Deadline: 13 October 2018

On behalf of the USAID-funded Afghan Civic Engagement Program (ACEP), Counterpart International, Inc. (Counterpart) is currently inviting applicants for its Youth Activism Grants (YAG) to implement activities that promote a sense of responsibility, volunteerism, activism and public interest activities among youth. In case an ACEP PCP or RCP lacks interest to work with ECSL or may not be able to afford time to work jointly on this grant, ECSLs applicant can apply via another CSO in their respected province that is willing to work ECSL.

ACEP will award the grant to CSO in which ECSL applied through them and that CSO will be responsible for reporting and ensuring agreed deliverables are delivered properly as planned.

Grant Goal and Outcomes

• The goal of the Youth Activism Grant is to encourage ECSLs to design, develop and implement activities that promote a sense of responsibility, volunteerism, activism and public interest among youth at the community, district and provincial level.
• It is anticipated that at least one of the following outcomes will be achieved upon completion of grant activities:
  • Youth capacity is developed to monitor government accountability at the district and provincial level.
  • Youth leaders map out a clear advocacy action plan and engage youth in the implementation of the National Youth Strategy at the district and provincial level.
  • Youth are engaged in democratic process, decision-making and enhanced responsiveness of youth to emerging issues.

Award Information

Five (5) Fixed Amount Awards shall be issued. Each FAA grant shall be for a five-month period of time (01 Jan 2019– 30 May 31, 2019) and cannot exceed Afghani AFS 730,000 (Seven Hundred Thirty Thousand Afghani).

Activities

The following activities are only examples for illustrative purposes and ECSLs are encouraged to propose other activities:

• Community development, Government Monitoring and Accountability: The following are examples of interventions for youth monitoring of government accountability and community development:
  • Monitor public institutions’ service delivery and the implementation of public projects at community, district and/or provincial level.
  • Mobilize youth to advocate for the enforcement of laws related to women’s effective political participation and leadership at district and provincial level
  • Establish youth-led advocacy groups for effective implementation of quick impact advocacy initiatives.
  • Empower youth to become active members in Community Development Councils.
• Implementation of National Youth Strategy: The following are examples of interventions youth can engage in, to assist with the implementation of GIRoA’s National Youth Strategy:
  • Establish a network/platform of Youth Groups to monitor, evaluate, and report on the implementation of the national strategy at the community, district, provincial and national level.
  • Increase youth awareness about National Youth Policy and Strategy.
  • Engagement of rural youth in the national decision-making process
  • Develop youth activism skills, interventions and programs to enable youth to be agents of change for positive social and political reforms in their communities.
• Youth, governance, democracy and rights: The following are examples of interventions youth can engage in, to improve access to fundamental rights, promote democratic values and enhance responsiveness of youth to emerging issues
  • Initiate youth led community-based projects focusing on contemporary issues at community level, such as: research on youth centric issues, needs in civic and political engagement as well as in peace process and its sustainability, understanding and encountering violent extremism etc.
  • Encourage the participation of youth in provincial council meetings, peace council meetings, district level shuras, and/or shuras and jirgas at the community level.
  • Election 2018 -19 observation
  • Initiate small community level project aiming at to promote sense of citizenship, civic engagement, openness, diversity, peace, stability through debates, competitions, exhibitions, cultural and other locally accepted events
  • Outreach initiatives to promote youth and women’s political participation

How to Apply

Applicants should submit their applications via email at the address given on the website.

For more information, please visit Youth Activism Grants (YAG).