Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant Proposals: Open Competition Seeking: Professional Exchange Programs; Cultural Programs; and School Administrators & Community Leaders in Indonesia, 74682-74696 [E6-20918]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 5636]
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Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant
Proposals: Open Competition Seeking:
Professional Exchange Programs;
Cultural Programs; and School
Administrators & Community Leaders
in Indonesia
Announcement Type: New Grant.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/
PE/C–07–01.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number: 19.415.
Key Dates:
Application Deadline: February 16,
2007.
Executive Summary: The Office of
Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs
announces an open competition for
grants that support exchanges and build
relationships between U.S. non-profit
organizations and civil society and
cultural groups in Africa, East Asia,
Europe, the Near East, North Africa,
South Central Asia and the Western
Hemisphere. U.S. public and non-profit
organizations meeting the provisions
described in Internal Revenue code
section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit
proposals that support the goals of The
Professional Exchanges and Cultural
Program. Projects should promote
mutual understanding and partnerships
between key professional and cultural
groups in the United States and
counterpart groups in other countries
through multi-phased exchanges taking
place over one to two years. Proposals
should encourage citizen engagement in
current issues, with a particular focus
on youth and those who influence them,
and promote the development of
democratic societies and institutions,
with a view toward creating a more
stable world. To the fullest extent
possible, programs should be two-way
exchanges supporting roughly equal
numbers of participants from the U.S.
and foreign countries.
Proposed projects should transform
institutional and individual
understanding of key issues, foster
dialogue, share expertise, and develop
capacity. Through these people-topeople exchanges, the Bureau seeks to
break down stereotypes that divide
peoples, to promote good governance, to
contribute to conflict prevention and
management, and to build respect for
cultural expression and identity in a
world. Projects should be structured to
allow American professionals and their
international counterparts in eligible
countries to develop a common dialogue
for dealing with shared challenges and
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concerns. Projects should include
current or potential leaders who will
effect positive change in their
communities. Exchange participants
may include artists, community leaders,
elected and professional government
officials, religious leaders, educators,
and proponents of democratic ideals
and institutions, including for example,
the media and judiciary, or others who
influence the way in which different
communities approach these issues. The
Bureau is especially interested in
engaging socially and economically
diverse groups that may not have had
extensive contact with counterpart
institutions in the United States and
particularly seeks proposals that engage
educators or other groups that directly
influence youth in innovative ways.
Applicants may not submit proposals
that address more than one region or
that include countries not eligible under
a specific theme designated in the
RFGP. For the purposes of this
competition, eligible regions are Africa,
East Asia, Europe, the Near East, North
Africa, South Central Asia, and the
Western Hemisphere. No guarantee is
made or implied that grants will be
awarded in all themes and for all
countries listed.
Please refer to section III.3 for
information on eligibility requirements.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority: Overall grant making
authority for this program is contained
in the Mutual Educational and Cultural
Exchange Act of 1961, as amended,
Public Law 87–256, also known as the
Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the
Act is ‘‘to enable the Government of the
United States to increase mutual
understanding between the people of
the United States and the people of
other countries * * *; to strengthen the
ties which unite us with other nations
by demonstrating the educational and
cultural interests, developments, and
achievements of the people of the
United States and other nations * * *
and thus to assist in the development of
friendly, sympathetic, and peaceful
relations between the United States and
the other countries of the world.’’ The
funding authority for the program above
is provided through legislation.
Purpose: The competition is based on
the premise that people-to-people
exchanges encourage and strengthen
understanding of democratic values,
nurture the social, political, cultural,
and economic development of societies
and encourage citizen involvement.
Exchanges supported by institutional
grants from the Bureau should operate
at two levels: They should enhance
partnerships between U.S. and foreign
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institutions, and they should establish a
common language to develop practical
solutions for shared problems and
concerns. The Bureau is particularly
interested in projects that will create
mutually beneficial and self-sustaining
linkages between professional
communities in the U.S. and their
counterpart communities in other
countries. Applicants must identify the
U.S. and foreign organizations and
individuals with whom they are
proposing to collaborate and describe
previous cooperative activities, if any.
Information about the mission,
activities, and accomplishments of
partner organizations should be
included in the submission. Proposals
should contain letters of commitment or
support from partner organizations for
the proposed project. Applicants should
clearly outline and describe the role and
responsibilities of all partner
organizations in terms of project
logistics, management and oversight.
Proposals linking institutions that have
previously collaborated should clearly
indicate how projects proposed in
response to this RFGP will significantly
build on previous work to accomplish
specific new outcomes. Proposals for
creative new work or designed to
achieve significant new outcomes will
be deemed more competitive under the
Program Planning and Ability to
Achieve Objectives review criterion, per
item V.1 below. Proposals for
continuing activities funded under
previous grants will be deemed less so.
Competitive proposals will include
the following:
• A brief description of the issue to be
addressed and how it relates to the
target country or region. (Proposals that
request resources for an initial needs
assessment will be deemed less
competitive under the review criterion
Program Planning and Ability to
Achieve Objectives, per item V.1
below.);
• A clear, succinct statement of
program objectives and expected
outcomes that respond to Bureau goals
for each theme in this competition.
Desired outcomes should be described
in qualitative and quantitative terms.
(See the Program Monitoring and
Evaluation section per item V.1 below,
for more information on project
objectives and outcomes.);
• A proposed timeline, listing the
optimal schedule for each program
activity;
• A description of participant
recruitment and selection processes;
• Letters of support from foreign and
U.S. partners. (Letters from prospective
partner institutions should demonstrate
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a capacity to arrange and conduct U.S.
and overseas activities.);
• An outline of the applicant
organization’s relevant expertise in the
project theme and country(ies);
• An outline of relevant experience
managing previous exchange programs;
• Resumes of experienced staff who
have demonstrated a commitment to
implement and monitor projects and
ensure outcomes;
• A comprehensive plan to evaluate
whether program outcomes achieved the
specific objectives described in the
narrative. (See the Program Monitoring
and Evaluation section [IV.3d.d below]
for further guidance on evaluation.);
• A post-grant plan that demonstrates
how the grantee plans to maintain
contacts initiated through the program.
Applicants should discuss ways that
U.S. and foreign participants or host
institutions will collaborate and
communicate after the ECA-funded
grant has concluded. (See Review
Criterion #5, per item V.1 below for
more information on post-grant
activities.)
• Successful projects will
demonstrate the importance Americans
place on community service as an
element of active citizenship and may
include ideas and projects to strengthen
civil society through community service
either during participants’ stay in the
U.S. or upon their return to their
countries.
• In addition to addressing the
specific themes described below,
proposals should develop partner
organizations’ capacity in such areas as
strategic planning, performance
management, fund raising, financial
management, human resources
management, and decision-making.
It is important that the proposal
narrative clearly state the applicant’s
commitment to consult closely with the
Public Affairs Section of the U.S.
Embassy in the relevant country(ies) to
develop plans for project
implementation and to select project
participants. Proposals should also
acknowledge U.S. embassy involvement
in the final selection of all participants.
Applicants should state their
willingness to invite representatives of
the embassy(ies) and/or consulate(s) to
participate in program sessions or site
visits. Narratives should state that all
material developed for the project will
prominently acknowledge Department
of State ECA Bureau funding for the
program. Applicants who are awarded
assistance awards are encouraged to
engage in outreach activities that will
promote the goals of the project and
increase the visibility of the project
activities, including the holding of
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public events and appropriate media
appearances. Grantees and in-country
partners are encouraged to consult
closely with the relevant Public Affairs
Section staff from the U.S. Embassy(ies)
and with Washington, DC-based
program officers on any such outreach.
All applicants are strongly encouraged
to consult with the Washington, DCbased State Department contact for the
themes/regions listed below and with
Public Affairs Officers at U.S. embassies
in relevant countries as they develop
proposals responding to this RFGP.
Note on Outputs and Outcomes: All
projects under this RFGP must identify
outputs and outcomes for each program
phase. Outputs are products and services
delivered, often stated as an amount. Output
information is important to show the scope
or size of project activities, but it cannot
substitute for information about progress
towards outcomes or the results achieved.
Examples of outputs include the number of
people trained or the number of seminars
conducted. Outcomes are the impacts on
individual participants in the exchanges, the
larger beneficiary audience, and changes in
institutional structures or behavior. Findings
on outputs and outcomes should both be
reported, but the focus should be on
outcomes. The more that outcomes are
‘‘smart’’ (specific, measurable, attainable,
results-oriented, and placed in a reasonable
time frame), the stronger will be the
evaluation.
Africa (AF)
Program Contact: Curtis Huff, tel:
(202) 453–8159, e-mail:
HuffCE@State.gov.
I. AF: Active and Responsible
Citizenship
• Promote the education of citizens
with broad potential to influence their
societies, especially women and
representatives of marginalized groups,
on rights and responsibilities in a
democracy, and empower them to
participate in the development of public
policy, public discussions and debates
by developing their knowledge,
individual skills and organizational
capacity, and the development of self
sustaining civil society organizations.
Audience: Primarily women and
representatives of marginalized groups
who show leadership potential.
Secondarily, other community leaders
who can create the conditions for more
effective citizen participation in public
affairs and community organizations.
Eligible Countries: Proposals must
focus on one of the following: Kenya,
Nigeria, or South Africa. The Office is
willing to consider the addition of one
or two neighboring countries in the subregion if the case can be made that such
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inclusion will strengthen impact of the
program.
A successful program will provide
participants:
• Practical positive results of citizen
engagement in civil society, including
an informed and participating citizenry,
respect for human rights and the rule of
law and concepts such as volunteerism,
the idea that citizens can and do act at
the grassroots level to deal with social
problems.
• Appreciation for American
governmental and legal structures, an
understanding of the diversity of
American society and increased
tolerance and respect for others with
differing views and beliefs.
• Structured interaction designed to
develop enduring professional ties
between U.S. and partner organizations.
• Develop leadership capacity to
enable participants to initiate and
sustain community development and
community service activities in their
home countries.
Possible program model:
• The U.S. grantee and its African
partner identify Africans to be
considered for a U.S.-based program.
• A three-to four-week U.S. program
is designed that includes orientation,
study tour/site visits, internships, and
discussions.
• Similar study tours are designed for
American participants in Africa, along
with workshops and other public
programs including media. Such
activities will offer American
participants the opportunity to join with
their African partners in reaching
broader audiences in Africa.
• Joint, follow-on projects are
designed to be implemented by the
American and African partners after the
ECA grant has expired, such as online
correspondence including Digital Video
Conferences, development of
informative materials to share, and joint
study projects through electronic means.
II. AF: Transparent, Accountable
Financial Management
• Engage financial managers with
significant responsibility in government
or nongovernmental organizations to
increase their skills and professional
standards.
Audience: Financial managers, both
governmental and nongovernmental.
Eligible Countries: To be successful, a
proposal must focus on one of the
following: Kenya, Nigeria, or South
Africa. The Office is willing to consider
the addition of one or two neighboring
countries in the sub-region if the case
can be made that such inclusion will
strengthen impact of the program.
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A successful program will provide
participants:
• An understanding of the
professional standards for managing
large-scale finances in transparent and
accountable fashion to minimize
opportunities for unethical or
incompetent use of public money.
• Skill in managing money to the
highest professional standards.
• Connection to professional
associations that support financial
managers in striving for best
performance.
• Opportunities to observe how
capable organizations train and monitor
staff in managing finances in order to
assure best performance.
Possible program model:
• An American delegation chosen by
the grantee travels to the partner
country to assess financial management
practices with its partner organization
and jointly plan for a relevant
professional development program to
follow.
• U.S. grantee and its African partner
identify potential African participants
in the proposed program, focusing on
financial managers in leadership
positions or with leadership potential.
• When approved by the Public
Affairs Office of the U.S. Embassy,
African participants travel to the U.S.
for at least three weeks of learning, site
visits, workshops, internships or similar
opportunities to learn skills,
professional standards, and
management of persons with financial
responsibilities, through activities
designed by the grantee.
• An American delegation travels to
the African partner country(ies) to
conduct workshops with its partner
organization for a broader audience and
to plan related activities to be
conducted after expiration of the ECA
grant.
the addition of one or two neighboring
countries in the sub-region if the case
can be made that such inclusion will
strengthen the impact of the program.
A successful program will provide
participants:
• Knowledge and advice to start new
businesses.
• Understanding of conditions that
foster a free-market economy and how
government can promote those
conditions.
• Appreciation for the best American
business practices and the role of
individual entrepreneurial efforts to
create growth.
• An understanding of the diversity
of American society.
• Enhanced leadership capacity that
will enable participants to initiate and
support activities in their home
country(ies) that foster economic growth
in a democratic society.
• Interaction with Americans
designed to generate enduring ties.
Possible program model:
• The U.S. grantee and its African
partner identify Africans to be
considered for the U.S.-based program.
• A three- to four-week U.S. program
is designed that includes orientation,
study tour/site visits, internships and
discussions.
• Similar study tours are designed for
American participants in Africa, along
with workshops and other public
programs including media. Such
activities will offer American
participants the opportunity to join with
their African partners in reaching
broader audiences in Africa.
• Design joint, follow-on projects to
be implemented by the American and
African partners after the ECA grant has
expired, such as online correspondence
including DVCs, development of
informative materials to share, and joint
study projects through electronic means.
III. AF: Fostering Economic Growth to
Strengthen Democracy
• Educate women and emerging
leaders among marginalized groups in
entrepreneurial thinking, business
leadership, and a community-wide
perspective to empower them to engage
in business creation.
Audience: Young entrepreneurs,
especially women and representatives
among marginalized groups, and
representatives from government and
nongovernmental organizations with
positions and interest to foster a climate
that encourages new meritorious
business creation.
Eligible Countries: To be successful, a
proposal must focus on one of the
following: Kenya, Nigeria, or South
Africa. The Office is willing to consider
East Asia and the Pacific (EAP)
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Program Contact: Clint Wright, tel:
(202) 453–8164, e-mail:
WrightHC@state.gov.
I. EAP: Active and Responsible
Citizenship
• Educate parents, teachers and
leaders of youth organizations on rights
and responsibilities in a democracy and
empower them to participate in the
development of public policy, public
discussions and debates by developing
their individual skills and
organizations. Projects should engage
government and NGO leaders in
dialogue.
• Engage government leaders—
national and local—in the importance of
citizen participation in governmental
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decision-making and develop/examine
specific practices that promote an
effective, accountable, transparent and
responsive government and public
administration that is crucial to the
development of democracy. Projects
should engage government and NGO
leaders in dialogue.
Audience: Representatives from
government and non-governmental
organizations, and community leaders.
Eligible Countries: (single-country
projects only) China, Indonesia,
Malaysia, and the Philippines.
A successful program will provide
participants:
• Understanding of important
elements of a civil society. This
includes concepts such as volunteerism,
the idea that citizens can and do act at
the grassroots level to deal with social
problems, and an awareness of the
importance of the rule of law in all
societies.
• Appreciation for American
governmental and legal structures, an
understanding of the diversity of
American society and increased
tolerance and respect for others with
differing views and beliefs.
I Structured interaction designed to
develop enduring professional ties
between U.S. and partner organizations.
I Enhanced leadership capacity that
will enable the participants to initiate
and support activities in their home
countries that focus on civic
engagement and community service.
Successful applicants must fully
demonstrate a capacity to achieve the
following three key activities:
(1) Recruit and select approximately
30 individuals from government, nongovernmental organizations, and
community leaders throughout the
target country, including private
business leaders. Program should be
designed for two groups of 15 to travel
to the U.S. For this phase of the
program, partnering with organizations
based in the target country is required.
(2) In addition to identifying incountry partner and screening,
selecting, and preparing participants
prior to departure for the United States,
the recipient of this grant will be
responsible for building and executing a
three to four week informative travel
and residency program in the United
States.
(3) The final part of the program will
be conducting enhancement activities
and leadership development
opportunities that reinforce program
goals after the participants’ return to
their home country. An essential followon component will be a longitudinal
assessment of the achievements of the
program.
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Possible Program Model:
• U.S. grantee identifies U.S. citizens
to conduct in-country seminar for
citizen leaders, teachers, NGO
representatives, responsible media,
elected local government officials, and
legal professionals to discuss
transparency and accountability. Incountry partner (a local university or
other appropriate professional group)
co-hosts the event with the U.S. grantee
institution.
• U.S. program that includes a
seminar on the role of government/
citizen in the U.S.; internships in local
elected officials’ offices, NGO
organizations, and citizen organizations;
and a one-day debriefing and
evaluation.
• In-country program conducted by
U.S. experts that served as internship
hosts or seminar leaders. Participants in
U.S. program design an in-country
seminar and serve as co-presenters.
Organizers broaden impact through
audience outreach, including media.
Project may also support materials
translated into target language, small
grants for projects designed to expand
the exchange experience and support for
the development of alumni association.
II. EAP: Creating Economic Growth to
Strengthen Democracy
• Engage community and business
leaders, including those involved in
science and technology, to promote
economic growth and prosperity among
youth by sharing experiences, practical
information, and developing leadership
skills in business, including the
importance of corporate social
responsibility.
• Educate youth and women in
entrepreneurial thinking and business
leadership skills to empower them to
engage in business creation.
Audience: Young entrepreneurs,
community leaders, including
representatives from governmental and
non-governmental organizations.
Eligible Countries: (single-country
projects only) China, Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
A successful program will provide
participants:
• Knowledge of the role learning
plays in creating the conditions
necessary for a free market economy.
This includes awareness among the
individuals from the private sector, and
to a lesser extent, public sector
counterparts who shape the business
environment, to develop technically
competent and culturally sensitive
workers in private sector enterprises
and an appreciation of the role of the
individual entrepreneur in creating
economic growth.
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• Appreciation for American business
practice and role of individual
entrepreneurial efforts to create growth,
and an understanding of the diversity of
American society.
• Structured interaction designed to
develop enduring professional ties
between U.S. and partner organizations.
• Enhanced leadership capacity that
will enable participants to initiate and
support activities in their home
countries that focus on development
and community service.
Successful applicants must fully
demonstrate a capacity to achieve the
following three key activities:
(1) Recruit and select approximately
30 individuals from the business
associations, banking and regulatory
agencies and print media including
individual business owners throughout
the target country. Program should be
designed for two groups of 15 to travel
to the U.S. For this phase of the
program, partnering with organizations
based in target country is required.
(2) In addition to identifying incountry partner and screening,
selecting, and preparing participants
prior to departure for the United States,
the recipient of this grant will be
responsible for building and executing a
three to four week informative travel
and residency program in the United
States.
(3) The final part of the program will
be conducting enhancement activities
and leadership development
opportunities that reinforce program
goals after the participants’ return to
their home country. An essential followon component will be a longitudinal
assessment of the achievements of the
program.
Possible Program Model:
• Successful small business
entrepreneurs conduct workshops for
audiences on effective, practical
methods of stimulating entrepreneurial
skills in target countries.
• Key participants of in-country
workshops invited to U.S. for business
facilitation or mentoring to promote
innovation and networking skills.
Develop action plans for business
implementation upon return home.
• Upon return participants
implement business action plans with
guidance from U.S. mentors utilizing email and other direct communication.
• Business mentors travel to country
to evaluate implementation of action
plan and offer assistance.
III. EAP: School Administrators &
Community Leaders
School Administrators and
Community Leaders should be provided
with the following:
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• Acquire an understanding of
important elements of a civil society.
This includes concepts such as
volunteerism, the idea that American
citizens are responsible for acting at the
grassroots level to deal with social and
educational problems, and an awareness
of respect for the rule of law in the U.S.
• Acquire an understanding of the
importance of education in creating
conditions for a free market economy.
This includes awareness of private
enterprise and an appreciation of the
role of the entrepreneur in economic
growth.
• Develop an appreciation for
American culture, an understanding of
the diversity of American society and
increased tolerance and respect for
others with differing views and beliefs.
• Structured interaction designed to
develop enduring professional ties
between U.S. and partner organizations.
• Gain leadership capacity that will
enable participants to initiate and
support activities in their home
countries that focus on development
and community service.
Audience: Leaders of boarding
schools that focus on teaching Islamic
values and on providing basic education
to children from several regions in
Indonesia. These boarding schools are
known as ‘‘pesantren’’.
Eligible Country: Indonesia.
A successful program design must
accomplish these three key objectives:
(1) Recruit and select approximately
45 individual leaders from Indonesian
private secondary schools (known as
‘‘pesantren’’) that are administered
under the auspices of the Government of
Indonesia’s Department of Religious
Affairs. Program should be designed for
three groups of 15 school administrators
and community leaders to travel to the
U.S. For this phase of the program,
partnering with organizations based in
Indonesia is required.
(2) In addition to identifying schools
and screening, selecting, and preparing
participants prior to departure for the
United States, the recipient of this grant
will be responsible for building and
executing a three to four week
informative travel and residency
program in the United States.
(3) The final part of the program will
be conducting enhancement activities
and leadership development
opportunities that reinforce program
goals after the participants’ return to
Indonesia. An essential follow-on
component will be a longitudinal
assessment of the achievements of the
program.
(4) Program design should focus on
offering participants maximum
opportunities to develop leadership
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strengthen civil society and the
democratic process.
• New links between emerging
leaders and organizations in Turkey and
the United States.
• A better understanding of the
priority issues, concerns, and ideas that
prevail in each society;
• A fuller understanding of American
and Turkish foreign policies, political
structures, societies, and cultures.
Successful applicants must fully
demonstrate a capacity to achieve the
following three key activities:
(1) Recruit and select approximately
40 individuals from throughout the
target country. Program should be
designed for two groups of 20 to travel
to the U.S. For this phase of the
program, partnering with organizations
based in Turkey is required (the Public
Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in
Ankara should be consulted on this).
(2) In addition to identifying incountry partner and screening,
selecting, and preparing participants
prior to departure for the United States,
Europe (EUR)
the recipient of this grant will be
Program Contact: Brent Beemer, tel:
responsible for building and executing a
(202) 453–8147, e-mail:
three to four week informative travel
BeemerBT@state.gov.
and residency program in the United
States.
I. EUR: Foreign Policy Dialogue Among
(3) The final part of the program will
Emerging Leaders
be conducting enhancement activities
• This project is designed to support
and leadership development
the integration of Turkey and Europe
opportunities that reinforce program
and to promote the participation of
goals after the participants’ return to
young Turkish leaders in the
Turkey. An essential follow-on
transatlantic dialogue on foreign policy
component will be a longitudinal
issues. The project goal is to encourage
assessment of the achievements of the
emerging leaders to examine foreign
program.
policy issues in a context that
Possible Program Model:
encourages substantive dialogue on
• U.S. grantee identifies U.S. citizens
disagreements with other countries.
to conduct in-country seminars on the
This program will show how democratic theme. Partner in Turkey would co-host
nations/governments/citizens can
the event with the U.S. grantee
disagree—and very strongly—on
institution.
• U.S. program that would include
specific issues with other countries, but
seminars; internships in local elected
still maintain healthy bilateral and
officials’ offices, NGO organizations;
interpersonal relationships. The
and a one- or two-day debriefing and
program should examine how falling
evaluation.
back on extremist ideologies and
• Program in Turkey conducted by
withdrawing from dialogue with other
U.S. experts that served as internship
nations can lead to isolationism and
hosts or seminar leaders. Participants in
political instability, and ultimately
U.S. program design the seminar and
weaker democratic systems.
Audience: Emerging leaders age 21–35 serve as co-presenters. Project would
also support materials translated into
involved in international affairs from
Turkish, small grants for projects
youth wings of political parties, NGOs
with youth focus, universities, business designed to expand the exchange
experience and support for the
organizations, active politicians,
development of alumni association.
journalists, business people, think
tanks, and cultural figures.
II. EUR: Outreach and Integration of
Eligible Country: Turkey.
Marginalized Populations, Particularly
A successful program will provide
Youth, in Western Europe
participants:
• Engage community leaders,
• The capacity to engage in serious,
educators, youth influencers,
important, and productive dialogue on
journalists, and community-based
international issues in ways that
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with NOTICES2
skills and raise their awareness of how
to develop critical thinking, nurture
democratic values, and encourage
tolerance for through the classroom and
through school-supported community
activities and networks.
Possible Program Model:
• A U.S.-based program that includes
an orientation to program purposes and
to U.S. society; study tour/site visits;
professional internships/placements;
interaction and dialogue; hands-on
training; professional development; and
action plan development.
• Capacity-building/training-oftrainer (TOT) workshops to help
participants to identify priorities, create
work plans, strengthen professional and
volunteer skills, share their experience
with committed people within each
country, and become active in a
practical and valuable way.
• Site visits by U.S. facilitators/
experts to monitor projects in the region
and to encourage further development,
as appropriate.
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organizations in examination of
programs and practices to facilitate
integration, assimilation, and
empowerment of minority populations,
particularly youth.
Audience: Representatives of nongovernmental organizations, community
leaders, educators, youth influencers,
journalists from minority communities.
Note: European Union, national, and
regional government officials are
welcome to be part of programming, but
given funding limitations, they will
need to cover all their own expenses.
Eligible Countries: (single-country
projects only) Belgium, Denmark, Italy,
United Kingdom.
A successful program will provide
participants:
• Understanding of issues related to
the integration of immigrant and
minority populations into a modern
democratic society. This includes
integration in the political system,
economic opportunity, and freedom of
expression, education, and social/
cultural life, while maintaining ethnic
identity within a multi-ethnic society.
• A specific understanding of
immigrant and minority youth
populations and the special needs/
challenges they face in modern society.
• Appreciation for American
governmental and legal structures, an
understanding of the diversity of
American society and efforts over the
nation’s history to increase tolerance
and respect for others with differing
views and beliefs. Program content will
include an overview of the range of
historical and current American
experience with integrating various
immigrant and minority citizens,
examination of what has worked well
and what has not, and analysis of the
range of actors including government,
NGOs, religious organizations,
immigrant organizations, educational
institutions, and the role of the media
and public who are involved in this
information.
• Structured interaction designed to
develop enduring professional ties
between U.S. and partner organizations.
• Enhanced leadership capacity that
will enable participants to initiate and
support activities in their home
countries that focus on integration of
minority populations.
Successful applicants must fully
demonstrate a capacity to achieve the
following key activities:
(1) Recruit and select approximately
15 to 20 individuals throughout the
target country. Program should be
designed for two groups to travel to the
U.S. Partnering with organizations
based in target country is required. Also,
given resources available in Western
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Europe, successful applicants will have
West European partners that will cover
considerable program costs within the
host country and cover all its own
administrative costs for this project.
(2) In addition to identifying incountry partner and screening,
selecting, and preparing participants
prior to departure for the United States,
the recipient of this grant will be
responsible for building and executing a
three to four week informative travel
and training program in the United
States.
(3) Conducting an in-country
workshop(s) to examine the process of
integration/assimilation of marginalized
populations in Europe and developing
strategies to address these issues. The
workshop(s) should be designed to
engage a broad audience, not just
program participants.
(4) The development of enhancement
activities and development
opportunities that reinforce program
goals after the participants’ return to
their home country. An essential followon component will be a longitudinal
assessment of the achievements of the
program.
Possible Program Model:
• U.S. grantee and in-country partner
identifies West European citizens to
participate in the U.S.-based program.
• A three to four week U.S. program
that includes an orientation, study tour/
site visits; possible short-term
internships/work shadowing
opportunities; hands on training/
training-of-trainers; professional
development; and the development of
action plans.
• In-country workshop(s) for a broad
audience to examine the process of
integration of minority communities.
Program conducted by U.S. experts that
served as internship hosts or seminar
leaders. Participants in U.S. program
design the seminar and serve as copresenters.
• Enrichment activities that could
include support materials translated
into target language, small grants for
projects designed to expand the
exchange experience, and other
activities.
responsibilities of individuals in civil
society and a democratic polity.
• Empower these groups to take
initiative and to participate in the
discussion and the development of
policy by providing them information,
enhancing their skills, and
strengthening their organizations.
Projects should emphasize formal and/
or informal learning, engagement,
dialogue, and collaborative effort.
• Engage young to mid-level
professionals in formal and informal
leadership positions in an examination
of the importance of citizen
participation in decision-making and
consider specific practices that promote
the type of effective, accountable,
transparent and responsive institutions
that are crucial to the development of
democracy. Projects should engage
leaders, educators, youth influencers,
and/or community/NGO activists in
dialogue.
Exchanges may focus on one of more
of the following themes: governance,
transparency, and fighting corruption;
education for participation in civil
society; advocacy in democratic process,
NGO development, public interest
advocacy and information
dissemination; public health/public
welfare; expanding the role of women
and minorities; educating for
responsible environmental action; and /
or education for responsible
preservation of cultural heritage.
Participants: Representatives of
government and non-governmental
organizations, community leaders/
activists, educators, leaders of youth
organizations, and/or journalists.
Eligible Countries: (single-country and
multi-country projects) Proposals must
include one or more of the following
seven countries: Morocco, Algeria,
Egypt, Jordan, Iran*, Syria, and the
countries of the Arabian Gulf. Other
countries/entities in the region may be
included with one or more of the
countries listed above, if the applicant
provides a compelling case that the
proposed country grouping will
significantly enhance project outcomes.
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with NOTICES2
Near East Asia and North Africa (NEA)
Program Contact: Thomas Johnston,
tel: (202) 453–8162, e-mail:
JohnstonTJ@state.gov.
*Note: Applicants planning to include
Iranian participants must meet specific
additional eligibility requirements. To assure
that planning for the inclusion of Iran
complies with guidelines, please contact
Mark Larsen, 202–453–8154, or e-mail
larsenm@state.gov.
I. NEA: Active and Responsible
Citizenship
• Educate citizens, with particular
focus on educators, leaders of youth
organizations, journalists, or community
leaders/activists in non-governmental
organizations, on the rights and
A successful program will provide
participants:
• An understanding of the important
elements of a civil society. This
includes the centrality of an informed,
engaged, and responsible citizenry;
citizens acting at the grassroots level to
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deal with social problems;
volunteerism, and an awareness of the
importance of the rule of law in all
societies.
• An appreciation for American
governmental and legal structures, an
understanding of the diversity of
American society, and increased
tolerance and respect for others with
differing views and beliefs.
• Structured interaction designed to
develop enduring professional ties
between U.S. and partner organizations.
• Enhanced leadership capacity to
enable participants to initiate and
support activities promoting citizen
awareness and engagement,
strengthening social development, and
community service in their home
countries.
Successful applicants must
demonstrate a capacity to implement
successfully the following key activities:
(1) Develop a multi-phased,
community and professional exchange
focused on emerging professionals
(community leaders; scholars and
academics; public policy advocates;
non-governmental organization
activists; etc.) to promote active and
responsible citizenship.
(2) Identify an in-country counterpart
organization committed to active
involvement in the exchange and engage
that partner in the recruitment and
selection of participants and the
implementation of in-country phases of
the exchange.
(3) Promote focused, substantive, and
cooperative interaction among
counterparts, with particular focus on
experiential learning for all participants.
(4) Contribute to the establishment of
sustained, international, institutional
and individual linkages by providing a
context for professional learning and
development, skills enhancement, and
collaborative problem-solving.
