Dec 8, 2006

CfP: Central Eurasia Project, Open Society Institute

Call For Proposals
Central Eurasia Project of the Open Society Institute
December 2006

General comments
The Central Eurasia Project (CEP) strives to make available more and better information about human rights and the social and economic health of the South Caucasus and Central Asia both within the region and internationally in order to shape policies that contribute to building open societies. The Central Eurasia Project uses grantmaking to international and indigenous NGOs to help build local capacity, bring international expertise to bear on the region, and promote
cooperation between local activists and international civic movements in the fields of human rights. The ultimate goal of such activity is to strengthen civil society and construct support networks for civic activists within international structures and movements.

The Central Eurasia Project requests proposals to provide program and general operating support grants to organizations focused on advancing open societies in the region. Central Eurasia is understood to encompass the former Soviet republics of Central Asia and the Caucasus, and Mongolia.

Priorities for grantmaking in 2007 include the following areas:

- Improving the effectiveness of human rights work in the region and fostering accountability for human rights violations (please note that Central Eurasia Project usually does not fund training seminars or other training activities);
- Aiding labor migrants from and within the region, and promoting grassroots initiatives that focus on protecting the rights interests of labor migrants;
- Enabling local and international activists to address human rights and other abuses associated with the region's cotton economy and the counternarcotics policies in the region;
- Combating and addressing the consequences of torture.

Eligibility requirements
All applications must be made on behalf of organizations or groups, which may include, but are not limited to, informal coalitions, non-governmental organizations, humanitarian aid or other charitable organizations, and educational institutes. United States applicants must be tax-exempt within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Please note that the Central Eurasia Project usually does not accept applications for individual grants, such as fellowships, scholarships, or travel grants.

Organizations applying for funding may be based in the region or outside. However, organizations located in Central Eurasia that are planning to conduct activities in their own country alone are encouraged to first contact their national Open Society Foundation about funding opportunities. The Central Eurasia Project reserves the
right to refer all single-country proposals submitted by organizations based in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Tajikistan to the applicable local Soros Foundation for consideration. Please go to
www.soros.org/ initiatives/ regions/central- eurasia for contact information for these foundations.

Proposals on Turkmenistan should be submitted directly to the CEP's Turkmenistan Project (www.eurasianet. org/turkmenistan .project) . Proposals to support projects in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and the Middle East should be directed to OSI's Middle East Initiatives (www.soros.org/ initiatives/ mena). Proposals on Turkey should be directed to the Open Society Assistance Foundation - Turkey (www.soros.org/ about/foundation s/turkey) .

Procedures
The proposal format and detailed information about restrictions on grant funds are available at www.soros.org/ initiatives/ cep/focus_ areas/human_ rights/guideline s.

Grants applications will be considered three times during 2007 according to the following schedule. Proposals should be submitted by e-mail to akangaspunta@ sorosny.org.

1st Application Deadline: January 5, 2007
Decisions announced: March 2007

2nd Application Deadline: April 6, 2007
Decisions announced: June 2007

3rd Application Deadline: August 10, 2007
Decisions announced: October 2007

For any further information, please contact Anu Kangaspunta at
akangaspunta@ sorosny.org.

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