Call for Proposals: Arab Region Dialogue Initiatives

KAICIID’s country programmes aim to strengthen IRD and the possibility of coexistence between different religious and faith groups in the selected conflict countries. The organization strongly believes that this objective may be reached at its best through a grassroots approach that directly involves the local population and stakeholders. It is important, in this regard, to invest in supporting initiatives on the ground that enable religious, community, and civil society actors to join their efforts to promote inter-faith dialogue and peace.

The aim of the Dialogue initiatives scheme is to provide funds and technical support for the implementation of projects owned by local actors or organizations, in coordination with KAICIID’s established dialogue platforms/networks operating in the country/region. The overall objective of the small grants has two sides: It aims to enlarge the involvement of the local population in seeking a resolution to the identified challenge/conflict by granting them the possibility to enable change within their own country. On the other side, these projects can offer the possibility for KAICIID and its established dialogue platforms to increase their impact and visibility and to learn from local partners on how to operate in the country/region.

Objectives

• The implementation of the Small Grants Scheme will aim at three different objectives:
  • Contribute to peacebuilding efforts and to strengthen social cohesion in the focus countries/regions through the implementation of quick-impact local projects.
  • Empower local peacebuilders and give them the possibility to experiment with innovative approaches through small-scale activities at the local or national level.
  • Showcase what could be done on the ground on a pilot basis that could create an impact and be scaled up with additional resources.

Focus Areas

• Countering & preventing hate speech in the name of religion on national /regional level.
• Enhancing the role of interreligious and intrareligious dialogue (IRD) in responding to crises. Preference will be given to interfaith initiatives focusing on community engagement and responses to national crises amongst vulnerable groups (elderly, people with special health conditions, women, children, refugees, etc.).
• Incorporating principles of Interreligious Education and Common Citizenship in IRD initiatives to promote social cohesion and peaceful coexistence.
• Promoting the protection of cultural heritage and sacred and holy sites.
• Proposals will be evaluated based on specific selection criteria. The projects should be fully implemented within six months from March to August 2024, including the submission of the final reports. All initiatives and activities should include a policy dimension, involving policymakers in the project on a local, national, or regional level, with different levels of engagement.

The following methods, approaches and formats can be used to address the topics highlighted:

• Advocacy for policy changes.
• Capacity-building (preferably in-person workshops and trainings).
• Traditional/social media engagement, live streaming events, broadcasting, radio programs, TV programs, short videos, documentaries, etc.
• Knowledge exchange.
• Awareness raising.
• Policy papers, booklets, infographics, articles, and blogs.
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT) such as mobile phone applications (Apps), text messages and push notifications.

Funding Information

• Possible grants for individuals are up to 4000 Euro and for organizations up to 6500 Euro.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Dialogue 360 project targets organizations and institutions as well as individuals who can support interfaith efforts to respond to the themes identified in this call. More specifically, these partners include the following entities:
  • Interfaith/interreligious dialogue platforms, organizations, and networks.
  • Religious leaders and faith-based organizations (FBOs).
  • Youth and women organizations and other civil society organizations.
  • Social media influencers and bloggers.

Selection Criteria

• The applications will be evaluated through a set of criteria to ensure that they match the purpose of the call for proposals and the objectives of the programme. The criteria to be considered in the selection process are:
  • Implementation and networking capacities of the applicant: Priority will be given to applicants that have the required capacities at the technical level, as well as the networking capacities, to implement projects on the ground;
  • Clear policy dimension: Involvement of policymakers and impact on local, national policies;
  • Level of alignment with KAICIID’s mandate: All projects must be focused on IRD for Peace and Reconciliation;
  • Priority consideration will be given to proposals that entail collaboration across religious lines;
  • Impact of the project: # of people reached or impacted by the project;
  • Clarity and practicality of the proposal (regarding its objectives and deliverables);
  • Sustainability, replicability & scalability of the project: Proposals that are sustainable or potentially replicable will be prioritized;
  • Gender sensitiveness: Priority will be given to proposals that target equally men and women as beneficiaries or target groups.

For more information, visit International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID).