Grants for Promoting Government Accountability in Thailand through Citizen Journalism

• Eligibility criteria:
  – DRL welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO) and public international organizations; private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses.
  – DRL’s preference is to work with non-profit entities; however, there may be some occasions when a for-profit entity is best suited.
• Type of funding:
• Target country: Thailand
• Application language: English

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) announces an open solicitation for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that enable citizens to hold the government accountable for local governance and political reform efforts in Thailand using increased access to objective information. Anticipated Number of Awards: Approximately 1-2

A competitive applicant will prioritize working with a variety of civic actors and fostering linkages between civil society advocates in Bangkok and peripheral areas of the country.

lllustrative activities may include:

• Capacity-building for independent media and citizen journalists in mobile journalism, digital security, and other skills needed to effectively and safely engage audiences online and counter disinformation.
• Increasing thematic understanding among citizen journalists, influencers, and other information providers on Thailand’s political system and opportunities for public participation.
• Providing opportunities for citizen and/or student journalists to receive mentorship from independent media actors.
• Providing capacity-building and/or small grant support to local fact-checking organizations or other efforts that aim to counter disinformation and build media literacy.
• Building partnerships among universities, citizen journalists, fact-checking organizations, and Thai local civil society groups to hold local government accountable.
• Small grant support for in-depth digital storytelling on local governance issues in Thailand, with a focus on regions outside Bangkok, and inclusive of marginalized groups.
• Pairing reporting and digital storytelling with offline creative public engagement campaigns.
• Holding community-level public discussions and debates on local governance issues.

See here to learn more and apply.