U.S. Department of State Grant: Supporting Civil Society Peacebuilding and Regional Normalization in the South Caucasus

Armenian, U.S. and International not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations.

ROGRAM DESCRIPTION 

The U.S. Embassy Yerevan Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to implement programs to: 1) advance civil society peace-building efforts between the people of Armenia and Azerbaijan, and 2) to support civil society’s efforts to advance normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkiye. Proposals may include initiatives with elements such as people-to-people programs, civil society exchanges, dialogues, research, education, training, awareness-raising, and confidence-building measures. Two (2) separate projects are set forth in this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The overall objective of these initiatives is to support progress toward a sustainable, long-lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and to advance regional cooperation, reconciliation and normalization of relations in the region. NOTE: Applicants may apply for one or both projects, however, the two projects have distinct goals and audiences and should not be combined into a single initiative. 

Program Objectives:  

This NOFO comprises two (2) separate projects. Applicants must have the experience and resources to reach the target objectives. 

Project 1: Supporting Civil Society Efforts and Building Public Confidence in the Normalization of Relations between Armenia and Turkiye 

Project ceiling: $200,000 

For this project, the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan seeks innovative proposals to advance the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkiye by supporting civil society efforts to address reconciliation and build public confidence in normalization. Projects might focus on the following: utilizing creative dialogue and the arts to envision a shared future; reconciliation and conflict resolution skill-building initiatives; exchanges or training programs that build networks between young leaders on shared challenges and issues; and/or Initiatives that empower participants to tell stories shared history and culture that highlight human dignity and empathy. The scope of this NOFO is purposefully kept broad to encourage innovative approaches to peace, reconciliation, and confidence-building efforts. Proposals must include participation of citizens of Armenia and citizens of Turkiye.   

Objectives 

• To strengthen and expand the network of civil society leaders who are advancing reconciliation efforts and confidence building in the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkiye. 
• To increase knowledge and understanding of the current landscape and potential for engagement in the present environment.  
• To contribute to improving public perceptions of and confidence in the Armenia-Turkiye normalization process. 
• To promote respect for human dignity and enhance mutual understanding, utilizing people-to-people contacts, informal networks, and mechanisms to educate and involve broader society in each country. 
• To explore the potential for new models of interaction to advance regional cooperation and normalization. 

Project 2: Supporting Armenia-Azerbaijan Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution Initiatives 

For this project, the U.S. Embassy seeks innovative proposals to support conflict resolution between Armenia and Azerbaijan by supporting civil society peace building and reconciliation efforts. Projects might focus on the following: capacity building for peacebuilding institutions and organizations; utilizing creative dialogue and the arts to envision a shared future; mediation and conflict resolution skill-building initiatives; and/or exchanges or training programs that build networks between young leaders or peacebuilders, and/or empower participants to tell stories of conflict resolution that highlight human dignity and empathy. The scope of this NOFO is purposefully kept broad to encourage innovative approaches to peacebuilding and conflict resolution. Participants must include participation of citizens of Armenia and citizens of Azerbaijan.   

Project ceiling: $300,000 

Objectives 

• To strengthen and expand the network of civil society leaders who are advancing peace and building civil society connections between Armenia and Azerbaijan. 
• To increase knowledge and understanding of the current landscape and potential for peaceful engagement in the post-conflict environment.  
• To contribute to changing public perceptions about the relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan. 
• To promote respect for human dignity and enhance mutual understanding, utilizing people-to-people contacts, informal networks, and mechanisms to educate and involve the broader civil society in each community. 
• To explore the potential for new models of interaction to advance regional peace. 

Participants and Audiences: 

The audience and participants for these projects is civil society, with a priority focus on youth leaders, women, journalists, academic experts, artists, and/or other opinion leaders, depending on the project envisioned. Projects that also engage U.S. expertise or U.S. partners are encouraged. We will give special consideration to proposals which incorporate the following elements as techniques or tools for meeting the strategic goals: cooperation in project implementation between two peacebuilding organizations; engaging alumni of U.S. government supported programs and exchanges (to include building upon previous programs or launching new initiatives with alumni from past projects); and, grassroots initiatives that support underserved communities. 

NOTE: We are NOT seeking proposals for Track “1.5” dialogues or approaches that involve a mix of government and non-governmental experts. 

More details can be found in the full NOFO.