The Open Society Foundations have issued a call for projects that use a human rights-based approach. They are currently requesting information from NGOs about initiatives where they have worked with the police to improve the health and human rights of sex workers or people who use drugs in low and middle income countries.
This call will select eight model projects whose representatives will be invited to participate in a seminar in Sydney, Australia in November 2012, and will be profiled in an international publication. This meeting will also seek to foster the development of a “community of practice” for information exchange and advocacy on NGO-police collaboration to improve the health and rights of these groups.
Eligible projects should use a human rights-based approach, are driven by or involve meaningful engagement of sex workers and drug users themselves, engage cooperatively with law enforcement, and demonstrate positive impacts on police attitudes and practices or law enforcement policy.
Possible areas of work may include, but are not limited to:
- Developing and implementing tools for training police;
- Designing methods to ensure access to services while in police custody;
- Working with police to develop and implement tools for monitoring police abuse (physical, sexual, psychological) of criminalized groups;
- Cultivating teams of supportive police and building their capacity as advocates, peer trainers within the police force, and resource persons for sex worker and drug user groups;
- Negotiating access to police protection when sex workers or drug users are victims of crime, including when they are victims of police abuse; or
- Developing official laws, guidelines, or policies for police conduct toward criminalized groups.
Submissions must be written, audiotaped, or videotaped in English and sent by email. Shortlisted projects will be interviewed over the phone. The deadline for submissions is 3 August 2012.
For more information, visit this link.
