Iran Democracy Program Announcement

The summary for the Iran Democracy Program Announcement grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Middle East Partnership Initiative, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Iran Democracy Program Announcement: I. Funding Opportunity Description: The Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) announces an open competition for grant applications that support democratic governance and reform in Iran. This represents a new MEPI funding initiative and submissions must outline activities linked to reform and demonstrate how the proposed approach would achieve sustainable impact in Iran. Submitting organizations must articulate capacity and expertise in civil society programming, and knowledge of local conditions and needs. Strengthening and multiplying the number of organizations engaging in democratic practices such as the rule of law, government accountability, access to independent sources of information, freedom of association and speech, and free, fair and competitive elections will increase the contributions of Iranians to their own futures and those of their society. MEPI has particular interest in supporting programs that are innovative and that meet needs and opportunities not already addressed by current donor funding. Accordingly, this request seeks projects to broaden and deepen within Iran the means and modes of publicly expressed and responsible citizen views on reform in all its aspects. The range of possible themes and issues includes, but is not limited to:. freedom of association. the right of citizens to access independent sources of information; . the right to advocate responsibly on important issues and debate ideas freely with other citizens and local, regional, and national government representatives without fear of retribution, including through democratically organized and legal political parties; . the right to participate in local and national governance processes; . the right to transparent and effective government services, including regular public accountability for monies spent; . the right to speedy, fair, and transparent access to courts of law to settle civil, commercial, and criminal matters; . the right to participate as candidates and supporters in transparently organized, free, fair and competitive democratic elections. MEPI seeks to strengthen the community of Iranian reformers at the local and national levels, and support reformers with demonstrated commitment as they work to build broader alliances with new stakeholder groups around issues of core democratic values. MEPI supports programs that link reformers within and across national boundaries and use local organizational capacity to leverage opportunities to advance reform. When a U.S. or European based NGO proposes to lead a project, we strongly encourage partnerships that will help suitable local organizations expand and become vibrant and strongly led. Background Information about MEPI: MEPI is a Presidential initiative to promote positive change in the Middle East and North Africa through diplomatic efforts and through results-oriented programs, both regional and specific to individual countries. Reform is of strategic, long-term importance to the national security interests of the United States and to the U.S. goal of ensuring that the people of the region experience the benefits that come with more open economies, greater educational opportunities, and political freedom. A key element of MEPI is creating links and partnerships between civil societies and governments to jointly achieve sustainable reform.