Protecting human rights: combating hate and politically motivated crimes | PAS UKRAINE FY22 05

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS UKRAINE FY22 05

The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine (Department of State, U.S. Mission to Ukraine) offered a discretionary grant opportunity titled "Protecting human rights: combating hate and politically motivated crimes" (Funding Opportunity Number: PAS UKRAINE FY22 05). It was aimed at Ukrainian non-governmental organizations, including both newer and more established human rights groups, to help strengthen the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and to improve the monitoring and reporting of potential human rights violations across Ukraine or within an applicant's region of work. The program particularly encouraged proposals that focus on groups that are often vulnerable or marginalized, including women, LGBT people, ethnic and religious minorities, refugees and internally displaced persons, and members of the activist community, especially those working in anti-corruption, environmental protection, and journalism.

Funded projects were expected to fit within a set of priority activity areas. These included education and public awareness efforts such as "know your rights" campaigns for at-risk communities and stigma-reduction campaigns designed to build social tolerance, as well as trainings for journalists to improve the quality and quantity of human rights coverage in the media. The opportunity also supported systematic monitoring and reporting on abuses affecting vulnerable groups, along with initiatives that promote the rule of law, inclusion, and tolerance, and that directly address xenophobia, hate speech, and hate crimes. Another major emphasis was improving access to justice for targeted communities through legal support services (such as counseling, representation, and primary or secondary legal aid) and strategic litigation intended to shape broader legal practice and anti-discrimination enforcement in Ukraine.

A separate but closely related strand of the opportunity focused on building the capacity of institutions and frontline actors to prevent and respond to hate and politically motivated crimes. This included training for police officers, investigators, and prosecutors on the legal framework and on proper investigative and procedural approaches for handling hate crimes and politically motivated offenses. Beyond case handling, the program sought to create a more enabling and inclusive environment for human rights defenders to operate safely and effectively, including support to mitigate the impact of cyber or physical attacks on civil society. Proposals that strengthened institutional frameworks for human rights promotion, improved protection systems for defenders, reinforced rule-of-law practices, and expanded communication and collaboration between government bodies and civil society were all aligned with the program goals.

The opportunity also highlighted several thematic concerns where targeted interventions were welcome. These included raising awareness of violence against environmental defenders and encouraging engagement with stakeholders domestically and through multilateral institutions, improving access to environmental information and public participation, and expanding access to justice in environmental matters to bolster Ukraine's capacity to protect environmental defenders. It also included efforts to counter violence, abuse, criminalization, discrimination, and stigma targeting LGBTQI persons and to support local human rights defenders working on those issues. In addition, the call encouraged work to reduce information-based and physical attacks on representatives of the gender equality movement in Ukraine, including direct assistance to victims and public visibility for such cases through media coverage. While these areas were emphasized, the announcement made clear that other innovative approaches addressing hate and politically motivated crimes and broader human rights protection could also be considered.

From an implementation standpoint, the Embassy stressed the need for modern and effective communication tools and a clearly defined target audience. Because of COVID-19 concerns at the time, applicants were encouraged to minimize direct in-person contact and instead rely on online tools for trainings and meetings, as well as visual public communication methods such as billboards, posters, announcements with QR codes, and video advertising; traditional print-heavy approaches were discouraged. Proposals were expected to present concrete and achievable goals, explain how progress would be measured, provide a realistic action plan, and include a reasonable cost estimate. The program also favored cooperation among multiple stakeholders and indicated a preference for projects that actively engage state and private institutions to improve sustainability beyond the grant period.

In terms of funding parameters, the award ceiling was listed as up to $400,000, with an expectation of about 15 awards. The original application closing date was February 28, 2022 (creation date January 31, 2022). Up to 10 percent of grant funds could be used for organizational administrative needs during the implementation period. Eligible applicants were listed broadly as nonprofit organizations (including entities with and without U.S. 501(c)(3) status, among others as clarified in the full eligibility notes), with the practical focus being on Ukrainian NGOs capable of delivering human rights programming within the scope described.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Ukraine in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Protecting human rights: combating hate and politically motivated crimes" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 31, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 28, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for PAS UKRAINE FY22 05

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