Democratic Governance
Promoting Good Governance
$50,000
To further democratic governance culture and practices and promote accountability and transparency at local level. The organization will map and assess local governance structures and practices of metropolitan municipalities. The organization will engage representatives of municipalities, academia, business associations and civil society to discuss project findings, offer recommendations and advocate for reform.
Universal Rights
Promoting Freedom of Assembly and Association
$50,000
To advocate for democratic, fair, and accessible elections; and to monitor and document voting rights violations. The project will produce podcasts, TV programs, and animated videos to raise awareness of voting rights. The organization will also monitor the election process to identify irregularities by collaborating with international election monitoring groups and coordinating a joint local CSO election observation platform. The project will include election day monitoring in 20 different cities.
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Building Strong Networks Of Change Agents To Protect Democratic Space
$600,000
To empower civil society to foster responsible, accountable, and participatory governance in Turkey through combating corruption, ensuring access to independent information, and strengthening the organizational structure of business associations. The Center will institutionalize standards of anti-bribery and anti-corruption compliance controls. The Center will also amplify the voice of private sector stakeholders by strengthening governance of business associations and foster accountability by supporting a local partner synthesize government data on a central platform.
Democratic Governance
Promoting Evidence-Based Public Policy
$70,000
To strengthen democratic governance. The organization will study Turkey’s participation and engagement in multilateral mechanisms and institutions and analyze their impact on democracy and governance in the country. The project will focus on multilateral institutions and agreements in the spheres of democracy, human rights, rule of law, economics and international trade, and environmental governance.
Democratic Norms, Ideas and Values
Enhancing Youth Engagement in Public Policy
$40,000
To promote democratic ideas and values and advance public policy debate through digital explanatory media platforms. The organization will collaborate with members of Turkish academia and civil society to produce a series of informational videos explainers and podcasts on critical socio-political issues in Turkey. In addition, the grantee will organize online debates on democracy-related topics of interest to youth. It will also publish regular infographic and textual content on its Instagram account.
Democratic Governance
Developing and Advocating Roadmaps for Institutional Reform
$147,000
To strengthen the rule of law and promote good governance and accountability by advocating for structural reforms in key institutions and legislation. The organization will focus specifically on reforms related to legislative oversight, the executive branch, the political party law, electoral law, and constitution-making process. The grantee will hold a series of workshops and public events, publish reports, and lead advocacy efforts that include a media campaign and targeted stakeholder outreach.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Investing In A Democratic Future
$700,000
To promote political dialogue, policy-driven political debate, and youth inclusion in political decision-making, the Institute will conduct public opinion and policy research and present findings to Turkey’s mainline political parties. The Institute will continue to train young leaders in political and policy skills, as well as reconnect with recent alumni of the Institute’s youth programming. Finally, the Institute will continue to promote evidence-based policy discussion among higher-level political party leaders, and to bring together those professionally engaged in Turkey’s relationship with the West. At time of writing, it is unsafe and illegal to hold public gatherings in Turkey due to the COVID-19 crisis. If this situation continues through this grant, then the Institute will conduct activities online or remotely. Specifically, the Youth Fellowship Program, single-party Policy on the Menu roundtables, and multi-party Policy on the Menu roundtables can be held using Zoom or similar software if necessary. Public opinion research can be conducted via telephone instead of in-person, if necessary and the policy research studies will be performed remotely. Activities that necessitate in-person gatherings will be delayed until it is safe to conduct them, or the Institute will adapt them to be held remotely. These events include Youth Fellowship Module on Turkey-West relations, the Youth Fellows Practicum, and the Youth Fellows Alumni Network.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Promoting Institutionalized Civic Engagement
$720,000
At the national level, governance in Turkey is becoming increasingly authoritarian. At the local level, however, there is still space for participatory and responsive decision making. To promote more democratic practices at the local level, the Institute will help local government officials and civil society activists collaborate on shared priorities. Institutionalizing more inclusive and responsive decision-making will contribute to improved governance and citizen empowerment, while setting examples that could serve as a model for other communities.
Universal Rights
Strengthening Free Expression and Media Independence
$290,800
To promote and defend independent media and free expression. A web platform will serve as a community bulletin board for journalists and concerned citizens to inform and debate the conditions of independent media in Turkey. The platform will commission articles by freelance journalists on topics related to press freedom and journalists’ challenges, prioritizing contributions from those whose voices have been excluded from mainstream media. The project will also provide legal assistance to journalists facing prosecution and support relevant advocacy efforts.
Universal Rights
Human Rights Defenders Network
$50,000
To promote the rule of law and tackle impunity through empowering and networking human rights defenders and lawyers. The project will form a network of human rights centers of bar associations and support its collective data gathering, legal analysis, advocacy, and actions before human rights mechanisms. The project will also strengthen the capacity of network members as well as other human rights lawyers and civil society actors to challenge impunity.