(5) Introduce foreign participants and
their American counterparts to one
another’s political, social, and economic
values and systems, facilitating
improved communication and
enhancing mutual understanding.
(6) Conduct enhancement activities
and leadership development
opportunities that reinforce program
goals after the participants’ return to
their home countries. An essential
follow-on component will be a
longitudinal assessment of the
achievements of the program.
Possible Program Model:
• American citizens travel under the
auspices of the grantee institution to
partner country(ies), consult with incountry partner institution(s), contact
and identify potential exchange
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participants, and define the concept and
goals of the project.
• A group of non-American
participants engages in dialogue,
orientation, site visits, training,
workshops, and seminars in the U.S. to
gain new skills; develops action plans;
conducts shadow internships; and
undertakes and other experiential
activities.
• A second group of Americans—
specialists identified by the nonAmerican participants as having
particularly relevant information or
skills—travel to the partner country(ies)
and work with foreign participants in
seminars and workshops to broaden the
scope of professional individuals
engaged in the exchange.
• A second group of foreign
participants, possibly nominated by the
original participants, travels to the
United States for in-depth internships,
to be involved in train-the-trainer
activities, or to further pursue the goals
of the exchange, returning to their
countries to put what has been learned
into practice.
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with NOTICES2
South Central Asia (SCA)
Program Contact: Adam Meier, tel:
(202) 453–8151, e-mail:
MeierAW@State.gov.
I. SCA: Active and Responsible
Citizenship
• Educate citizens, with particular
focus on educators, leaders of youth
organizations, journalists, or community
leaders/activists in non-governmental
organizations, on the rights and
responsibilities of individuals in civil
society and a democratic polity.
Empower them to take initiative and to
participate in the discussion and the
development of policy by providing
them information, enhancing their
skills, and strengthening their
organizations. Projects should
emphasize formal and/or informal
learning, engagement, dialogue, and
collaborative effort.
• Engage individuals in formal and
informal leadership positions in an
examination of the importance of citizen
participation in decision-making and
consider specific practices that promote
the type of effective, accountable,
transparent and responsive institutions
that are crucial to the development of
democracy. Projects should engage
leaders, educators, youth influencers,
and/or community/NGO activists in
dialogue.
• Exchanges may focus on one of
more of the following themes:
governance, transparency, and fighting
corruption; education for participation
in civil society, including curriculum
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development and teacher training;
advocacy in democratic process, NGO
development, public interest advocacy
and information dissemination;
expanding the role of women and
minorities; educating for responsible
environmental action; and/or education
for responsible preservation of cultural
heritage.
Participants: Representatives of
government and non-governmental
organizations, community leaders/
activists, educators, leaders of youth
organizations, and/or journalists.
Eligible Countries: Afghanistan*,
Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri
Lanka, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and
Kyrgyzstan. Priority will be given to
projects that are designed to enhance
linkages between South Asia and
Central Asia; specifically, proposals that
include one or more countries from
South Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka)
with one or more countries from Central
Asia (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and
Kyrgyzstan.)
*Note: For projects in Afghanistan,
proposals must include a description of plans
for an alternate location for the in-country
portion of the program given the security
situation in Afghanistan.
A successful program will provide
participants:
• An understanding of the important
elements of a civil society. This
includes the centrality of an informed,
engaged, and responsible citizenry;
citizens acting at the grassroots level to
deal with social problems;
volunteerism, and an awareness of the
importance of the rule of law in all
societies.
• An appreciation for American
governmental and legal structures, an
understanding of the diversity of
American society, and increased
tolerance and respect for others with
differing views and beliefs.
• Structured interaction designed to
develop enduring professional ties
between U.S. and partner organizations.
• Enhanced leadership capacity
enabling participants to initiate and
support activities in their home
countries that focus on citizen
awareness and engagement,
strengthening social development, and
community service.
Successful applicants must
demonstrate a capacity to implement
successfully the following key activities:
(1) Develop a multi-phased,
professional exchange focused on
emerging leaders (community leaders;
scholars and academics; public policy
advocates; non-governmental
organization activists; etc.) to address
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jointly an issue of crucial importance to
the United States and to the partner
country(ies).
(2) Identify an in-country counterpart
organization committed to active
involvement in the exchange and engage
that partner in the recruitment and
selection of participants and the
implementation of in-country phases of
the exchange.
(3) Promote focused, substantive, and
cooperative interaction among
counterparts, entailing both theoretical
and experiential learning for all
participants.
(4) Contribute to the establishment of
sustained, international, institutional
and individual linkages by providing a
context for professional learning and
development, skills enhancement, and
collaborative problem-solving.
Additionally, these projects are
intended to introduce foreign
participants and their American
counterparts to one another’s political,
social, and economic values and
systems, facilitating improved
communication and enhancing mutual
understanding.
(5) Conduct enhancement activities
and leadership development
opportunities that reinforce program
goals after the participants’ return to
their home countries. An essential
follow-on component will be a
longitudinal assessment of the
achievements of the program.
Possible Program Model:
• American citizens travel under the
auspices of the grantee institution to
partner country(ies), consult with incountry partner institution(s), contact
and identify potential exchange
participants, and introduce the concept
and goals of the project. (During this
and other phases of the project, grantees
and program participants are
encouraged to engage in outreach
activities that will increase the visibility
of the goals and activities of the project,
including the holding of public events
and appropriate media appearances.
Grantees and in-country partners are
encouraged to work closely with staff
from the U.S. mission on any such incountry outreach, and with Washington,
DC-based program officers on any such
U.S. outreach.)
• A group of non-American
participants travels to the United States
to engage in dialogue, orientation, site
visits, training, workshops, and
seminars to gain and expand skills,
develop action plans, conduct shadow
internships, and/or undertake other
experiential activities.
• A second group of Americans—
including internship hosts or seminar
leaders—travel to the partner
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country(ies) and work with foreign
participants in seminars and workshops
to broaden the scope of professional
individuals engaged in the exchange.
• A second group of foreign
participants, possibly nominated by the
original participants, but which
broadens the scope of the participants
involved, travels to the United States for
in-depth internships, to be involved in
further training activities, or to further
pursue the goals of the exchange,
returning to their countries to put what
has been learned into practice.
• Foreign participants, in conjunction
with in-country partners, conduct a
small grants competition for projects
designed to expand the exchange
experience to a broader audience incountry and support the development of
alumni association.
Western Hemisphere (WHA)
Program Contact: Laverne Johnson,
tel: (202) 453–8160, e-mail:
JohnsonLV@state.gov.
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with NOTICES2
I. WHA: Active and Responsible
Citizenship
• Educate citizens, with particular
focus on educators, leaders of youth
organizations, journalists, or community
leaders/activists in non-governmental
organizations, on the rights and
responsibilities of individuals in civil
society and a democratic polity.
Empower them to take initiative and to
participate in the discussion and the
development of policy by providing
information, enhancing skills, and
strengthening organizations. Projects
should emphasize formal and/or
informal learning, engagement,
dialogue, and collaborative effort.
• Engage individuals in formal and
informal leadership positions in an
examination of the importance of citizen
participation in decision-making and
consider specific practices that promote
the type of effective, accountable,
transparent and responsive institutions
that are crucial to the development of
democracy. Projects should engage
leaders, educators, youth influencers,
and/or community/NGO activists in
dialogue.
Projects may focus on one of more of
the following themes: Governance,
transparency, and fighting corruption;
education for participation in civil
society, including curriculum
development and teacher training;
advocacy in democratic process, NGO
development, public interest advocacy
and information dissemination;
expanding the role of women and
minorities; educating for responsible
environmental action; and/or education
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for responsible preservation of cultural
heritage.
Participants: Representatives of
government and non-governmental
organizations, community leaders/
activists, educators, leaders of youth
organizations, and/or journalists.
Eligible Countries: (single-country and
multiple-country projects accepted)
Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru,
Venezuela.
A successful program will provide
participants:
• An understanding of the important
elements of a civil society. This
includes the centrality of an informed,
engaged, and responsible citizenry;
citizens acting at the grassroots level to
deal with social problems;
volunteerism, and an awareness of the
importance of the rule of law in all
societies.
• An appreciation for American
governmental and legal structures, an
understanding of the diversity of
American society, and increased
tolerance and respect for others with
differing views and beliefs.
• Structured interaction designed to
develop enduring professional ties
between U.S. and partner organizations.
• Enhanced leadership capacity
enabling participants to initiate and
support activities in their home
countries that focus on citizen
awareness and engagement,
strengthening social development, and
community service.
Successful applicants must
demonstrate a capacity to implement
successfully the following key activities:
(1) Develop a multi-phased and midlevel exchange focused on emerging
professional and community leaders
(scholars and academics; public policy
advocates; non-governmental
organization activists; etc.) to address
jointly an issue of importance to United
States and partner country interests.
(2) Identify an in-country counterpart
organization committed to active
involvement in the exchange and engage
that partner in the recruitment and
selection of participants and the
implementation of in-country phases of
the exchange.
(3) Promote focused, substantive, and
cooperative interaction among
counterparts, focusing especially on
experiential learning for all participants.
(4) Contribute to the establishment of
sustained, international, institutional
and individual linkages by providing a
context for professional learning and
development, skills enhancement, and
collaborative problem-solving.
(5) Introduce foreign participants and
their American counterparts to one
another’s political, social, and economic
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values and systems, facilitating
improved communication and
enhancing mutual understanding.
(6) Conduct enhancement activities
and leadership development
opportunities that reinforce program
goals after the participants’ return to
their home countries. An essential
follow-on component will be a
longitudinal assessment of the
achievements of the program.
Possible Program Model:
• American citizens travel under the
auspices of the grantee institution to
partner country(ies), consult with incountry partner institution(s), contact
and identify potential exchange
participants, and introduce the concept
and goals of the project.
• A group of non-American
participants travels to the United States
to engage in dialogue, orientation, site
visits, training, workshops, and
seminars, in the course of which new
skills may be learned and honed, action
plans may be developed, shadow
internships may be conducted, and/or
other experiential activities undertaken.
• A second group of Americans—
specialists identified by the nonAmerican participants as having
particularly relevant information or
skills—travel to the partner country(ies)
and work with foreign participants in
seminars and workshops to broaden the
scope of professional individuals
engaged in the exchange.
• A second group of foreign
participants, possibly nominated by the
original participants, travels to the
United States for in-depth internships,
to be involved in train-the-trainer
activities, or to further pursue the goals
of the exchange, returning to their
countries to put what has been learned
into practice.
II. WHA: Creating Economic Growth To
Fight Poverty and Strengthen
Democracy
• Engage community business
leaders, including those involved in
science and technology, to promote
local grassroots economic growth and
prosperity among emerging youth
leaders by sharing practical methods
and developing community leadership
skills in business, including the
importance of diverse outreach through
corporate social responsibility.
• Educate youth and women in
entrepreneurial thinking and business
leadership skills to empower them to
engage in business creation.
Audience: Emerging, young
entrepreneurs, teachers, community
leaders, including representatives from
governmental and non-governmental
organizations. Programs focus on
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engaging indigenous and Afro-Latino
communities will be deemed very
competitive.
Eligible Countries: (Single-country
and multiple-country projects accepted)
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador,
Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, and
Venezuela.
A successful program will provide
participants:
I Knowledge of the role learning
plays in creating the conditions
necessary for a free market economy.
This includes awareness among the
individuals from the private sector, and
to a lesser extent, public sector
counterparts who shape the business
environment, to develop technically
competent and culturally sensitive
workers in private sector enterprises
and an appreciation of the role of the
individual entrepreneur in creating
economic growth.
I Appreciation for American
business practice and role of individual
grassroots-focused entrepreneurial
efforts to create growth, and an
understanding of the rich diversity of
American society.
I Structured interaction designed to
develop enduring professional ties
between U.S. and partner organizations.
I Enhanced leadership capacity
enabling participants to initiate and
support activities in their home
countries that focus on development
and community service.
Successful applicants must fully
demonstrate a capacity to achieve the
following three key activities:
(1) Recruit and select approximately
30 individuals from the business
associations, banking and regulatory
agencies and print media. The
delegation should include individual
business owners from diverse regions of
the participating country. Program
should be designed for two groups of 15
to travel to the U.S. For this phase of the
program, partnering with organizations
based in the proposed host-country is
required.
(2) In addition to identifying incountry partner and screening,
selecting, and preparing participants
prior to departure for the United States,
the recipient of this grant will be
responsible for building and executing a
three to four week informative travel
and residency program in the United
States.
(3) The final part of the program will
be conducting enhancement activities
and leadership development
opportunities that reinforce program
goals after the participants’ return to
their home country. An essential followon component will be a longitudinal
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assessment of the achievements of the
program.
Possible Program Model:
• Successful community-engaged
small business entrepreneurs conduct
workshops for audiences on effective,
practical methods of stimulating
entrepreneurial skills in target
countries.
• Key members of in-country
workshops invited to U.S. for business
facilitation or mentoring to promote
innovation and networking skills.
Develop action plans for business
implementation upon return home.
• Upon return participants
implement business action plans with
guidance from U.S. mentors utilizing email and other direct communication.
• Business mentors travel to country
to evaluate implementation of action
plan and offer assistance.
Cultural Programs (SCU)
Program Contact: Mark Larsen, tel:
(202) 453–8154, e-mail:
LarsenM@state.gov or Jill Staggs, tel:
(202) 203–7500, e-mail:
StaggsJJ@state.gov.
I. Responsible Citizenship and the Arts:
Artists Engaging Youth on the Margins
of Society
Objective: Projects conducted under
this theme will demonstrate how
collaborative projects in the performing
and visual arts can reach out to the
margins of society to engage young
people, instilling hope and a sense of
self, demonstrating the value of
teamwork and pride, encouraging
positive attitudes toward education and
responsibility for health (HIV/AIDS),
and ultimately developing leadership
skills and a sense of responsibility
toward society. Projects should be
designed to compare mechanisms
American groups have successfully used
to reach out to youth on the margins of
society, with the activities of
community and cultural activists in
other countries; projects should include
opportunities to compare and contrast
the problems facing youth in the U.S.
and in eligible countries, opportunities
for collaborative problem solving among
project managers (professionals), as well
as collaborative artistic work by
American youth and those from
participating countries.
Participants/audience: Community
and cultural leaders, educators, and
American and international teen-age
youth participating in the programs.
Eligible countries, entities:
AF: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa
EAP: Indonesia, Malaysia
EUR: Turkey
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NEA: Algeria, Egypt, Iran*, Jordan,
Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian
Authority, Saudi Arabia, Syria
SCA: Pakistan, Uzbekistan
WHA: Bolivia, Venezuela
*Note: Applicants planning to include
Iranian participants must meet specific
additional eligibility requirements. To assure
that planning for the inclusion of Iran
complies with guidelines, please contact
Mark Larsen, 202–453–8154, or e-mail
larsenm@state.gov.
Possible Program Model:
• American grantee organization
visits partner country to identify key
community activists/independent arts
organizations to be invited to the U.S.
• International group comes to the
U.S. to visit 2–3 American cities where
innovative cultural outreach projects
have successfully engaged American
youth on the margins of society,
followed by 1–2 week practicum in
which international participants join an
American group in on-site rehearsals
and artistic public, non-commercial
presentations in the U.S. This phase of
the project should include hands-on
experience with outreach to the broader
community to establish project
credibility and buy-in, including press
or other appropriate communication
tools.
• Third phase of the project should
identify those Americans that have been
most effective in working with foreign
participants and take them to
participating countries for 3–4 week
engagement working with local
educators/community activists and
artists. This phase should focus on
developing an actual product or
performance with in-country youth.
This phase of the project should include
plans for appropriate community
outreach and communication, including
possible press.
• Final phase of the project should
create an international tool (Web page or
other) to facilitate ongoing
communication and exchange of
expertise/information.
