The U.S. Embassy Kabul Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Department of State is inviting grant proposals for programs with a focus on strengthening the civil society of Afghanistan and encouraging participation of women in all aspects of Afghan society. The funding is available through the embassy’s Public Diplomacy Grants program.
Purpose of Grant
- Local grants are intended for local representatives of civil society, including non-governmental organizations and universities. They support projects to:
- Strengthen civil society and secure the fullest participation of women in all aspects of Afghan society.
- Strengthen people-to-people ties to deepen the partnership between communities within Afghanistan, in the region, and between Afghanistan and the United States.
- Counter extremist voices that recruit, mislead, and exploit.
- Expand media engagement and public political discourse.
- Build communication capacity of the Afghan people and government.
Proposed Activities
Activities that are typically funded include, but are not limited to:
- new media concepts aimed at reaching wider audiences;
- media training projects;
- English language programs;
- proposals to expand U.S.-Afghan exchange programs;
- programs that strengthen government and private sector communications capabilities;
- youth community service projects that practice democratic processes and encourage volunteerism;
- public education projects that promote democratic processes and human rights;
- proposals that support the dissemination of tolerant voices of traditional and community leaders;
- youth recreation, leadership, and education programs;
- arts and culture programs;
- radio and television programming in support of the objectives;
- access to education, including scholarships for women and disadvantaged individuals to study at private universities in Afghanistan or at regional or U.S. universities.
Project and Budget Periods
Local grants projects generally must be completed in one year or less. The Public Affairs Section will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards, beyond the initial budget period, on a non-competitive basis, subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the applicants, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the Department of State.
Eligibility Criteria
The U.S. Embassy Kabul Public Affairs Section encourages applications from all sectors: committed and organized civil-society organizations, private sector companies, local representatives of civil society, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and individuals. U.S. NGOs may apply but preference is given to local NGOs or to partnerships that develop capacity with Afghan NGOs or employees and include plans to transfer programs to sustainable local management.
Last date for submitting the proposals is September 30, 2012.
For more information, visit this link and search by the Funding Opportunity Number SCAKAB-12-AW-001-SCA-100111.
