Advocacy and Public Engagement Grants for Civil Society Organizations in the MENA Region

Description

1) Objective

The Minority Rights Group is offering advocacy grants to enhance the engagement and advocacy for the rights of minority groups and marginalized communities in Lebanon, Tunisia, and Palestine. Part of the Minorities, Accountability, and Civic Space (MACS) project, these grants aim to support activities such as monitoring, evidence production, advocacy, and public discourse engagement. The initiative focuses on maximizing attention toward the situation of minorities in these countries, empowering organizations to effectively advocate for and support these communities.

The grants will cover one or a combination of activities that aim to advocate and engage the public on issues and challenges faced by minorities and marginalized groups. This can include (but not limited to):

• Advocacy activities are aimed at the local, national, and/ or international levels.
• Activities targeting the broader public through media and public awareness activities.
• Research activities and robust evidence production.
• Documentation, monitoring and reporting activities.
• Litigation and legal assistance, including providing legal support to marginalized communities.

2) Eligibility

Eligible applicants include human rights or minority rights organizations, including those focused on policy research, legislative reform, and democratic development with a human/minority rights component. Applicants must be not-for-profit civil society organizations (official registration not necessary), based in one of the project countries, and have a track record of working with disadvantaged or marginalized groups. They should also possess skills in project management, risk management, and financial management, have no public debt, comply with anti-corruption measures, and be able to receive funding.

3) Location

The grants are available for organizations based in Lebanon, Tunisia, and Palestine.

4) Budget

Each grant is up to 33,000€, with the duration of the grant lasting up to 18 months. The budget must include a line for communication and an optional line for an advocacy mission, when relevant.

5) Application

Organizations wishing to apply should submit an application form and a budget in Arabic, English, or French to macs@minorityrights.org by the deadline of December 31, 2023. The selection criteria include relevance, clear logic, participatory design, realistic targets, identified beneficiaries, budget justification, sustainability, gender and minority rights mainstreaming, and intersectional aspects. Accepted organizations are required to complete an online training course, attend advocacy meetings in Brussels, and participate in an in-country networking workshop.