II. Responsible Citizenship and the Arts:
Cultural Institutions as Youth Educators
Objective: Promote an understanding
of the role of cultural institutions as
educators, particularly to teach children
and youth to value and respect their
own cultural heritage and, within that
context, to examine and learn to
appreciate the heritage of other peoples
and cultures.
Audience: Managers and
administrators of art organizations,
museum professionals, community
activists, educators, cultural
communicators (writers, journalists)
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Eligible Countries:
AF: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa
EAP: China, Vietnam (single country
projects only)
EUR: Turkey
NEA: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco,
Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Syria
SCA: Pakistan, Uzbekistan
WHA: Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela
Possible Program Model:
• U.S. grantee identifies U.S. citizens
to conduct in-country outreach and
seminars on the theme. Identifies most
promising young leaders in the field to
participate in U.S. based follow-on and
mentoring opportunity.
• U.S. program offers one-two week
overview of innovative U.S. education
and community outreach programs in
museums and other cultural
institutions, followed by 3–4 week
internship/mentoring projects with
education and outreach programs in
U.S. institutions. Internships should
include hands on preparation of, and
participation in, outreach and education
workshops designed to reach children
and high school age youth. U.S. program
ends with 2-day session to develop
concept papers for projects participants
would like to implement in their home
institutions.
• Period of virtual/distance
consultation between U.S. experts and
international participants as they
develop action plans to implement local
projects.
• U.S. teams visit participating
country institutions 4–6 months later to
evaluate progress in implementing
plans, trouble-shoot problems, offer
expertise in implementation and design
post-grant mechanisms to continue
professional dialogue.
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III. Responsible Citizenship and the
Arts: Creating Cultural Bridges
Objective: Transcend challenging
political, cultural and geographic
borders through arts exchanges and
projects involving cultural figures,
artists, art historians, curators,
conservators, arts educators and
community leaders. Projects should
focus primarily on linking young and
mid-level professionals, engaging them
to explore common cultural and
aesthetic values and to identify and
build common approaches and/or
proposed collaborative projects in
which creativity and appreciation for
cultural heritage can transcend language
and political barriers. Projects funded
under this theme may be designed to lay
the groundwork for a major artistic
presentation or conference. However,
funds awarded under this competition
may not be used for exchanges of
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objects/artifacts or for costs associated
with staging artistic presentations or
major conferences. ECA would welcome
proposals that include a commitment
(or statement of interest) on the part of
the grantee organization to sponsor such
activities after the conclusion of the
grant, either with its own, or other
private-sector, funding. Workshops or
symposia designed to promote
intellectual exchange among project
participants can be considered for
funding under this theme if they are one
component in a larger two-way
exchange. ECA would welcome in
particular proposals for exchanges on
the following or other, similar, themes:
(a) The notion of built and unbuilt space
in Islamic and western architectural
traditions; (b) textiles as life and art; (c)
the global and the local: influences in
contemporary painting and sculpture;
(d) the word as cultural heritage—
preserving the human record.
Proposals must identify the specific
political, cultural or geographic border
to be bridged and explain how the
proposed mix of participating
individuals/countries and the proposed
exchange activities will accomplish that
goal.
Audience: Historians of art,
architecture, decorative arts (textiles,
faience), ethno-musicology,
philosophers, writers, cultural
journalists, curators and conservators,
museum professionals, educators.
Eligible Countries:
AF: Mali, Niger, Kenya (single or multicountry)
EAP: China (cross-straits)
EUR: Turkey (if included in multicountry project with NEA countries)
NEA: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia,
Iran*, Syria (single or multi-country
projects; projects may include
Turkey).
SCA: **Afghanistan and Uzbekistan;
may be combined with other Central
Asian countries if applicant can
present evidence that doing so would
strengthen the project outcome;
SCA: Pakistan and India.
*Note: Applicants planning to include
Iranian participants must meet specific
additional eligibility requirements. To assure
that planning for the inclusion of Iran
complies with guidelines, please contact
Mark Larsen, 202–453–8154, or e-mail
larsenm@state.gov.
**For projects in Afghanistan, proposals
must include a description of plans for an
alternate location for the in-country portion
of the program given the security situation in
Afghanistan.
Possible Program Model:
• Applicants should develop a multiphased, two-way exchange of
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participants designed to meet the stated
objectives of the project and explain
specifically how each phase of the
proposed exchange will contribute to
the overall objective.
Participant Selection:
Proposals should clearly describe the
types of persons that will participate in
the program as well as the participant
recruitment and selection processes. For
programs that include U.S. internships,
applicants should submit letters of
support from host institutions. In the
selection of foreign participants, the
Bureau and U.S. embassies retain the
right to review all participant
nominations and to accept or refuse
participants recommended by grantee
institutions. When U.S. participants are
selected, grantee institutions must
provide their names and brief
biographical data to the Office of Citizen
Exchanges. Priority in two-way
exchange proposals will be given to
foreign participants who have not
previously traveled to the United States.
Security Considerations:
With regard to projects focusing on
Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq,
applicants should be aware of security
concerns that will affect the ability of
the grantee organization to arrange for
the travel of U.S. citizens to these
countries or to conduct site visits,
participant interviews, seminars,
workshops, or training sessions there.
All travel to, and activities conducted
in, these countries will be subject to
consultation with and approval of
official U.S. security personnel in
country. The applicant organization
should be prepared to modify timing or
to reconfigure project implementation
plans as required by security
considerations.
II. Award Information
Fiscal Year Funds: 2007, pending
availability of funds
Approximate Total Funding:
$5,000,000–$10,000,000 or more,
pending availability of funds and the
quality of submissions.
Estimated funding, Regional
Programs: $5,000,000 or more.
Estimated funding Arts Programs:
$1,000,000–$3,500,000 or more.
Approximate Number of Awards: 30
or more, pending availability of funds
and the quality of submissions.
Anticipated Award Date: Pending
availability of funds, September 1, 2007.
III. Eligibility Information
III.1. Eligible applicants: Applications
may be submitted by public and private
non-profit organizations meeting the
provisions described in Internal
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Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C.
501(c)(3).
III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funds:
There is no minimum or maximum
percentage required for this
competition. However, the Bureau
encourages applicants to provide
maximum levels of cost sharing and
funding in support of its programs.
When cost sharing is offered, it is
understood and agreed that the
applicant must provide the amount of
cost sharing as stipulated in its proposal
and later included in an approved grant
agreement. Cost sharing may be in the
form of allowable direct or indirect
costs. For accountability, you must
maintain written records to support all
costs which are claimed as your
contribution, as well as costs to be paid
by the Federal government. Such
records are subject to audit. The basis
for determining the value of cash and
in-kind contributions must be in
accordance with OMB Circular A–110,
(Revised), Subpart C.23—Cost Sharing
and Matching. In the event you do not
provide the minimum amount of cost
sharing as stipulated in the approved
budget, ECA’s contribution will be
reduced in like proportion.
III.3. Other Eligibility Requirements:
(a.) Grants awarded to eligible
organizations with less than four years
of experience in conducting
international exchange programs will be
limited to $60,000.
(b.) Technical Eligibility: In addition
to the requirements outlined in the
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI)
technical format and instruction
document, all proposals must comply
with the following requirements or they
will result in your proposal being
declared technically ineligible and
given no further consideration in the
review process:
1. The Office does not support
proposals limited to conferences or
seminars (i.e., one- to fourteen-day
programs with plenary sessions, main
speakers, panels, and a passive
audience). It will support conferences
only when they are a small part of a
larger project in duration that is
receiving Bureau funding from this
competition.
2. No funding is available exclusively
to send U.S. citizens to conferences or
conference-type seminars overseas; nor
is funding available for bringing foreign
nationals to conferences or to routine
professional association meetings in the
United States.
3. The Office of Citizen Exchanges
does not support academic research or
faculty or student fellowships.
4. Applicants may not submit more
than four (4) proposals total for this
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competition. Organizations that submit
proposals that exceed these limits will
result in having all of their proposals
declared technically ineligible, and
none of the submissions will be
reviewed by a State Department panel.
5. Proposals that target countries/
regions or themes not listed in the RFGP
will be deemed technically ineligible.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
Note: Please read the complete Federal
Register announcement before sending
inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the
RFGP deadline has passed, Bureau staff may
not discuss this competition with applicants
until the proposal review process has been
completed.
IV.1 Contact Information to Request
an Application Package: Please contact
Cathy Jenkins-Smith, Program
Coordinator, the Office of Citizen
Exchanges, ECA/PE/C Room 220 U.S.
Department of State, SA–44, 301 4th
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20547,
(202) 453–8177 fax: (202) 453–8169,
JenkinsCA@state.gov to request a
Solicitation Package. Please refer to the
Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/
C–07–01 located at the top of this
announcement when making your
request.
The Solicitation Package contains the
Proposal Submission Instruction (PSI)
document which consists of required
application forms, and standard
guidelines for proposal preparation.
Please specify and refer to the
Funding Opportunity Number ECA/PE/
C–07–01 located at the top of this
announcement on all other inquiries
and correspondence.
IV.2. To Download a Solicitation
Package Via Internet: The entire
Solicitation Package may be
downloaded from the Bureau’s Web site
at https://exchanges.state.gov/education/
rfgps/menu.htm. Please read all
information before downloading.
IV.3. Content and Form of
Submission: Applicants must follow all
instructions in the Solicitation Package.
The original and 8 copies of the
application should be sent per the
instructions under IV.3f. ‘‘Submission
Dates and Times section’’ below.
IV.3a. You are required to have a Dun
and Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number to
apply for a grant or cooperative
agreement from the U.S. Government.
This number is a nine-digit
identification number, which uniquely
identifies business entities. Obtaining a
DUNS number is easy and there is no
charge. To obtain a DUNS number,
access https://
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www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1–
866–705–5711. Please ensure that your
DUNS number is included in the
appropriate box of the SF–424 which is
part of the formal application package.
IV.3b. All proposals must contain an
executive summary, proposal narrative
and budget.
Please refer to the solicitation
package. It contains the mandatory
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI)
document for additional formatting and
technical requirements.
IV.3c. You must have nonprofit status
with the IRS at the time of application.
If your organization is a private
nonprofit which has not received a grant
or cooperative agreement from ECA in
the past three years, or if your
organization received nonprofit status
from the IRS within the past four years,
you must submit the necessary
documentation to verify nonprofit status
as directed in the PSI document. Failure
to do so will cause your proposal to be
declared technically ineligible.
IV.3d. Please take into consideration
the following information when
preparing your proposal narrative:
IV.3d.1. Adherence to all Regulations
Governing the J Visa
The Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs is placing renewed
emphasis on the secure and proper
administration of Exchange Visitor (J
visa) Programs and adherence by
grantees and sponsors to all regulations
governing the J visa. Therefore,
proposals should demonstrate the
applicant’s capacity to meet all
requirements governing the
administration of the Exchange Visitor
Programs as set forth in 22 CFR part 62,
including the oversight of Responsible
Officers and Alternate Responsible
Officers, screening and selection of
program participants, provision of prearrival information and orientation to
participants, monitoring of participants,
proper maintenance and security of
forms, record-keeping, reporting and
other requirements. ECA will be
responsible for issuing DS–2019 forms
to participants in this program.
A copy of the complete regulations
governing the administration of
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is
available at https://exchanges.state.gov
or from: United States Department of
State, Office of Exchange Coordination
and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD—SA–44,
Room 734, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547, Telephone:
(202) 203–5029, FAX: (202) 453–8640.
Please refer to Solicitation Package for
further information.
IV.3d.2. Adherence To All
Regulations Governing The J Visa
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The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the
Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs is the official program sponsor of
the exchange program covered by this
RFGP, and an employee of the Bureau
will be the ‘‘Responsible Officer’’ for the
program under the terms of 22 CFR part
62, which covers the administration of
the Exchange Visitor Program (J visa
program). Under the terms of 22 CFR
part 62, organizations receiving grants
under this RFGP will be third parties
‘‘cooperating with or assisting the
sponsor in the conduct of the sponsor’s
program.’’ The actions of grantee
program organizations shall be
‘‘imputed to the sponsor in evaluating
the sponsor’s compliance with’’ 22 CFR
part 62. Therefore, the Bureau expects
that any organization receiving a grant
under this competition will render all
assistance necessary to enable the
Bureau to fully comply with 22 CFR
part 62 et seq.
The Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs places great emphasis
on the secure and proper administration
of Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs
and adherence by grantee program
organizations and program participants
to all regulations governing the J visa
program status. Therefore, proposals
should explicitly state in writing that the
applicant is prepared to assist the
Bureau in meeting all requirements
governing the administration of
Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth
in 22 CFR part 62. If your organization
has experience as a designated
Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor, the
applicant should discuss their record of
compliance with 22 CFR part 62 et seq.,
including the oversight of their
Responsible Officers and Alternate
Responsible Officers, screening and
selection of program participants,
provision of pre-arrival information and
orientation to participants, monitoring
of participants, proper maintenance and
security of forms, record-keeping,
reporting and other requirements.
The Office of Citizen Exchanges of
ECA will be responsible for issuing DS–
2019 forms to participants in this
program.
A copy of the complete regulations
governing the administration of
Exchange Visitor (J) programs is
available at https://exchanges.state.gov
or from: United States Department of
State, Office of Exchange Coordination
and Designation, ECA/EC/ECD—SA–44,
Room 734, 301 4th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20547, Telephone:
(202) 203–5029, FAX: (202) 453–8640.
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IV.3d.3. Diversity, Freedom and
Democracy Guidelines
Pursuant to the Bureau’s authorizing
legislation, programs must maintain a
non-political character and should be
balanced and representative of the
diversity of American political, social,
and cultural life. ‘‘Diversity’’ should be
interpreted in the broadest sense and
encompass differences including, but
not limited to ethnicity, race, gender,
religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, and disabilities.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to
adhere to the advancement of this
principle both in program
administration and in program content.
Please refer to the review criteria under
the ‘‘Support for Diversity’’ section for
specific suggestions on incorporating
diversity into your proposal. Public Law
104–319 provides that ‘‘in carrying out
programs of educational and cultural
exchange in countries whose people do
not fully enjoy freedom and
democracy,’’ the Bureau ‘‘shall take
appropriate steps to provide
opportunities for participation in such
programs to human rights and
democracy leaders of such countries.’’
Public Law 106—113 requires that the
governments of the countries described
above do not have inappropriate
influence in the selection process.
Proposals should reflect advancement of
these goals in their program contents, to
the full extent deemed feasible.
IV.3d.4. Program Monitoring and
Evaluation
Proposals must include a plan to
monitor and evaluate the project’s
success, both as the activities unfold
and at the end of the program. The
Bureau recommends that your proposal
include a draft survey questionnaire or
other technique plus a description of a
methodology to use to link outcomes to
original project objectives. The Bureau
expects that the grantee will track
participants or partners and be able to
respond to key evaluation questions,
including satisfaction with the program,
learning as a result of the program,
changes in behavior as a result of the
program, and effects of the program on
institutions (institutions in which
participants work or partner
institutions). The evaluation plan
should include indicators that measure
gains in mutual understanding as well
as substantive knowledge.
Successful monitoring and evaluation
depend heavily on setting clear goals
and outcomes at the outset of a program.
Your evaluation plan should include a
description of your project’s objectives,
your anticipated project outcomes, and
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how and when you intend to measure
these outcomes (performance
indicators). The more that outcomes are
‘‘smart’’ (specific, measurable,
attainable, results-oriented, and placed
in a reasonable time frame), the easier
it will be to conduct the evaluation. You
should also show how your project
objectives link to the goals of the
program described in this RFGP.
