Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Fostering Economic Advocacy And Democratic Success
$887,453
The Center seeks to bring citizen voices to government in Tunisia, channeling their priorities to decision makers, to help answer the economic needs of Tunisians. The Center’s expert support has enabled its Tunisian partner organizations to become powerful civic actors with expanding impact. They have successfully used the Center’s business agenda model to lead both national public-private dialogue, and multiple initiatives to support regional decision makers in solving local problems without waiting for central government. Their advocacy has shaped regional development decisions and national policies for business and job creation, including Tunisia’s recent Finance Law. The Center will help its partners and others other business organizations advocate further pragmatic economic reforms for inclusive growth, foster regional collaboration to address more local business barriers, and support broad-based and cross-cutting dialogue to find solutions to Tunisia’s complex democratic and economic challenges.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Improving Economic Outcomes Through Inclusive Political Processes
$450,000
To enhance the probability that Tunisian political processes will improve economic outcomes, especially in disadvantaged regions, the Institute will establish models of citizen-driven policymaking and connection between local and national-level actors. Within these models, local actors will pilot new approaches to citizen engagement and responsive governance in a discrete number of municipalities focused on a specific economic issue; and, with the Institute assistance, feed these experiences up to the national level to help inform legislation and policy making. The Institute will use these pilot programs to generate replicable roadmaps for making democracy deliver in other global transition settings.
Association Tunisienne pour les Droits et les Libertes (ADL)
Promoting Accountability in the Education Sector
$30000
To promote transparency and accountability in Tunisia’s education sector. The organization will advocate for improvements to an existing Ministry of Education online platform, including access to information on public procurement related to educational institutions. It will also launch an app for civil society organizations and citizens to monitor projects led by the ministry in their communities and convene meetings to evaluate the ministry’s progress in responding to access to information requests related to public procurement.
Institut Arabe Pour la Democratie
Promoting Conflict Resolution in Municipal Councils
$35000
To promote conflict resolution and effective, responsive governance within municipal councils in Tunisia, to prevent gridlocked municipal councils that are unable to meet basic needs of constituents. The organization will organize two national seminars on decentralization and conflict resolution, a series of trainings for mayors of municipalities on mediation and conflict management mechanisms, publish a guide on municipal conflict management, and create a national observatory for municipal conflict resolution.
Association de la Dignite pour le Prisonnier Politique
Promoting Transitional Justice
$27000
To strengthen a nascent civil society coalition focused on promoting transitional justice in Tunisia. The organization will build the capacity of its civil society partners to lead advocacy and awareness-raising initiatives aimed at advancing key transitional justice priorities identified by the coalition’s strategic plan, as well as the recommendations of Tunisia’s Truth and Dignity Commission. The organization will convene a strategic planning workshop for partners; organize topic-specific seminars on restitution and compensation, archives and memory; and launch an online portal dedicated to the transitional justice process in Tunisia.
Solidar Tunisia
Promoting Legislative Reform
$50000
To promote legislative reform that advances the consolidation of Tunisia’s democracy and promotes economic development. The organization will build upon its previous research on key issues related to democratic consolidation and economic development and will work with stakeholders in government and civil society to form consensus-based action plans, through a series of workshops. The organization will conduct a communications campaign to promote the action plans and will release a final report.
Taqallam for Freedom of Speech and Creativity
Supporting Independent Data Journalism
$35000
To promote high quality, innovative and data-driven independent journalism in Tunisia. The organization will train a group of journalists to create stories using visuals, graphics, and interactive maps to present publicly available data in an innovative, audience engaging approach. The journalistic pieces will focus on topics including economic issues, politics, parliamentary affairs, human rights, corruption, and important legislation in Tunisia.
Chahed Observatory for Monitoring Elections and Supporting Democratic Reform
Promoting an Inclusive Electoral Process
$40000
To strengthen the access of people with disabilities and rural women to the electoral process. The organization will carry out a series of regional consultative meetings with civil society organizations representing people with disabilities and women in rural areas to gather information on impediments to each group’s participation in the electoral process and policy recommendations to facilitate their participation. The organization will present those findings to policymakers and will advocate for key policy changes.
Carthage Health Association
Strengthening Public Health Policies
$25000
To promote citizen oversight and transparency of public healthcare policies and expenditure in Tunisia. The organization will conduct research on the transparency of public health governance, update an online platform with information on transparency and open data relating to healthcare, organize multi-stakeholder public debates on current public health policies and possibilities for reform, and support journalism focused on public health policy in marginalized regions.
