Democratic Governance
Promoting Independent Media and Democratic Values
$170,000
To provide a forum for leading political figures and international policymakers on pressing issues related to security, governance, and democracy. The organization will host a wide range of policymakers, civil society leaders, academics, and regional and international stakeholders to discuss Afghan and regional affairs. The forum will identify and analyze key security-related issues and challenges between Afghanistan and its neighbors and offer recommendations to promote inclusive governance and improve aid delivery.
Democratic Norms, Ideas and Values
Promoting Women’s Rights through Theatre
$31,000
To engage women in civic activism through arts and culture and promote women’s rights. The group will produce and perform a series of plays on women’s rights subjects in public and academic venues in central Bamyan province and engage audiences on the issues highlighted through discussions following each performance. The organization will also provide a six-month training for 20 girls in using theatre and arts for women’s rights advocacy.
Democratic Norms, Ideas and Values
Promoting Democratic Values and Pluralism
$45,000
To promote democratic values and pluralism. The grantee will hold a series of seminars at public and private universities in all five regions of Afghanistan. It will also produce and disseminate 20,000 brochures and posters at universities, and publish a booklet summarizing the project’s key findings and recommendations for youth-led initiatives to promote democratic values and ideas at universities across the country.
Universal Rights
Empowering Victims of Human Rights Abuses
$122,000
To promote and advocate for women’s rights and equality in northern provinces of Samandan, Jawzjan, and Baghlan. The organization will continue its civic programs to educate women about their legal rights, provide free legal assistance and council to victims of gender based violence, and convene six assemblies for community leaders including provincial and district council members, In addition to women NGO leaders, Human Rights advocates, and religious leaders on women’s rights under Afghan law.
Universal Rights
Strengthening The Professional Skills of Women Journalists
$60,000
To enhance women journalists’ professional skills and participation in local media. The organization will continue to run and improve the capacity of a women-led news agency. It will train a cohort of women journalists to bolster their capacity in investigative journalism, reporting on gender issues, and media advocacy. The organization will also conduct an essay-writing contest for Afghan women in Kabul on the role of women in the peace process.
Democratic Norms, Ideas and Values
Improving Local Governance through Community Dialogue
$50,000
To promote public participation in local governance and decision-making processes. The grantee will educate young Afghan citizens in rural communities of Badghis about their political rights and responsibilities and strengthen dialogue between community leaders and local government. The grantee will hold dialogue assemblies and town hall meetings to enable citizens to participate in decision-making at the local level. It will also organize radio roundtable discussions with community leaders and provincial officials.
Citizen Participation and Inclusion
Promoting Inclusive Peace and Democratic Values through Art and Assisting At-Risk Civic Activists
$120,000
To foster collaboration between youth artists and civic activists for collective advocacy efforts to promote democracy, peace and reconciliation. The grantee will support and mentor the Artivists Network for Innovation, a membership network of artists and activists, that use art as a medium for advocacy efforts to promote democratic values. The project will organize workshops and networking events and facilitate advocacy initiatives, communication and information sharing among members. It will also paint murals depicting issues related to human rights, democracy, and inclusive peace.
Democratic Norms, Ideas and Values
Fostering Pluralism and Dialogue
$62,000
To enhance strategic adaptability to respond effectively to radical political changes on the ground. The organization will work to develop its strategy, policies and reorient its program in the next five months. It will identify key programmatic areas to adapt to the new environment to promote tolerance, sustain the civic space and preserve the country’s democratic gains.
Universal Rights
Strengthening Independent Media in Badghis
$92,000
To strengthen independent media in the Badghis province and to build the capacity of a nascent journalists’ association. The organization will continue to produce and broadcast a wide range of civic programs on political, economic, and social affairs through its FM radio. It will also train a cohort of male and female reporters and university journalism students.
Democratic Governance
Improving Governance and Inclusive Economic Opportunity
$635,000
To enable the economic recovery of Afghan businesses by enhancing the capacity of business chambers to represent Afghan businessmen and women at the national level; to enable local government facilitating recovery of citizen livelihoods impacted by COVID by institutionalizing public-private dialogue on the local level; to strengthen legitimate governance and reduce corruption in government contracting through enhancing elected leaders oversight of public procurement. The organization will provide technical assistance to new chambers, increase sustainability of provincial chamber advocacy, and train parliamentarians.
Universal Rights
Promoting Civic Engagement through Media
$113,000
To support a pro-democracy TV station and to support a culture of civic engagement through citizen journalism. The organization will produce and broadcast daily news and civic education program to promote civic values in Herat province. In addition, the organization will train youth on the basics of citizen journalism and train government employees on public accountability and access to information.
Democratic Governance
Strengthening Women’s Access to Justice
$60,700
To support women’s rights and adapt to political changes on the ground. The grantee will work to develop its strategy and policies to reorient its work on increasing women’s access to justice. It will hire an organizational expert to help it develop a strategic plan and guide the organization as it restructures its internal governance and operations to respond to new realities.
