By Tracey Eaton (alongthemalecon)
HAVANA TIMES – The United States State Department on Wednesday announced that it is looking for U.S.- or foreign-based organizations interested in running programs aimed at boosting civil, political and labor rights in Cuba.
The department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor expects to award up to $11 million in grants, ranging from $500,000 to $2 million each.
Statements of interest from organizations hoping to receive funds are due Feb. 5, 2015.
The bureau’s announcement says it will give priority to proposals that “emphasize the role of Cuban partners in developing and achieving programmatic objectives.”
Perhaps that language was added in light of the Obama administration’s Dec. 17 decision to pursue diplomatic relations with Cuba.
See the full announcement here.
Excerpts are below:
The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces a Request for Statements of Interest (RSOI) from organizations interested in submitting Statements of Interest (SOI) outlining programs that will foster civil, political, and labor rights in Cuba.
DRL invites organizations to submit SOIs for programs that promote internationally-recognized individual, civil, political, and labor rights – as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements – in Cuba.
The Cuban government fails to respect freedom of speech and the press, restricts internet access, maintains a monopoly on political power and media outlets, circumscribes academic freedom, and maintains some restrictions on the ability of religious groups to meet and worship. The government refuses to recognize non-governmental human rights groups or permit them to function legally.
The government continues to prevent workers from forming independent unions and otherwise exercising their labor rights. Common human rights abuses on the island include those involving the abridgement of the right of citizens to participate in their government, including through periodic and genuine elections, as well as the use of government threats, extrajudicial physical violence, intimidation, organized mobs, harassment, and detentions to prevent free expression and peaceful assembly. In addition, the government continues to engage in or permit the following abuses: short-term, arbitrary unlawful detentions and arrests, harsh prison conditions, selective prosecution, and denial of fair trial. Authorities also interfere with privacy, engaging in pervasive monitoring of private communications without legal authority and with impunity.
DRL programs in Cuba aim to strengthen on-island, independent civil society capacity to further the rights and interests of Cuban citizens, and to overcome the limitations that have been imposed by the Cuban government on citizens’ civil, political, and labor rights. In particular, programs should support the realization in Cuba of rights enshrined within Articles 5, 9, 10, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, and 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, among others.
A highly competitive statement of interest would generally:
Activities that are typically funded include, but are not limited to:
Activities that are not typically funded include, but are not limited to:
DRL encourages applicants to foster collaborative partnerships; applicants are invited to form consortia which submit a combined SOI, in which one organization is designated as the lead applicant. DRL also strives to ensure its programs advance the rights and uphold the dignity of the most vulnerable or at-risk populations.
Approximately $11 million in programming will be supported, pending availability of funds.
An organization may submit no more than two applications. Applications that request less than the award floor ($500,000) or more than the award ceiling ($2,000,000) may be deemed technically ineligible.
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