Rights & Security International (RSI) is pleased to open this call for proposals from legally registered not-for-profit organisations in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador or Indonesia that address issues of national security and human rights. We will award up to £5,000 each to successful applicants.
RSI is an international human rights organisation working to end discrimination and other human rights violations that governments commit in the name of national security. We have more than 30 years of experience in documenting religious, racial and gender biases in national security policies, and in ensuring that the voices of communities facing discrimination are heard.
We recognise the power of collective efforts to create effective human rights campaigns, and we are engaged in various networks and coalition-building initiatives at the national, regional and international levels. For example, we provide support and coordination to the Rise Coalition, a network of civil society organisations from the Global South working to promote human rights and end violations committed in the name of national security and counter-terrorism. Applicants for this grant may be invited to join Rise.
What we can fund
We will consider funding the research and publication of a fact-finding report about:
- The use of special powers by governments (such as states of emergency) under ‘national security’ justifications, and the impact of those powers on human rights and the work of civil society.
- State surveillance that impacts journalists, and the use of digital technologies by governments to control, censor and persecute human rights defenders or community leaders.
- Strategies adopted by non-violent environmental activists, in or out of court, to prevent governments from targeting them as terrorists or national security threats.
- The impact of national security policies or laws on indigenous peoples’ claims over ancestral lands.
Your proposal can involve one or more of these topics, and may also focus on other related issues relevant to this call. We are looking for original research and analysis that will explain:
- How security policies impact civil society and human rights;
- How civil society and groups in vulnerable situations are affected by governmental action on ‘security’;
- The laws, policies or programmes involved in these actions;
- What government bodies or other decision-makers could do differently to uphold rights;
- What the international community could do to help increase rights protections; and/or
- The intersections between security policies, historically marginalised groups and growing anti-rights movements.
Connecting applicants to the Rise Coalition
The successful organisations, and all applicants, are welcome to apply to join the Rise Coalition. Applications are free and will be assessed by current coalition partners in line with our policy on membership (available on RSI’s) website.
Grant period
You can propose a project period of up to 12 months. Your work on the project should begin by June 2024.
What we will not fund
- Individuals
- Academic research
- For-profit entities
- Government agencies
- Organisations or associations that are not legally registered in the countries listed above
How to apply
Please apply by downloading and completing the form below and sending it to info@rightsandsecurity.org by 8 April 2024. We will consider applications in English or Spanish.
How we will handle your data
We may retain your application for up to two years for monitoring and evaluation purposes. After no more than two years, we will delete your application materials from our files. You may contact us to request that we delete your materials earlier.
We may also retain your contact information for up to two years and use it to contact you regarding the Rise Coalition, training opportunities or other RSI activities. After two years, if you are not actively participating in the Rise Coalition or corresponding with RSI, we will make reasonable efforts to delete your contact information. You may ask us to stop contacting you and/or delete your contact information at any time.
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