We encourage you to assess the
following four levels of outcomes, as
they relate to the program goals set out
in the RFGP (listed here in increasing
order of importance):
1. Participant satisfaction with the
program and exchange experience.
2. Participant learning, such as
increased knowledge, aptitude, skills,
and changed understanding and
attitude. Learning includes both
substantive (subject-specific) learning
and mutual understanding.
3. Participant behavior, concrete
actions to apply knowledge in work or
community; greater participation and
responsibility in civic organizations;
interpretation and explanation of
experiences and new knowledge gained;
continued contacts between
participants, community members, and
others.
4. Institutional changes, such as
increased collaboration and
partnerships, policy reforms, new
programming, and organizational
improvements.
Please note: Consideration should be given
to the appropriate timing of data collection
for each level of outcome. For example,
satisfaction is usually captured as a shortterm outcome, whereas behavior and
institutional changes are normally
considered longer-term outcomes.
Overall, the quality of your
monitoring and evaluation plan will be
judged on how well it (1) Specifies
intended outcomes; (2) gives clear
descriptions of how each outcome will
be measured; (3) identifies when
particular outcomes will be measured;
and (4) provides a clear description of
the data collection strategies for each
outcome (i.e., surveys, interviews, or
focus groups). (Please note that
evaluation plans that deal only with the
first level of outcomes [satisfaction] will
be deemed less competitive under the
present evaluation criteria.)
Grantees will be required to provide
reports analyzing their evaluation
findings to the Bureau in their regular
program reports. All data collected,
including survey responses and contact
information, must be maintained for a
minimum of three years and provided to
the Bureau upon request.
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IV.3e. Please take the following
information into consideration when
preparing your budget:
IV.3e.1. Applicants must submit a
comprehensive budget for the entire
program. There must be a summary
budget as well as breakdowns reflecting
both administrative and program
budgets. Applicants may provide
separate sub-budgets for each program
component, phase, location, or activity
to provide clarification.
Depending upon an organization’s
responsiveness to the published review
criteria, listed under ‘‘V.1 Review
Process’’ section below, and the final
level of funding available to support this
competition, the office reserves the right
to increase or decrease budgets for final
grant awards to meet the overall needs
of the program.
IV.3e.2. Allowable costs for the
program include the following:
1. Travel. International and domestic
airfare; visas; transit costs; ground
transportation costs. Please note that all
air travel must be in compliance with
the Fly America Act. There is no charge
for J–1 visas for participants in Bureau
sponsored programs.
2. Per Diem. For U.S.-based
programming, organizations should use
the published Federal per diem rates for
individual U.S. cities. Domestic per
diem rates may be accessed at: https://
policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/
homepage/mtt/perdiem/perd03d.html.
ECA requests applicants to budget
realistic costs that reflect the local
economy and do not exceed Federal per
diem rates. Foreign per diem rates can
be accessed at: https://www.state.gov/m/
a/als/prdm/html.
3. Interpreters. For U.S.-based
activities, ECA strongly encourages
applicants to hire their own locally
based interpreters. However, applicants
may ask ECA to assign State Department
interpreters. One interpreter is typically
needed for every four participants who
require interpretation. When an
applicant proposes to use State
Department interpreters, the following
expenses should be included in the
budget: Published Federal per diem
rates (both ‘‘lodging’’ and ‘‘M&IE’’) and
‘‘home-program-home’’ transportation
in the amount of $400 per interpreter.
Salary expenses for State Department
interpreters will be covered by the
Bureau and should not be part of an
applicant’s proposed budget. Bureau
funds cannot support interpreters who
accompany delegations from their home
country or travel internationally.
4. Book and Cultural Allowances.
Foreign participants are entitled to a
one-time cultural allowance of $150 per
person, plus a book allowance of $50.
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Interpreters should be reimbursed up to
$150 for expenses when they escort
participants to cultural events. U.S.
program staff, trainers or participants
are not eligible to receive these benefits.
5. Consultants. Consultants may be
used to provide specialized expertise or
to make presentations. Honoraria rates
should not exceed $300 per day.
Organizations are encouraged to costshare rates that would exceed that
figure. Subcontracting organizations
may also be employed, in which case
the written agreement between the
prospective grantee and sub-grantee
should be included in the proposal.
Such sub-grants should detail the
division of responsibilities and
proposed costs, and subcontracts should
be itemized in the budget.
6. Room rental. The rental of meeting
space should not exceed $250 per day.
Any rates that exceed this amount
should be cost shared.
7. Materials. Proposals may contain
costs to purchase, develop and translate
materials for participants. Costs for high
quality translation of materials should
be anticipated and included in the
budget. Grantee organizations should
expect to submit a copy of all program
materials to ECA, and ECA support
should be acknowledged on all
materials developed with its funding.
8. Equipment. Applicants may
propose to use grant funds to purchase
equipment, such as computers and
printers; these costs should be justified
in the budget narrative. Costs for
furniture are not allowed.
9. Working meal. Normally, no more
than one working meal may be provided
during the program. Per capita costs
may not exceed $15–$25 for lunch and
$20–$35 for dinner, excluding room
rental. The number of invited guests
may not exceed participants by more
than a factor of two-to-one. When
setting up a budget, interpreters should
be considered ‘‘participants.’’
10. Return travel allowance. A return
travel allowance of $70 for each foreign
participant may be included in the
budget. This allowance would cover
incidental expenses incurred during
international travel.
11. Health Insurance. Foreign
participants will be covered during their
participation in the program by the
ECA-sponsored Accident and Sickness
Program for Exchanges (ASPE), for
which the grantee must enroll them.
Details of that policy can be provided by
the contact officers identified in this
solicitation. The premium is paid by
ECA and should not be included in the
grant proposal budget. However,
applicants are permitted to include
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costs for travel insurance for U.S.
participants in the budget.
12. Wire transfer fees. When
necessary, applicants may include costs
to transfer funds to partner
organizations overseas. Grantees are
urged to research applicable taxes that
may be imposed on these transfers by
host governments.
13. In-country travel costs for visa
processing purposes. Given the
requirements associated with obtaining
J–1 visas for ECA-supported
participants, applicants should include
costs for any travel associated with visa
interviews or DS–2019 pick-up.
14. Administrative Costs. Costs
necessary for the effective
administration of the program may
include salaries for grantee organization
employees, benefits, and other direct
and indirect costs per detailed
instructions in the Application Package.
While there is no rigid ratio of
administrative to program costs,
proposals in which the administrative
costs do not exceed 25% of the total
requested ECA grant funds will be more
competitive under the cost effectiveness
and cost sharing criterion, per item V.1
below. Proposals should show strong
administrative cost sharing
contributions from the applicant, the incountry partner and other sources.
Please refer to the Solicitation
Package for complete budget guidelines
and formatting instructions.
IV.3f. Submission Dates and Times:
Application Deadline Date: February
16, 2007.
Explanation of Deadlines: Due to
heightened security measures, proposal
submissions must be sent via a
nationally recognized overnight delivery
service (i.e., DHL, Federal Express, UPS,
Airborne Express, or U.S. Postal Service
Express Overnight Mail, etc.) and be
shipped no later than the above
deadline. The delivery services used by
applicants must have in-place,
centralized shipping identification and
tracking systems that may be accessed
via the Internet and delivery people
who are identifiable by commonly
recognized uniforms and delivery
vehicles. Proposals shipped on or before
the above deadline but received at ECA
more than seven days after the deadline
will be ineligible for further
consideration under this competition.
Proposals shipped after the established
deadlines are ineligible for
consideration under this competition. It
is each applicant’s responsibility to
ensure that each package is marked with
a legible tracking number and to
monitor/confirm delivery to ECA via the
Internet. ECA will not notify you upon
receipt of application. Delivery of
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proposal packages may not be made via
local courier service or in person for this
competition. Faxed documents will not
be accepted at any time. Only proposals
submitted as stated above will be
considered. Applications may not be
submitted electronically at this time.
Applicants must follow all
instructions in the Solicitation Package.
Important note: When preparing your
submission please make sure to include one
extra copy of the completed SF–424 form and
place it in an envelope addressed to ‘‘ECA/
EX/PM’’.
The original and eight copies of the
application should be sent to: U.S.
Department of State, SA–44, Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Ref.:
ECA/PE/C–07–01, Program
Management, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534,
01 4th Street, SW., Washington, DC
20547.
Along with the Project Title, all
applicants must enter the above
Reference Number in Box 11 on the SF–
424 contained in the mandatory
Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI)
of the solicitation document.
IV.3g. Intergovernmental Review of
Applications: Executive Order 12372
does not apply to this program.
Applicants must also submit the
‘‘Executive Summary’’ and ‘‘Proposal
Narrative’’ sections of the proposal in
text (.txt) format on a PC-formatted disk.
The Bureau will provide these files
electronically to the appropriate Public
Affairs Section(s) at the U.S.
embassy(ies) for its(their) review.
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V. Application Review Information
V.1. Review Process The Bureau will
review all proposals for technical
eligibility. Proposals will be deemed
ineligible if they do not fully adhere to
the guidelines stated herein and in the
Solicitation Package. All eligible
proposals will be reviewed by the
program office, as well as the Public
Diplomacy section overseas, where
appropriate. Eligible proposals will be
subject to compliance with Federal and
Bureau regulations and guidelines and
forwarded to Bureau grant panels for
advisory review. Proposals may also be
reviewed by the Office of the Legal
Adviser or by other Department
elements. Final funding decisions are at
the discretion of the Department of
State’s Assistant Secretary for
Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final
technical authority for assistance award
grants resides with the Bureau’s Grants
Officer.
Review Criteria
1. Program Planning and Ability to
Achieve Objectives: Program objectives
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should be stated clearly and should
reflect the applicant’s expertise in the
subject area and region. Objectives
should respond to the topics in this
announcement and should relate to the
current conditions in the target country/
countries. A detailed agenda and
relevant work plan should explain how
objectives will be achieved and should
include a timetable for completion of
major tasks. The substance of
workshops, internships, seminars and/
or consulting should be described in
detail. Sample training schedules
should be outlined. Responsibilities of
proposed in-country partners should be
clearly described. A discussion of how
the applicant intends to address
language issues should be included, if
needed.
2. Institutional Capacity: Proposals
should include (1) The institution’s
mission and date of establishment; (2)
detailed information about proposed incountry partner(s) and the history of the
partnership; (3) an outline of prior
awards-U.S. government and/or private
support received for the target theme/
country/region; and (4) descriptions of
experienced staff members who will
implement the program. The proposal
should reflect the institution’s expertise
in the subject area and knowledge of the
conditions in the target country/
countries. Proposals should demonstrate
an institutional record of successful
exchange programs, including
responsible fiscal management and full
compliance with all reporting
requirements for past Bureau grants as
determined by Bureau Grants Staff. The
Bureau will consider the past
performance of prior recipients and the
demonstrated potential of new
applicants. Proposed personnel and
institutional resources should be
adequate and appropriate to achieve the
program’s goals. The Bureau strongly
encourages applicants to submit letters
of support from proposed in-country
partners.
3. Cost Effectiveness and Cost
Sharing: Overhead and administrative
costs in the proposal budget, including
salaries, honoraria and subcontracts for
services, should be kept to a minimum.
Proposals whose administrative costs
are less than twenty-five (25) per cent of
the total funds requested from the
Bureau will be deemed more
competitive under this criterion.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to
cost share a portion of overhead and
administrative expenses. Cost-sharing,
including contributions from the
applicant, proposed in-country
partner(s), and other sources should be
included in the budget request. Proposal
budgets that do not reflect cost sharing
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74695
will be deemed not competitive in this
category.
4. Support of Diversity: Proposals
should demonstrate substantive support
of the Bureau’s policy on diversity.
Achievable and relevant features should
be cited in both program administration
(selection of participants, program
venue and program evaluation) and
program content (orientation and wrapup sessions, program meetings, resource
materials and follow-up activities).
Applicants should refer to the Bureau’s
Diversity, Freedom and Democracy
Guidelines in the Proposal Submission
Instructions (PSI) and the Diversity,
Freedom and Democracy Guidelines
section, Item IV.3d.2, above for
additional guidance.
5. Post-Grant Activities: Applicants
should provide a plan to conduct
activities after the Bureau-funded
project has concluded in order to ensure
that Bureau-supported programs are not
isolated events. Funds for all post-grant
activities must be in the form of
contributions from the applicant or
sources outside of the Bureau. Costs for
these activities must not appear in the
proposal budget, but should be outlined
in the narrative.
6. Program Monitoring and
Evaluation: Proposals should include a
detailed plan to monitor and evaluate
the program. Program objectives should
target clearly defined results in
quantitative terms. Competitive
evaluation plans will describe how
applicant organizations would measure
these results, and proposals should
include draft data collection
instruments (surveys, questionnaires,
etc.) in Tab E. See the ‘‘Program
Management/Evaluation’’ section, item
IV.3d.3 above for more information on
the components of a competitive
evaluation plan. Successful applicants
(grantee institutions) will be expected to
submit a report after each program
component concludes or on a quarterly
basis, whichever is less frequent. The
Bureau also requires that grantee
institutions submit a final narrative and
financial report no more than 90 days
after the expiration of a grant. Please
refer to the ‘‘Program Management/
Evaluation’’ section, item IV.3d.3 above
for more guidance.
VI. Award Administration Information
VI.1a. Award Notices: Final awards
cannot be made until funds have been
appropriated by Congress, allocated and
committed through internal Bureau
procedures. Successful applicants will
receive an Assistance Award Document
(AAD) from the Bureau’s Grants Office.
The AAD and the original grant
proposal with subsequent modifications
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(if applicable) shall be the only binding
authorizing document between the
recipient and the U.S. Government. The
AAD will be signed by an authorized
Grants Officer, and mailed to the
recipient’s responsible officer identified
in the application.
Unsuccessful applicants will receive
notification of the results of the
application review from the ECA
program office coordinating this
competition.
VI.2 Administrative and National
Policy Requirements: Terms and
Conditions for the Administration of
ECA agreements include the following:
Office of Management and Budget
Circular A–122, ‘‘Cost Principles for
Nonprofit Organizations.’’
Office of Management and Budget
Circular A–21, ‘‘Cost Principles for
Educational Institutions.’’
OMB Circular A–87, ‘‘Cost Principles
for State, Local and Indian
Governments’’.
OMB Circular No. A–110 (Revised),
Uniform Administrative Requirements
for Grants and Agreements with
Institutions of Higher Education,
Hospitals, and other Nonprofit
Organizations.
OMB Circular No. A–102, Uniform
Administrative Requirements for
Grants-in-Aid to State and Local
Governments.
OMB Circular No. A–133, Audits of
States, Local Government, and Nonprofit Organizations
Please reference the following Web
sites for additional information: https://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants or
https://exchanges.state.gov/education/
grantsdiv/terms.htm#articleI.
VI.3. Reporting Requirements: You
must provide ECA with a hard copy
original plus 1 copy of the following
reports:
(1) A final program and financial
report no more than 90 days after the
expiration of the award;
(2) Any interim report(s) required in
the Bureau grant agreement document.
Grantees will be required to provide
reports analyzing their evaluation
findings to the Bureau in their regular
program reports. (Please refer to IV.
Application and Submission
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Instructions (IV.3.d.3) above for Program
Monitoring and Evaluation information.
All data collected, including survey
responses and contact information, must
be maintained for a minimum of three
years and provided to the Bureau upon
request.
All reports must be sent to the ECA
Grants Officer and ECA Program Officer
listed in the final assistance award
document.
VI.4. Program Data Requirements:
Organizations awarded grants will be
required to maintain specific data on
program participants and activities in an
electronically accessible database format
that can be shared with the Bureau as
required. As a minimum, the data must
include the following:
(1) Name, address, contact
information and biographic sketch of all
persons who travel internationally on
funds provided by the grant or who
benefit from the grant funding but do
not travel.