I Watch
Anti-Corruption Legal Advocacy
$50000
To encourage and promote the reform of anti-corruption legislation. The organization will lead a study to evaluate gaps in the law that allow corruption. Workshops with Members of Parliament (MPs) and civil society will gather input on the study and develop recommendations. The organization will also convene discussion sessions and workshops with MPs on potential legal initiatives and to formulate legislative proposals, as well as lead an advocacy campaign for the proposed legislation.
Tounissiet Association
Training Women Political Leaders and Candidates
$132000
To strengthen women’s civic and political participation. The organization will train women who plan to run in the upcoming local elections on political leadership, knowledge of the political system, and advocating for policies that advance women’s rights. It will also conduct a training of trainers for representatives from civil society and governmental organizations on incorporating a gender-sensitive approach in policymaking, convene conferences on the rights of rural women, and seminars on women in municipal governance.
Maghreb Economic Forum
Promoting Accountability in Socio-Economic Policies
$30000
To strengthen civil society’s oversight of socio-economic policies in Tataouine. The organization will hold trainings to enable a group of civil society activists to analyze and monitor implementation of the government’s socio-economic policies in the region, launch an online platform to facilitate access to data on the government’s pledges and implementation of socio-economic initiatives, and convene a press conference to promote the platform.
Jasmine Foundation for Research and Communication (JFRC)
Facilitating Participatory Municipal Governance
$70000
To strengthen civil society’s role in promoting dialogue with policy and decision-makers and enhancing citizen engagement at the municipal level. The organization will hold a series of workshops with municipalities and civil society to develop a municipal development strategy, convene coordination meetings and workshops to advocate for decentralization reform, train local observers on monitoring municipal work, and work with local observatories to advocate for improvements to municipal services.
Association des Journalistes du Site Nawaat
Enhancing Independent Media’s Content Production Capabilities
$18600
To expand and enhance independent media content development on democracy and governance related topics. The organization will increase and improve its video production and produce short explainer videos as well as longer video segments monthly. The organization will focus its videos and reporting on issues pertaining to democratic development in Tunisia.
Tunisian Association of Public Auditors
Strengthening Natural Resource Governance
$35000
To empower civil society to advocate transparent governance practices in Tunisia’s extractive industries. The organization will convene a seminar on extractive industries and parliament’s oversight role, train parliamentarians on their role in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) process and oversight of natural resource governance, organize a seminar for civil society partners on hydrocarbon public contracts, and organize a seminar on the reform of state-owned enterprises in the extractive industries. The organization will also continue to advocate for measures necessary to joining the EITI.
Developpement sans Frontières (Lab’ess)
Facilitating Social Entrepreneurship to Promote Local Economic Development
$40000
To advocate a more enabling legal and regulatory framework for social entrepreneurship and ‘social and solidarity economy’ initiatives. The organization will train municipal councilmembers on the role of municipalities in supporting social entrepreneurship to promote local economic development, and train and network social entrepreneurs and related NGOs to create a national representative body for social entrepreneurship enterprises.
Bloggeurs sans Chaines
Protecting Freedom of Expression
$52000
To strengthen a legal defense organization’s ability to defend freedom of expression. The organization will engage two lawyers and launch a hotline for legal support and defense of online activists who have been prosecuted for their online speech under sections of the criminal and communications codes. The organization will create a secure database to effectively manage the legal cases and provide legal services to defendants.
Association Bledii
Promoting Citizen Engagement in Local Democracy
$8400
To connect citizens to decision-makers and promote participatory local governance in Kasserine Governorate. The organization will conduct a municipal needs assessment, develop a capacity building action plan with municipal councils, and hold trainings on local governance and accountability. It will organize roundtables for youth to discuss initiatives to improve municipal services, and trainings and exchange visits for councilmembers on communication and municipal structure and subcommittees.
Media Development Center
Supporting Independent Community Media
$50000
To support the development of quality independent community radios. The organization will train newly licensed independent radio stations on professional and ethical standards of journalism, the legal framework for broadcast journalism, and sustainable management of a non-profit radio station. The organization will also conduct follow-up visits with radio stations, monitor their output, provide technical assistance and guidance, publish a guide for non-profit radios and convene a final evaluation workshop.
Association des Journalistes du Site Nawaat
Enhancing Independent Media’s Content Production Capabilities
$90000
To expand and enhance independent media content development on democracy and governance related topics. The organization will increase and improve its video production of short explainer videos as well as longer video segments monthly. The organization will focus its videos and reporting on issues pertaining to democratic development in Tunisia.
Association for the Defense of Human Rights
Promoting Community Dialogue
$8400
To promote cooperation and prevent conflict between civil society and security forces; and to provide legal support to civil society groups in southern Tunisia. The organization will train civil society and the security services on the emergency law, convene a seminar on how the law affects civil society, and train a group of volunteers to staff a legal support center. It will also hold a seminar on the emergency law, and an additional training for members of the legal center.