Democratic Governance
Afghan Rural Democracy Support Project (ARDSP)
$600,000
The organization will work to support linkages between at-risk communities in southern and eastern Afghanistan and provincial/national government institutions and agencies in order to preserve post-2001 democratic progress, including popular participation in the public space; citizen access to public services; and electoral representation. Instability of government institutions will likely increase in the next year as the U.S. withdraws military support and as the Taliban presses for power. In this fluid context, the organization, in collaboration with its local partners, will work to strengthen the capacity of community organizations to monitor local needs and advocate on their behalf, while providing platforms for sustained government-community dialogue and cooperation at the provincial and national levels.
Universal Rights
Strengthening Independent Women-Led Media
$80,000
To provide independent news and media content that promotes democratic ideas and values for the citizens of southern Afghanistan, and to build the capacity of an independent media organization. The grantee will maintain a media center for women, conduct training sessions on journalistic skills for women journalism students, strengthen its radio news channel, and produce a series of civic education radio programs.
Democratic Norms, Ideas and Values
Strengthening Local Civic Leadership
$65,000
To engender a culture of civic responsibility and promote tolerance and pluralism. The grantee will hold civic education workshops for community leaders and organize public-private dialogues to provide a platform for civil society actors and youth leaders in two eastern provinces. The organization will also develop a strategic plan to adapt to the changing environment.
Democratic Governance
Supporting and Promoting Security Sector Reforms
$100,000
To strengthen democratic governance and civilian oversight of the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces. The project will study and analyze armed militia forces across the country and will propose a roadmap for their integration into the military and civilian life. In addition, the grantee will conduct a nationwide survey to gauge public perception on militias and their roles, complemented with provincial consultation conferences. It will advocate for implementation of the recommended reforms.
Universal Rights
Promoting Independent Media and Civic Values
$66,000
To ensure the availability of independent news and civic education programs for the citizens of Balkh province and to build the capacity of an independent media organization. The grantee will operate an independent FM radio news channel, which will feature a wide range of civic programs on political, economic, and social affairs in Balkh. It will also mentor journalism students as interns.
Democratic Norms, Ideas and Values
Promoting Civic Engagement
$50,000
To strengthen youth civic groups in Balkh province and promote civic engagement and dialogue between local communities and government. The grantee will support community organizations in monitoring local needs, advocating for access to public services, and representing constituents at the district and provincial levels. It will also organize public-private dialogues to provide a platform for civil society actors and youth leaders to engage in advocacy efforts with provincial government officials on pressing needs of their communities.
Universal Rights
Promoting Civic Values through Local Radio
$100,000
To strengthen local independent media and promote democratic ideas and civic values. The organization will continue to produce and broadcast a wide range of civic programs on political, economic, and social affairs through its independent FM radio news channel in Dari and Pashto languages. It will also train a cohort of male and female reporters and university journalism students.
Democratic Norms, Ideas and Values
Civic Education Television
$160,000
To promote democratic ideas, raise public awareness on citizens’ rights and responsibilities, and foster pluralism. The organization will maintain its TV Channel and continue to produce and broadcast civic education programs for university students across Afghanistan. The grantee will improve its digital media platforms, including a website and social media accounts to enhance the reach and impact of its TV programs.
Democratic Governance
Enhancing Good Governance in Herat
$85,500
To enhance accountability, transparency, and responsiveness of local government in Herat. The grantee will produce two reports on structural and policy reforms to improve service delivery through the Departments of Education and Municipality. It will also campaign against cooruption through street banners, posters, and maintain a phone line for citizens to safely report cases of corruption The organization will investigate corruption allegations and follow-up with relevant authorities.
Democratic Norms, Ideas and Values
Strengthening Youth Entrepreneurship
$160,000
To instill in youth an awareness of the values of entrepreneurship, market economics, and democracy. The grantee will oversee the implementation of its high school entrepreneurship curriculum at 30 high schools. The project will train teachers on the delivery of the course curriculum, organize business proposal-writing competitions, and hold two business start-up courses for students.
Democratic Governance
Advocating Madrassa Reforms
$85,000
To support and promote institutional reforms and oversight of the madrassa system in Afghanistan. The grantee will continue its madrassa reforms initiative through comprehensive desk and field research, consultations with subject-matter experts and government officials, and development of a database for registered and unregistered madrassas across the country. The organization, in partnership with other civil society organizations, will advocate for implementation of its recommended reforms.
Democratic Governance
Parliamentary Watch
$69,000
To enhance accountability, transparency, and responsiveness of the Afghan Parliament. The organization will monitor parliamentary sessions, prepare daily and monthly reports on its findings, hold talks between members of parliament and civil society, organize quarterly press briefings, appear on radio and TV talk shows to publicize its work, and compile and publish an annual report.