(2) Itineraries of international and
domestic travel, providing dates of
travel and cities in which any exchange
experiences take place. Final schedules
for in-country and U.S. activities must
be received by the ECA Program Officer
at least three work days prior to the
official opening of the activity.
VII. Agency Contacts
For questions about this
announcement, contact: The Office of
Citizen Exchanges, ECA/PE/C, 301 4th
Street, SW., Room 220, Washington DC
20547. Program Contacts Are:
Africa
Program Contact: Curtis Huff, tel:
(202) 453–8159, e-mail:
HuffCE@state.gov.
East Asia and the Pacific
Program Contact: Clint Wright, tel:
(202) 453–8164, e-mail:
WrightHC@state.gov.
Europe
Program Contact: Brent Beemer, tel:
(202) 453–8147, e-mail:
BeemerBT@state.gov.
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Near East and North Africa (NEA)
Program Contact: Thomas Johnston,
tel: (202) 453–8162, e-mail:
JohnstonTJ@state.gov.
South Central Asia (SCA)
Program Contact: Adam Meier, tel:
(202) 453–8151, e-mail:
MeierAW@state.gov.
Western Hemisphere (WHA)
Program Contact: Laverne Johnson,
tel: (202) 453–8160, e-mail:
JohnsonLV@state.gov.
Cultural Programs (SCU)
Program Contact: Mark Larsen, tel:
(202) 453–8154, e-mail:
LarsenM@state.gov or Jill Staggs, tel:
(202) 203–7500, e-mail:
StaggsJJ@state.gov.
All correspondence with the Bureau
concerning this RFGP should reference
the above title and number ECA/PE/C–
07–01.
Please read the complete Federal
Register announcement before sending
inquiries or submitting proposals. Once
the RFGP deadline has passed, Bureau
staff may not discuss this competition
with applicants until the proposal
review process has been completed.
VIII. Other Information
Notice: The terms and conditions
published in this RFGP are binding and
may not be modified by any Bureau
representative. Explanatory information
provided by the Bureau that contradicts
published language will not be binding.
Issuance of the RFGP does not
constitute an award commitment on the
part of the Government. The Bureau
reserves the right to reduce, revise, or
increase proposal budgets in accordance
with the needs of the program and the
availability of funds. Awards made will
be subject to periodic reporting and
evaluation requirements per section VI.3
above.
Dated: November 28, 2006.
Dina Habib Powell,
Assistant Secretary for Educational and
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. E6–20918 Filed 12–11–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
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[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 238 (Tuesday, December 12, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74682-74696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20918]
[[Page 74681]]
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Part V
Department of State
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Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for Grant
Proposals: Open Competition Seeking: Professional Exchange Programs;
Cultural Programs; and School Administrators and Community Leaders in
Indonesia; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 238 / Tuesday, December 12, 2006 /
Notices
[[Page 74682]]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 5636]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Request for
Grant Proposals: Open Competition Seeking: Professional Exchange
Programs; Cultural Programs; and School Administrators & Community
Leaders in Indonesia
Announcement Type: New Grant.
Funding Opportunity Number: ECA/PE/C-07-01.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.415.
Key Dates:
Application Deadline: February 16, 2007.
Executive Summary: The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for
grants that support exchanges and build relationships between U.S. non-
profit organizations and civil society and cultural groups in Africa,
East Asia, Europe, the Near East, North Africa, South Central Asia and
the Western Hemisphere. U.S. public and non-profit organizations
meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue code section 26
U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals that support the goals of The
Professional Exchanges and Cultural Program. Projects should promote
mutual understanding and partnerships between key professional and
cultural groups in the United States and counterpart groups in other
countries through multi-phased exchanges taking place over one to two
years. Proposals should encourage citizen engagement in current issues,
with a particular focus on youth and those who influence them, and
promote the development of democratic societies and institutions, with
a view toward creating a more stable world. To the fullest extent
possible, programs should be two-way exchanges supporting roughly equal
numbers of participants from the U.S. and foreign countries.
Proposed projects should transform institutional and individual
understanding of key issues, foster dialogue, share expertise, and
develop capacity. Through these people-to-people exchanges, the Bureau
seeks to break down stereotypes that divide peoples, to promote good
governance, to contribute to conflict prevention and management, and to
build respect for cultural expression and identity in a world. Projects
should be structured to allow American professionals and their
international counterparts in eligible countries to develop a common
dialogue for dealing with shared challenges and concerns. Projects
should include current or potential leaders who will effect positive
change in their communities. Exchange participants may include artists,
community leaders, elected and professional government officials,
religious leaders, educators, and proponents of democratic ideals and
institutions, including for example, the media and judiciary, or others
who influence the way in which different communities approach these
issues. The Bureau is especially interested in engaging socially and
economically diverse groups that may not have had extensive contact
with counterpart institutions in the United States and particularly
seeks proposals that engage educators or other groups that directly
influence youth in innovative ways. Applicants may not submit proposals
that address more than one region or that include countries not
eligible under a specific theme designated in the RFGP. For the
purposes of this competition, eligible regions are Africa, East Asia,
Europe, the Near East, North Africa, South Central Asia, and the
Western Hemisphere. No guarantee is made or implied that grants will be
awarded in all themes and for all countries listed.
Please refer to section III.3 for information on eligibility
requirements.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority: Overall grant making authority for this program is
contained in the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961,
as amended, Public Law 87-256, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act.
The purpose of the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United
States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the
United States and the people of other countries * * *; to strengthen
the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the
educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of
the people of the United States and other nations * * * and thus to
assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic, and peaceful
relations between the United States and the other countries of the
world.'' The funding authority for the program above is provided
through legislation.
Purpose: The competition is based on the premise that people-to-
people exchanges encourage and strengthen understanding of democratic
values, nurture the social, political, cultural, and economic
development of societies and encourage citizen involvement. Exchanges
supported by institutional grants from the Bureau should operate at two
levels: They should enhance partnerships between U.S. and foreign
institutions, and they should establish a common language to develop
practical solutions for shared problems and concerns. The Bureau is
particularly interested in projects that will create mutually
beneficial and self-sustaining linkages between professional
communities in the U.S. and their counterpart communities in other
countries. Applicants must identify the U.S. and foreign organizations
and individuals with whom they are proposing to collaborate and
describe previous cooperative activities, if any. Information about the
mission, activities, and accomplishments of partner organizations
should be included in the submission. Proposals should contain letters
of commitment or support from partner organizations for the proposed
project. Applicants should clearly outline and describe the role and
responsibilities of all partner organizations in terms of project
logistics, management and oversight. Proposals linking institutions
that have previously collaborated should clearly indicate how projects
proposed in response to this RFGP will significantly build on previous
work to accomplish specific new outcomes. Proposals for creative new
work or designed to achieve significant new outcomes will be deemed
more competitive under the Program Planning and Ability to Achieve
Objectives review criterion, per item V.1 below. Proposals for
continuing activities funded under previous grants will be deemed less
so.
Competitive proposals will include the following:
A brief description of the issue to be addressed and how
it relates to the target country or region. (Proposals that request
resources for an initial needs assessment will be deemed less
competitive under the review criterion Program Planning and Ability to
Achieve Objectives, per item V.1 below.);
A clear, succinct statement of program objectives and
expected outcomes that respond to Bureau goals for each theme in this
competition. Desired outcomes should be described in qualitative and
quantitative terms. (See the Program Monitoring and Evaluation section
per item V.1 below, for more information on project objectives and
outcomes.);
A proposed timeline, listing the optimal schedule for each
program activity;
A description of participant recruitment and selection
processes;
Letters of support from foreign and U.S. partners.
(Letters from prospective partner institutions should demonstrate
[[Page 74683]]
a capacity to arrange and conduct U.S. and overseas activities.);
An outline of the applicant organization's relevant
expertise in the project theme and country(ies);
An outline of relevant experience managing previous
exchange programs;
Resumes of experienced staff who have demonstrated a
commitment to implement and monitor projects and ensure outcomes;
A comprehensive plan to evaluate whether program outcomes
achieved the specific objectives described in the narrative. (See the
Program Monitoring and Evaluation section [IV.3d.d below] for further
guidance on evaluation.);
A post-grant plan that demonstrates how the grantee plans
to maintain contacts initiated through the program. Applicants should
discuss ways that U.S. and foreign participants or host institutions
will collaborate and communicate after the ECA-funded grant has
concluded. (See Review Criterion 5, per item V.1 below for
more information on post-grant activities.)
Successful projects will demonstrate the importance
Americans place on community service as an element of active
citizenship and may include ideas and projects to strengthen civil
society through community service either during participants' stay in
the U.S. or upon their return to their countries.
In addition to addressing the specific themes described
below, proposals should develop partner organizations' capacity in such
areas as strategic planning, performance management, fund raising,
financial management, human resources management, and decision-making.
It is important that the proposal narrative clearly state the
applicant's commitment to consult closely with the Public Affairs
Section of the U.S. Embassy in the relevant country(ies) to develop
plans for project implementation and to select project participants.
Proposals should also acknowledge U.S. embassy involvement in the final
selection of all participants. Applicants should state their
willingness to invite representatives of the embassy(ies) and/or
consulate(s) to participate in program sessions or site visits.
Narratives should state that all material developed for the project
will prominently acknowledge Department of State ECA Bureau funding for
the program. Applicants who are awarded assistance awards are
encouraged to engage in outreach activities that will promote the goals
of the project and increase the visibility of the project activities,
including the holding of public events and appropriate media
appearances. Grantees and in-country partners are encouraged to consult
closely with the relevant Public Affairs Section staff from the U.S.
Embassy(ies) and with Washington, DC-based program officers on any such
outreach.
All applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with the
Washington, DC-based State Department contact for the themes/regions
listed below and with Public Affairs Officers at U.S. embassies in
relevant countries as they develop proposals responding to this RFGP.
Note on Outputs and Outcomes: All projects under this RFGP must
identify outputs and outcomes for each program phase. Outputs are
products and services delivered, often stated as an amount. Output
information is important to show the scope or size of project
activities, but it cannot substitute for information about progress
towards outcomes or the results achieved. Examples of outputs
include the number of people trained or the number of seminars
conducted. Outcomes are the impacts on individual participants in
the exchanges, the larger beneficiary audience, and changes in
institutional structures or behavior. Findings on outputs and
outcomes should both be reported, but the focus should be on
outcomes. The more that outcomes are ``smart'' (specific,
measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and placed in a reasonable
time frame), the stronger will be the evaluation.
Africa (AF)
Program Contact: Curtis Huff, tel: (202) 453-8159, e-mail:
HuffCE@State.gov.
I. AF: Active and Responsible Citizenship
Promote the education of citizens with broad potential to
influence their societies, especially women and representatives of
marginalized groups, on rights and responsibilities in a democracy, and
empower them to participate in the development of public policy, public
discussions and debates by developing their knowledge, individual
skills and organizational capacity, and the development of self
sustaining civil society organizations.
Audience: Primarily women and representatives of marginalized
groups who show leadership potential. Secondarily, other community
leaders who can create the conditions for more effective citizen
participation in public affairs and community organizations.
Eligible Countries: Proposals must focus on one of the following:
Kenya, Nigeria, or South Africa. The Office is willing to consider the
addition of one or two neighboring countries in the sub-region if the
case can be made that such inclusion will strengthen impact of the
program.
A successful program will provide participants:
Practical positive results of citizen engagement in civil
society, including an informed and participating citizenry, respect for
human rights and the rule of law and concepts such as volunteerism, the
idea that citizens can and do act at the grassroots level to deal with
social problems.
Appreciation for American governmental and legal
structures, an understanding of the diversity of American society and
increased tolerance and respect for others with differing views and
beliefs.
Structured interaction designed to develop enduring
professional ties between U.S. and partner organizations.
Develop leadership capacity to enable participants to
initiate and sustain community development and community service
activities in their home countries.
Possible program model:
The U.S. grantee and its African partner identify Africans
to be considered for a U.S.-based program.
A three-to four-week U.S. program is designed that
includes orientation, study tour/site visits, internships, and
discussions.
Similar study tours are designed for American participants
in Africa, along with workshops and other public programs including
media. Such activities will offer American participants the opportunity
to join with their African partners in reaching broader audiences in
Africa.
Joint, follow-on projects are designed to be implemented
by the American and African partners after the ECA grant has expired,
such as online correspondence including Digital Video Conferences,
development of informative materials to share, and joint study projects
through electronic means.
II. AF: Transparent, Accountable Financial Management
Engage financial managers with significant responsibility
in government or nongovernmental organizations to increase their skills
and professional standards.
Audience: Financial managers, both governmental and
nongovernmental.
Eligible Countries: To be successful, a proposal must focus on one
of the following: Kenya, Nigeria, or South Africa. The Office is
willing to consider the addition of one or two neighboring countries in
the sub-region if the case can be made that such inclusion will
strengthen impact of the program.
[[Page 74684]]
A successful program will provide participants:
An understanding of the professional standards for
managing large-scale finances in transparent and accountable fashion to
minimize opportunities for unethical or incompetent use of public
money.
Skill in managing money to the highest professional
standards.
Connection to professional associations that support
financial managers in striving for best performance.
Opportunities to observe how capable organizations train
and monitor staff in managing finances in order to assure best
performance.
Possible program model:
An American delegation chosen by the grantee travels to
the partner country to assess financial management practices with its
partner organization and jointly plan for a relevant professional
development program to follow.
U.S. grantee and its African partner identify potential
African participants in the proposed program, focusing on financial
managers in leadership positions or with leadership potential.
When approved by the Public Affairs Office of the U.S.
Embassy, African participants travel to the U.S. for at least three
weeks of learning, site visits, workshops, internships or similar
opportunities to learn skills, professional standards, and management
of persons with financial responsibilities, through activities designed
by the grantee.
An American delegation travels to the African partner
country(ies) to conduct workshops with its partner organization for a
broader audience and to plan related activities to be conducted after
expiration of the ECA grant.
III. AF: Fostering Economic Growth to Strengthen Democracy
Educate women and emerging leaders among marginalized
groups in entrepreneurial thinking, business leadership, and a
community-wide perspective to empower them to engage in business
creation.
Audience: Young entrepreneurs, especially women and representatives
among marginalized groups, and representatives from government and
nongovernmental organizations with positions and interest to foster a
climate that encourages new meritorious business creation.
Eligible Countries: To be successful, a proposal must focus on one
of the following: Kenya, Nigeria, or South Africa. The Office is
willing to consider the addition of one or two neighboring countries in
the sub-region if the case can be made that such inclusion will
strengthen the impact of the program.
A successful program will provide participants:
Knowledge and advice to start new businesses.
Understanding of conditions that foster a free-market
economy and how government can promote those conditions.
Appreciation for the best American business practices and
the role of individual entrepreneurial efforts to create growth.
An understanding of the diversity of American society.
Enhanced leadership capacity that will enable participants
to initiate and support activities in their home country(ies) that
foster economic growth in a democratic society.
Interaction with Americans designed to generate enduring
ties.
Possible program model:
The U.S. grantee and its African partner identify Africans
to be considered for the U.S.-based program.
A three- to four-week U.S. program is designed that
includes orientation, study tour/site visits, internships and
discussions.
Similar study tours are designed for American participants
in Africa, along with workshops and other public programs including
media. Such activities will offer American participants the opportunity
to join with their African partners in reaching broader audiences in
Africa.
Design joint, follow-on projects to be implemented by the
American and African partners after the ECA grant has expired, such as
online correspondence including DVCs, development of informative
materials to share, and joint study projects through electronic means.
East Asia and the Pacific (EAP)
Program Contact: Clint Wright, tel: (202) 453-8164, e-mail:
WrightHC@state.gov.
