalized communities in multiple countries to engage in learning opportunities with regional and international peers and mentors. This replicable and sustainable program made up of multi-day interactive workshops, ongoing mentoring, and collaborative projects will achieve these goals by enabling the participants to increase their skills and capacity to engage in democratic reform and to address the oppressive economic and social systems that have prevented them from successfully and fully participating in democratic governance in the past.
Solidarity Center (SC)
Promoting Fundamental Labor Rights in Colombia and Venezuela
$975,000
To address the closing space for civil society and the growing repression of trade union freedoms in Venezuela, the Center will provide training and support to strengthen the capacity of union partners to monitor and report rights violations to national and international institutions, and to defend basic liberties and trade union autonomy. To stave off recent regressions in the labor rights legal framework and defend prior gains in fundamental labor rights in Colombia, the Center will provide training and legal assistance to use national and international compliance mechanisms, build union capacity to advocate for improved access to justice through participation in wider civil society platforms, and build trade union capacity to use innovative technological tools to organize and represent workers.
Solidarity Center (SC)
Trade Union Strengthening in Peru and Ecuador
$975,000
To assist unions in Peru and Ecuador to represent workers more effectively and to engage with employers and their governments on economic recovery and the protection of workers fundamental rights, the Center will provide technical assistance and training to partner unions to expand representation, as well as develop the capacity to conduct strategic litigation and advocate for legal reforms to strengthen the participation of workers and their organizations in social dialogue.
Synergía Initiatives for Human Rights
Defending Human Rights through Fostering Access to the Inter-American System
$164,145
To protect human rights through promoting greater civil society access to human rights bodies in the Inter-American System. The grantee will organize a series of webinars and capacity-building sessions open to civil society and activists from the Americas, with a particular focus on Brazil and the English-speaking Caribbean countries and representing different human rights movements, particularly those advocating for marginalized groups. They will cover such topics as the General Assembly, conventions on human rights, special rapporteurs, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, among others.
The Trust for the Americas
Combating the Impact of Authoritarianism on Civic Space in the Americas
$155,096
To monitor and denounce the impact of growing authoritarianism on civic space in the Americas. The organization will support the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (RELE) to collaborate with local CSOs in closed environments to document restrictions to fundamental freedoms. RELE will coordinate efforts among OAS Member States, the Inter American Commission on Human Rights Executive Secretariat, and the UN to increase protection for freedom of expression and human rights defenders under threat in these countries.
