Human Rights and Democratisation Scheme to support CSOs (Palestine)

• Eligibility Criteria: The following eligibility criteria apply:
  1. Registration: Applicant organisations that are in operation and have a valid NGO Registration Certificate and Number, and have a minimum of two years of experience as of 1 January 2024.
  2. Organisation Focus: Applicant organisations must have a clear focus and expertise in the area of support. Organisations will be assessed based on their level of expertise and understanding in the project focus area.
  3. Funding Status: In order to avoid double-funding, applications cannot be accepted from any organisations which have been approved to receive a grant in 2023 or 2024 from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
  4. Accounts: The Eligibility Form should be accompanied by full audited accounts for the last financial year prior to application
  5. Record of Compliance: Applicants with a record of non-compliance with the terms of Department contract(s) will not be considered for funding.
  6. Safeguarding: Applicants must have policies and procedures in place to protect
  vulnerable and young adults, children beneficiaries, staff, and volunteers, as relevant. Copies of these policies might be requested at any stage of the appraisal and contractual process.
• Type of funding: Programmatic
• Target countries: Palestine
• Application language: English

Applications are now open for the Human Rights and Democratisation (HRD) Scheme to provide support for Civil Society Organisations engaged in promoting human rights and democratisation.

Ireland has provided core budgetary assistance to empower civil society organisations to monitor and document human rights abuses, work with victims towards redress, support the establishment of fair, independent, and responsive accountability mechanisms, and engage in policy and reform dialogue with duty bearers.

Applications are now being sought from Palestinian civil society organisations for 2023 project funding to carry out projects of up to one year in duration. It is envisaged that the selected projects will commence in February 2024 onwards. The process is highly competitive and not all applications will be successful.

Objectives

• To empower Palestinian civil society organisations in contributing to Palestinian institutional building, and to protect and promote fundamental freedoms.

Thematic Priorities

Projects should aim to address at least one of the following thematic priorities:

• To strengthen the skills of journalists in digital journalism and learn about the range of tools and techniques that help journalists prepare for their stories. This should focus on digital tools and best practices for news gathering and online verification, weighing information & evidence and helping journalists to find and tackle dis/misinformation, and verifying and telling engaging stories.
• Promote or safeguard Palestinian cultural heritage, identity, or representation, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups and areas and on the natural environment.
• Use of innovative approaches (e.g. utilising multimedia in social media campaigns) to advance topical policy issues related to gender equality, women’s empowerment, or combatting gender-based violence.

Funding information

• The maximum possible annual grant is €40,000

See here to learn more and apply.

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