I. EAP: Active and Responsible Citizenship
Educate parents, teachers and leaders of youth
organizations on rights and responsibilities in a democracy and empower
them to participate in the development of public policy, public
discussions and debates by developing their individual skills and
organizations. Projects should engage government and NGO leaders in
dialogue.
Engage government leaders--national and local--in the
importance of citizen participation in governmental decision-making and
develop/examine specific practices that promote an effective,
accountable, transparent and responsive government and public
administration that is crucial to the development of democracy.
Projects should engage government and NGO leaders in dialogue.
Audience: Representatives from government and non-governmental
organizations, and community leaders.
Eligible Countries: (single-country projects only) China,
Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
A successful program will provide participants:
Understanding of important elements of a civil society.
This includes concepts such as volunteerism, the idea that citizens can
and do act at the grassroots level to deal with social problems, and an
awareness of the importance of the rule of law in all societies.
Appreciation for American governmental and legal
structures, an understanding of the diversity of American society and
increased tolerance and respect for others with differing views and
beliefs.
[ssbox] Structured interaction designed to develop enduring
professional ties between U.S. and partner organizations.
[ssbox] Enhanced leadership capacity that will enable the
participants to initiate and support activities in their home countries
that focus on civic engagement and community service.
Successful applicants must fully demonstrate a capacity to achieve
the following three key activities:
(1) Recruit and select approximately 30 individuals from
government, non-governmental organizations, and community leaders
throughout the target country, including private business leaders.
Program should be designed for two groups of 15 to travel to the U.S.
For this phase of the program, partnering with organizations based in
the target country is required.
(2) In addition to identifying in-country partner and screening,
selecting, and preparing participants prior to departure for the United
States, the recipient of this grant will be responsible for building
and executing a three to four week informative travel and residency
program in the United States.
(3) The final part of the program will be conducting enhancement
activities and leadership development opportunities that reinforce
program goals after the participants' return to their home country. An
essential follow-on component will be a longitudinal assessment of the
achievements of the program.
[[Page 74685]]
Possible Program Model:
U.S. grantee identifies U.S. citizens to conduct in-
country seminar for citizen leaders, teachers, NGO representatives,
responsible media, elected local government officials, and legal
professionals to discuss transparency and accountability. In-country
partner (a local university or other appropriate professional group)
co-hosts the event with the U.S. grantee institution.
U.S. program that includes a seminar on the role of
government/citizen in the U.S.; internships in local elected officials'
offices, NGO organizations, and citizen organizations; and a one-day
debriefing and evaluation.
In-country program conducted by U.S. experts that served
as internship hosts or seminar leaders. Participants in U.S. program
design an in-country seminar and serve as co-presenters. Organizers
broaden impact through audience outreach, including media. Project may
also support materials translated into target language, small grants
for projects designed to expand the exchange experience and support for
the development of alumni association.
II. EAP: Creating Economic Growth to Strengthen Democracy
Engage community and business leaders, including those
involved in science and technology, to promote economic growth and
prosperity among youth by sharing experiences, practical information,
and developing leadership skills in business, including the importance
of corporate social responsibility.
Educate youth and women in entrepreneurial thinking and
business leadership skills to empower them to engage in business
creation.
Audience: Young entrepreneurs, community leaders, including
representatives from governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Eligible Countries: (single-country projects only) China,
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
A successful program will provide participants:
Knowledge of the role learning plays in creating the
conditions necessary for a free market economy. This includes awareness
among the individuals from the private sector, and to a lesser extent,
public sector counterparts who shape the business environment, to
develop technically competent and culturally sensitive workers in
private sector enterprises and an appreciation of the role of the
individual entrepreneur in creating economic growth.
Appreciation for American business practice and role of
individual entrepreneurial efforts to create growth, and an
understanding of the diversity of American society.
Structured interaction designed to develop enduring
professional ties between U.S. and partner organizations.
Enhanced leadership capacity that will enable participants
to initiate and support activities in their home countries that focus
on development and community service.
Successful applicants must fully demonstrate a capacity to achieve
the following three key activities:
(1) Recruit and select approximately 30 individuals from the
business associations, banking and regulatory agencies and print media
including individual business owners throughout the target country.
Program should be designed for two groups of 15 to travel to the U.S.
For this phase of the program, partnering with organizations based in
target country is required.
(2) In addition to identifying in-country partner and screening,
selecting, and preparing participants prior to departure for the United
States, the recipient of this grant will be responsible for building
and executing a three to four week informative travel and residency
program in the United States.
(3) The final part of the program will be conducting enhancement
activities and leadership development opportunities that reinforce
program goals after the participants' return to their home country. An
essential follow-on component will be a longitudinal assessment of the
achievements of the program.
Possible Program Model:
Successful small business entrepreneurs conduct workshops
for audiences on effective, practical methods of stimulating
entrepreneurial skills in target countries.
Key participants of in-country workshops invited to U.S.
for business facilitation or mentoring to promote innovation and
networking skills. Develop action plans for business implementation
upon return home.
Upon return participants implement business action plans
with guidance from U.S. mentors utilizing e-mail and other direct
communication.
Business mentors travel to country to evaluate
implementation of action plan and offer assistance.
III. EAP: School Administrators & Community Leaders
School Administrators and Community Leaders should be provided with
the following:
Acquire an understanding of important elements of a civil
society. This includes concepts such as volunteerism, the idea that
American citizens are responsible for acting at the grassroots level to
deal with social and educational problems, and an awareness of respect
for the rule of law in the U.S.
Acquire an understanding of the importance of education in
creating conditions for a free market economy. This includes awareness
of private enterprise and an appreciation of the role of the
entrepreneur in economic growth.
Develop an appreciation for American culture, an
understanding of the diversity of American society and increased
tolerance and respect for others with differing views and beliefs.
Structured interaction designed to develop enduring
professional ties between U.S. and partner organizations.
Gain leadership capacity that will enable participants to
initiate and support activities in their home countries that focus on
development and community service.
Audience: Leaders of boarding schools that focus on teaching
Islamic values and on providing basic education to children from
several regions in Indonesia. These boarding schools are known as
``pesantren''.
Eligible Country: Indonesia.
A successful program design must accomplish these three key
objectives:
(1) Recruit and select approximately 45 individual leaders from
Indonesian private secondary schools (known as ``pesantren'') that are
administered under the auspices of the Government of Indonesia's
Department of Religious Affairs. Program should be designed for three
groups of 15 school administrators and community leaders to travel to
the U.S. For this phase of the program, partnering with organizations
based in Indonesia is required.
(2) In addition to identifying schools and screening, selecting,
and preparing participants prior to departure for the United States,
the recipient of this grant will be responsible for building and
executing a three to four week informative travel and residency program
in the United States.
(3) The final part of the program will be conducting enhancement
activities and leadership development opportunities that reinforce
program goals after the participants' return to Indonesia. An essential
follow-on component will be a longitudinal assessment of the
achievements of the program.
(4) Program design should focus on offering participants maximum
opportunities to develop leadership
[[Page 74686]]
skills and raise their awareness of how to develop critical thinking,
nurture democratic values, and encourage tolerance for through the
classroom and through school-supported community activities and
networks.
Possible Program Model:
A U.S.-based program that includes an orientation to
program purposes and to U.S. society; study tour/site visits;
professional internships/placements; interaction and dialogue; hands-on
training; professional development; and action plan development.
Capacity-building/training-of-trainer (TOT) workshops to
help participants to identify priorities, create work plans, strengthen
professional and volunteer skills, share their experience with
committed people within each country, and become active in a practical
and valuable way.
Site visits by U.S. facilitators/experts to monitor
projects in the region and to encourage further development, as
appropriate.
Europe (EUR)
Program Contact: Brent Beemer, tel: (202) 453-8147, e-mail:
BeemerBT@state.gov.
I. EUR: Foreign Policy Dialogue Among Emerging Leaders
This project is designed to support the integration of
Turkey and Europe and to promote the participation of young Turkish
leaders in the transatlantic dialogue on foreign policy issues. The
project goal is to encourage emerging leaders to examine foreign policy
issues in a context that encourages substantive dialogue on
disagreements with other countries. This program will show how
democratic nations/governments/citizens can disagree--and very
strongly--on specific issues with other countries, but still maintain
healthy bilateral and interpersonal relationships. The program should
examine how falling back on extremist ideologies and withdrawing from
dialogue with other nations can lead to isolationism and political
instability, and ultimately weaker democratic systems.
Audience: Emerging leaders age 21-35 involved in international
affairs from youth wings of political parties, NGOs with youth focus,
universities, business organizations, active politicians, journalists,
business people, think tanks, and cultural figures.
Eligible Country: Turkey.
A successful program will provide participants:
The capacity to engage in serious, important, and
productive dialogue on international issues in ways that strengthen
civil society and the democratic process.
New links between emerging leaders and organizations in
Turkey and the United States.
A better understanding of the priority issues, concerns,
and ideas that prevail in each society;
A fuller understanding of American and Turkish foreign
policies, political structures, societies, and cultures.
Successful applicants must fully demonstrate a capacity to achieve
the following three key activities:
(1) Recruit and select approximately 40 individuals from throughout
the target country. Program should be designed for two groups of 20 to
travel to the U.S. For this phase of the program, partnering with
organizations based in Turkey is required (the Public Affairs Section
of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara should be consulted on this).
(2) In addition to identifying in-country partner and screening,
selecting, and preparing participants prior to departure for the United
States, the recipient of this grant will be responsible for building
and executing a three to four week informative travel and residency
program in the United States.
(3) The final part of the program will be conducting enhancement
activities and leadership development opportunities that reinforce
program goals after the participants' return to Turkey. An essential
follow-on component will be a longitudinal assessment of the
achievements of the program.
Possible Program Model:
U.S. grantee identifies U.S. citizens to conduct in-
country seminars on the theme. Partner in Turkey would co-host the
event with the U.S. grantee institution.
U.S. program that would include seminars; internships in
local elected officials' offices, NGO organizations; and a one- or two-
day debriefing and evaluation.
Program in Turkey conducted by U.S. experts that served as
internship hosts or seminar leaders. Participants in U.S. program
design the seminar and serve as co-presenters. Project would also
support materials translated into Turkish, small grants for projects
designed to expand the exchange experience and support for the
development of alumni association.
II. EUR: Outreach and Integration of Marginalized Populations,
Particularly Youth, in Western Europe
Engage community leaders, educators, youth influencers,
journalists, and community-based organizations in examination of
programs and practices to facilitate integration, assimilation, and
empowerment of minority populations, particularly youth.
Audience: Representatives of non-governmental organizations,
community leaders, educators, youth influencers, journalists from
minority communities. Note: European Union, national, and regional
government officials are welcome to be part of programming, but given
funding limitations, they will need to cover all their own expenses.
Eligible Countries: (single-country projects only) Belgium,
Denmark, Italy, United Kingdom.
A successful program will provide participants:
Understanding of issues related to the integration of
immigrant and minority populations into a modern democratic society.
This includes integration in the political system, economic
opportunity, and freedom of expression, education, and social/cultural
life, while maintaining ethnic identity within a multi-ethnic society.
A specific understanding of immigrant and minority youth
populations and the special needs/challenges they face in modern
society.
Appreciation for American governmental and legal
structures, an understanding of the diversity of American society and
efforts over the nation's history to increase tolerance and respect for
others with differing views and beliefs. Program content will include
an overview of the range of historical and current American experience
with integrating various immigrant and minority citizens, examination
of what has worked well and what has not, and analysis of the range of
actors including government, NGOs, religious organizations, immigrant
organizations, educational institutions, and the role of the media and
public who are involved in this information.
Structured interaction designed to develop enduring
professional ties between U.S. and partner organizations.
Enhanced leadership capacity that will enable participants
to initiate and support activities in their home countries that focus
on integration of minority populations.
Successful applicants must fully demonstrate a capacity to achieve
the following key activities:
(1) Recruit and select approximately 15 to 20 individuals
throughout the target country. Program should be designed for two
groups to travel to the U.S. Partnering with organizations based in
target country is required. Also, given resources available in Western
[[Page 74687]]
Europe, successful applicants will have West European partners that
will cover considerable program costs within the host country and cover
all its own administrative costs for this project.
(2) In addition to identifying in-country partner and screening,
selecting, and preparing participants prior to departure for the United
States, the recipient of this grant will be responsible for building
and executing a three to four week informative travel and training
program in the United States.
(3) Conducting an in-country workshop(s) to examine the process of
integration/assimilation of marginalized populations in Europe and
developing strategies to address these issues. The workshop(s) should
be designed to engage a broad audience, not just program participants.
(4) The development of enhancement activities and development
opportunities that reinforce program goals after the participants'
return to their home country. An essential follow-on component will be
a longitudinal assessment of the achievements of the program.
Possible Program Model:
U.S. grantee and in-country partner identifies West
European citizens to participate in the U.S.-based program.
A three to four week U.S. program that includes an
orientation, study tour/site visits; possible short-term internships/
work shadowing opportunities; hands on training/training-of-trainers;
professional development; and the development of action plans.
In-country workshop(s) for a broad audience to examine the
process of integration of minority communities. Program conducted by
U.S. experts that served as internship hosts or seminar leaders.
Participants in U.S. program design the seminar and serve as co-
presenters.
Enrichment activities that could include support materials
translated into target language, small grants for projects designed to
expand the exchange experience, and other activities.
Near East Asia and North Africa (NEA)
Program Contact: Thomas Johnston, tel: (202) 453-8162, e-mail:
JohnstonTJ@state.gov.
I. NEA: Active and Responsible Citizenship
Educate citizens, with particular focus on educators,
leaders of youth organizations, journalists, or community leaders/
activists in non-governmental organizations, on the rights and
responsibilities of individuals in civil society and a democratic
polity.
Empower these groups to take initiative and to participate
in the discussion and the development of policy by providing them
information, enhancing their skills, and strengthening their
organizations. Projects should emphasize formal and/or informal
learning, engagement, dialogue, and collaborative effort.
Engage young to mid-level professionals in formal and
informal leadership positions in an examination of the importance of
citizen participation in decision-making and consider specific
practices that promote the type of effective, accountable, transparent
and responsive institutions that are crucial to the development of
democracy. Projects should engage leaders, educators, youth
influencers, and/or community/NGO activists in dialogue.
Exchanges may focus on one of more of the following themes:
governance, transparency, and fighting corruption; education for
participation in civil society; advocacy in democratic process, NGO
development, public interest advocacy and information dissemination;
public health/public welfare; expanding the role of women and
minorities; educating for responsible environmental action; and / or
education for responsible preservation of cultural heritage.
Participants: Representatives of government and non-governmental
organizations, community leaders/activists, educators, leaders of youth
organizations, and/or journalists.
Eligible Countries: (single-country and multi-country projects)
Proposals must include one or more of the following seven countries:
Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Iran*, Syria, and the countries of the
Arabian Gulf. Other countries/entities in the region may be included
with one or more of the countries listed above, if the applicant
provides a compelling case that the proposed country grouping will
significantly enhance project outcomes.
*Note: Applicants planning to include Iranian participants must
meet specific additional eligibility requirements. To assure that
planning for the inclusion of Iran complies with guidelines, please
contact Mark Larsen, 202-453-8154, or e-mail larsenm@state.gov.
A successful program will provide participants:
An understanding of the important elements of a civil
society. This includes the centrality of an informed, engaged, and
responsible citizenry; citizens acting at the grassroots level to deal
with social problems; volunteerism, and an awareness of the importance
of the rule of law in all societies.
An appreciation for American governmental and legal
structures, an understanding of the diversity of American society, and
increased tolerance and respect for others with differing views and
beliefs.
