Syria Democracy Program Announcement

The summary for the Syria 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.

Syria Democracy Program Announcement: The Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) announces an open competition for grant applications that support democratic governance and reform in Syria. This represents a new MEPI funding initiative and submissions must outline activities linked to reform and demonstrate how the proposed approach would build on expertise that already exists in the MENA region to achieve sustainable impact in Syria. Submitting organizations (and any members of coalitions) must articulate capacity and expertise in civil society programming, and knowledge of local conditions and needs. Submissions must also demonstrate awareness of other ongoing reform programs in the region (MEPI-funded and otherwise). 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 Syrians 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 Syria 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 and 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 governments 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; MEPI seeks to strengthen the community of Syrian 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 encourages local organizations to form coalitions that would work together on democratic reform issues and priorities, and share information and expertise with one another. Coalitions could include NGOs, trade unions, chambers of commerce, journalists, professional associations, and academic institutions. 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 leads a project, we require partnerships that will contribute to local organizations that are suitable, 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 with Arab, U.S. civil society, and governments to jointly achieve sustainable reform.