Structured interaction designed to develop enduring
professional ties between U.S. and partner organizations.
Enhanced leadership capacity to enable participants to
initiate and support activities promoting citizen awareness and
engagement, strengthening social development, and community service in
their home countries.
Successful applicants must demonstrate a capacity to implement
successfully the following key activities:
(1) Develop a multi-phased, community and professional exchange
focused on emerging professionals (community leaders; scholars and
academics; public policy advocates; non-governmental organization
activists; etc.) to promote active and responsible citizenship.
(2) Identify an in-country counterpart organization committed to
active involvement in the exchange and engage that partner in the
recruitment and selection of participants and the implementation of in-
country phases of the exchange.
(3) Promote focused, substantive, and cooperative interaction among
counterparts, with particular focus on experiential learning for all
participants.
(4) Contribute to the establishment of sustained, international,
institutional and individual linkages by providing a context for
professional learning and development, skills enhancement, and
collaborative problem-solving.
(5) Introduce foreign participants and their American counterparts
to one another's political, social, and economic values and systems,
facilitating improved communication and enhancing mutual understanding.
(6) Conduct enhancement activities and leadership development
opportunities that reinforce program goals after the participants'
return to their home countries. An essential follow-on component will
be a longitudinal assessment of the achievements of the program.
Possible Program Model:
American citizens travel under the auspices of the grantee
institution to partner country(ies), consult with in-country partner
institution(s), contact and identify potential exchange
[[Page 74688]]
participants, and define the concept and goals of the project.
A group of non-American participants engages in dialogue,
orientation, site visits, training, workshops, and seminars in the U.S.
to gain new skills; develops action plans; conducts shadow internships;
and undertakes and other experiential activities.
A second group of Americans--specialists identified by the
non-American participants as having particularly relevant information
or skills--travel to the partner country(ies) and work with foreign
participants in seminars and workshops to broaden the scope of
professional individuals engaged in the exchange.
A second group of foreign participants, possibly nominated
by the original participants, travels to the United States for in-depth
internships, to be involved in train-the-trainer activities, or to
further pursue the goals of the exchange, returning to their countries
to put what has been learned into practice.
South Central Asia (SCA)
Program Contact: Adam Meier, tel: (202) 453-8151, e-mail:
MeierAW@State.gov.
I. SCA: Active and Responsible Citizenship
Educate citizens, with particular focus on educators,
leaders of youth organizations, journalists, or community leaders/
activists in non-governmental organizations, on the rights and
responsibilities of individuals in civil society and a democratic
polity. Empower them to take initiative and to participate in the
discussion and the development of policy by providing them information,
enhancing their skills, and strengthening their organizations. Projects
should emphasize formal and/or informal learning, engagement, dialogue,
and collaborative effort.
Engage individuals in formal and informal leadership
positions in an examination of the importance of citizen participation
in decision-making and consider specific practices that promote the
type of effective, accountable, transparent and responsive institutions
that are crucial to the development of democracy. Projects should
engage leaders, educators, youth influencers, and/or community/NGO
activists in dialogue.
Exchanges may focus on one of more of the following
themes: governance, transparency, and fighting corruption; education
for participation in civil society, including curriculum development
and teacher training; advocacy in democratic process, NGO development,
public interest advocacy and information dissemination; expanding the
role of women and minorities; educating for responsible environmental
action; and/or education for responsible preservation of cultural
heritage.
Participants: Representatives of government and non-governmental
organizations, community leaders/activists, educators, leaders of youth
organizations, and/or journalists.
Eligible Countries: Afghanistan*, Bangladesh, India, Nepal,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Priority
will be given to projects that are designed to enhance linkages between
South Asia and Central Asia; specifically, proposals that include one
or more countries from South Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India,
Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) with one or more countries from Central
Asia (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.)
*Note: For projects in Afghanistan, proposals must include a
description of plans for an alternate location for the in-country
portion of the program given the security situation in Afghanistan.
A successful program will provide participants:
An understanding of the important elements of a civil
society. This includes the centrality of an informed, engaged, and
responsible citizenry; citizens acting at the grassroots level to deal
with social problems; volunteerism, and an awareness of the importance
of the rule of law in all societies.
An appreciation for American governmental and legal
structures, an understanding of the diversity of American society, and
increased tolerance and respect for others with differing views and
beliefs.
Structured interaction designed to develop enduring
professional ties between U.S. and partner organizations.
Enhanced leadership capacity enabling participants to
initiate and support activities in their home countries that focus on
citizen awareness and engagement, strengthening social development, and
community service.
Successful applicants must demonstrate a capacity to implement
successfully the following key activities:
(1) Develop a multi-phased, professional exchange focused on
emerging leaders (community leaders; scholars and academics; public
policy advocates; non-governmental organization activists; etc.) to
address jointly an issue of crucial importance to the United States and
to the partner country(ies).
(2) Identify an in-country counterpart organization committed to
active involvement in the exchange and engage that partner in the
recruitment and selection of participants and the implementation of in-
country phases of the exchange.
(3) Promote focused, substantive, and cooperative interaction among
counterparts, entailing both theoretical and experiential learning for
all participants.
(4) Contribute to the establishment of sustained, international,
institutional and individual linkages by providing a context for
professional learning and development, skills enhancement, and
collaborative problem-solving. Additionally, these projects are
intended to introduce foreign participants and their American
counterparts to one another's political, social, and economic values
and systems, facilitating improved communication and enhancing mutual
understanding.
(5) Conduct enhancement activities and leadership development
opportunities that reinforce program goals after the participants'
return to their home countries. An essential follow-on component will
be a longitudinal assessment of the achievements of the program.
Possible Program Model:
American citizens travel under the auspices of the grantee
institution to partner country(ies), consult with in-country partner
institution(s), contact and identify potential exchange participants,
and introduce the concept and goals of the project. (During this and
other phases of the project, grantees and program participants are
encouraged to engage in outreach activities that will increase the
visibility of the goals and activities of the project, including the
holding of public events and appropriate media appearances. Grantees
and in-country partners are encouraged to work closely with staff from
the U.S. mission on any such in-country outreach, and with Washington,
DC-based program officers on any such U.S. outreach.)
A group of non-American participants travels to the United
States to engage in dialogue, orientation, site visits, training,
workshops, and seminars to gain and expand skills, develop action
plans, conduct shadow internships, and/or undertake other experiential
activities.
A second group of Americans--including internship hosts or
seminar leaders--travel to the partner
[[Page 74689]]
country(ies) and work with foreign participants in seminars and
workshops to broaden the scope of professional individuals engaged in
the exchange.
A second group of foreign participants, possibly nominated
by the original participants, but which broadens the scope of the
participants involved, travels to the United States for in-depth
internships, to be involved in further training activities, or to
further pursue the goals of the exchange, returning to their countries
to put what has been learned into practice.
Foreign participants, in conjunction with in-country
partners, conduct a small grants competition for projects designed to
expand the exchange experience to a broader audience in-country and
support the development of alumni association.
Western Hemisphere (WHA)
Program Contact: Laverne Johnson, tel: (202) 453-8160, e-mail:
JohnsonLV@state.gov.
I. WHA: Active and Responsible Citizenship
Educate citizens, with particular focus on educators,
leaders of youth organizations, journalists, or community leaders/
activists in non-governmental organizations, on the rights and
responsibilities of individuals in civil society and a democratic
polity. Empower them to take initiative and to participate in the
discussion and the development of policy by providing information,
enhancing skills, and strengthening organizations. Projects should
emphasize formal and/or informal learning, engagement, dialogue, and
collaborative effort.
Engage individuals in formal and informal leadership
positions in an examination of the importance of citizen participation
in decision-making and consider specific practices that promote the
type of effective, accountable, transparent and responsive institutions
that are crucial to the development of democracy. Projects should
engage leaders, educators, youth influencers, and/or community/NGO
activists in dialogue.
Projects may focus on one of more of the following themes:
Governance, transparency, and fighting corruption; education for
participation in civil society, including curriculum development and
teacher training; advocacy in democratic process, NGO development,
public interest advocacy and information dissemination; expanding the
role of women and minorities; educating for responsible environmental
action; and/or education for responsible preservation of cultural
heritage.
Participants: Representatives of government and non-governmental
organizations, community leaders/activists, educators, leaders of youth
organizations, and/or journalists.
Eligible Countries: (single-country and multiple-country projects
accepted) Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru, Venezuela.
A successful program will provide participants:
An understanding of the important elements of a civil
society. This includes the centrality of an informed, engaged, and
responsible citizenry; citizens acting at the grassroots level to deal
with social problems; volunteerism, and an awareness of the importance
of the rule of law in all societies.
An appreciation for American governmental and legal
structures, an understanding of the diversity of American society, and
increased tolerance and respect for others with differing views and
beliefs.
Structured interaction designed to develop enduring
professional ties between U.S. and partner organizations.
Enhanced leadership capacity enabling participants to
initiate and support activities in their home countries that focus on
citizen awareness and engagement, strengthening social development, and
community service.
Successful applicants must demonstrate a capacity to implement
successfully the following key activities:
(1) Develop a multi-phased and mid-level exchange focused on
emerging professional and community leaders (scholars and academics;
public policy advocates; non-governmental organization activists; etc.)
to address jointly an issue of importance to United States and partner
country interests.
(2) Identify an in-country counterpart organization committed to
active involvement in the exchange and engage that partner in the
recruitment and selection of participants and the implementation of in-
country phases of the exchange.
(3) Promote focused, substantive, and cooperative interaction among
counterparts, focusing especially on experiential learning for all
participants.
(4) Contribute to the establishment of sustained, international,
institutional and individual linkages by providing a context for
professional learning and development, skills enhancement, and
collaborative problem-solving.
(5) Introduce foreign participants and their American counterparts
to one another's political, social, and economic values and systems,
facilitating improved communication and enhancing mutual understanding.
(6) Conduct enhancement activities and leadership development
opportunities that reinforce program goals after the participants'
return to their home countries. An essential follow-on component will
be a longitudinal assessment of the achievements of the program.
Possible Program Model:
American citizens travel under the auspices of the grantee
institution to partner country(ies), consult with in-country partner
institution(s), contact and identify potential exchange participants,
and introduce the concept and goals of the project.
A group of non-American participants travels to the United
States to engage in dialogue, orientation, site visits, training,
workshops, and seminars, in the course of which new skills may be
learned and honed, action plans may be developed, shadow internships
may be conducted, and/or other experiential activities undertaken.
A second group of Americans--specialists identified by the
non-American participants as having particularly relevant information
or skills--travel to the partner country(ies) and work with foreign
participants in seminars and workshops to broaden the scope of
professional individuals engaged in the exchange.
A second group of foreign participants, possibly nominated
by the original participants, travels to the United States for in-depth
internships, to be involved in train-the-trainer activities, or to
further pursue the goals of the exchange, returning to their countries
to put what has been learned into practice.
II. WHA: Creating Economic Growth To Fight Poverty and Strengthen
Democracy
Engage community business leaders, including those
involved in science and technology, to promote local grassroots
economic growth and prosperity among emerging youth leaders by sharing
practical methods and developing community leadership skills in
business, including the importance of diverse outreach through
corporate social responsibility.
Educate youth and women in entrepreneurial thinking and
business leadership skills to empower them to engage in business
creation.
Audience: Emerging, young entrepreneurs, teachers, community
leaders, including representatives from governmental and non-
governmental organizations. Programs focus on
[[Page 74690]]
engaging indigenous and Afro-Latino communities will be deemed very
competitive.
Eligible Countries: (Single-country and multiple-country projects
accepted) Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru,
and Venezuela.
A successful program will provide participants:
[ssbox] Knowledge of the role learning plays in creating the
conditions necessary for a free market economy. This includes awareness
among the individuals from the private sector, and to a lesser extent,
public sector counterparts who shape the business environment, to
develop technically competent and culturally sensitive workers in
private sector enterprises and an appreciation of the role of the
individual entrepreneur in creating economic growth.
[ssbox] Appreciation for American business practice and role of
individual grassroots-focused entrepreneurial efforts to create growth,
and an understanding of the rich diversity of American society.
[ssbox] Structured interaction designed to develop enduring
professional ties between U.S. and partner organizations.
[ssbox] Enhanced leadership capacity enabling participants to
initiate and support activities in their home countries that focus on
development and community service.
Successful applicants must fully demonstrate a capacity to achieve
the following three key activities:
(1) Recruit and select approximately 30 individuals from the
business associations, banking and regulatory agencies and print media.
The delegation should include individual business owners from diverse
regions of the participating country. Program should be designed for
two groups of 15 to travel to the U.S. For this phase of the program,
partnering with organizations based in the proposed host-country is
required.
(2) In addition to identifying in-country partner and screening,
selecting, and preparing participants prior to departure for the United
States, the recipient of this grant will be responsible for building
and executing a three to four week informative travel and residency
program in the United States.
(3) The final part of the program will be conducting enhancement
activities and leadership development opportunities that reinforce
program goals after the participants' return to their home country. An
essential follow-on component will be a longitudinal assessment of the
achievements of the program.
Possible Program Model:
Successful community-engaged small business entrepreneurs
conduct workshops for audiences on effective, practical methods of
stimulating entrepreneurial skills in target countries.
Key members of in-country workshops invited to U.S. for
business facilitation or mentoring to promote innovation and networking
skills. Develop action plans for business implementation upon return
home.
Upon return participants implement business action plans
with guidance from U.S. mentors utilizing e-mail and other direct
communication.
Business mentors travel to country to evaluate
implementation of action plan and offer assistance.
Cultural Programs (SCU)
Program Contact: Mark Larsen, tel: (202) 453-8154, e-mail:
LarsenM@state.gov or Jill Staggs, tel: (202) 203-7500, e-mail:
StaggsJJ@state.gov.
I. Responsible Citizenship and the Arts: Artists Engaging Youth on the
Margins of Society
Objective: Projects conducted under this theme will demonstrate how
collaborative projects in the performing and visual arts can reach out
to the margins of society to engage young people, instilling hope and a
sense of self, demonstrating the value of teamwork and pride,
encouraging positive attitudes toward education and responsibility for
health (HIV/AIDS), and ultimately developing leadership skills and a
sense of responsibility toward society. Projects should be designed to
compare mechanisms American groups have successfully used to reach out
to youth on the margins of society, with the activities of community
and cultural activists in other countries; projects should include
opportunities to compare and contrast the problems facing youth in the
U.S. and in eligible countries, opportunities for collaborative problem
solving among project managers (professionals), as well as
collaborative artistic work by American youth and those from
participating countries.
Participants/audience: Community and cultural leaders, educators,
and American and international teen-age youth participating in the
programs.
Eligible countries, entities:
AF: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa
EAP: Indonesia, Malaysia
EUR: Turkey
NEA: Algeria, Egypt, Iran*, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian
Authority, Saudi Arabia, Syria
SCA: Pakistan, Uzbekistan
WHA: Bolivia, Venezuela
*Note: Applicants planning to include Iranian participants must
meet specific additional eligibility requirements. To assure that
planning for the inclusion of Iran complies with guidelines, please
contact Mark Larsen, 202-453-8154, or e-mail larsenm@state.gov.
Possible Program Model:
American grantee organization visits partner country to
identify key community activists/independent arts organizations to be
invited to the U.S.
International group comes to the U.S. to visit 2-3
American cities where innovative cultural outreach projects have
successfully engaged American youth on the margins of society, followed
by 1-2 week practicum in which international participants join an
American group in on-site rehearsals and artistic public, non-
commercial presentations in the U.S. This phase of the project should
include hands-on experience with outreach to the broader community to
establish project credibility and buy-in, including press or other
appropriate communication tools.
Third phase of the project should identify those Americans
that have been most effective in working with foreign participan