CFPs: Report on Civic Freedoms Restrictions of Youth & Children Civil Society Actors in Asia-Pacific

Scope of Research

• Youth and child civil society actors have been at the forefront of social movements and mobilization for key challenges to global society, including climate action, gender equality, and justice and democracy. In response, youth and child civil society actors have faced increasing suppression of their fundamental freedoms of association, assembly, and expression, as well as violations of other human rights, such as the right to life and right to privacy.
• In the Asia-Pacific region, youth and child civil society actors have faced numerous reprisals for their activities, including criminalization and legal sanctions, academic and legal repercussions, and physical harm. In Thailand, for example, the government has charged or prosecuted 286 children in 217 cases between July 2020 and November 2023 connected to the exercise of these children’s freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. In Bangladesh, the authorities responded violently to student protests across the country demanding reform to an inequitable quota system for civil service jobs, leading to more than 100 deaths, many of whom were students. Across the region, in connection to their exercise of fundamental civic freedoms, child civil society actors face arrest, detention, and prosecution as adults despite the existence of national juvenile legal systems that require additional protections.
• ICNL seeks to document civic freedom restrictions to youth and children civil society actors in the Asia-Pacific region, with specific examples from multiple countries that focus on the infringement or violation of the freedoms of association, assembly, and expression.
• Specifically, they aim to issue one consultancy contract to an individual or organizational researcher to collect examples from the region, drawing on desk research, media monitoring, and, where feasible for the budget proposed, interviews.
• Ideally, the report would include examples and country case studies of suppression against youth and child civil society actors on at least several of the following areas:
  • Criminalization, violence, and lack of access to justice
  • Challenges to association [e.g. resourcing, registration age limits, etc.], assembly, and expression
  • Academic and professional reprisals
  • For young women, girls, and gender non-conforming activists, instances of intersectional repression, such as tech-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), harassment, or travel and mobility restrictions
• The research should identify case studies or examples from a diverse set of countries and regions, with examples from the following sub-regions: South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific.
• The final work product will be a report (15-20 pages max), to be published by ICNL.

Funding Information

• Successful proposals will have a budget ceiling in the $8,000-$10,000 USD range.

Criteria

• Interested applicants should submit a proposal, of no more than 4 pages, addressing the following topics:
  • Describe the scope of the research to be undertaken, including the specific countries, and the methodologies to be undertaken. Please include any revisions to the Scope of Research presented above, the methodology for conducting the research, and the timeline, including interim benchmarks and drafts as well as follow-up activities, recognizing that activities must be completed no later than November 30, 2024.
  • Describe applicant’s expertise and experience with civic space issues, fundamental freedoms of association, assembly, and expression, youth movements and activism, and children’s rights.
  • If more than one person will be involved in this project, describe who will undertake different aspects of the project. ICNL reserves the right to approve or reject the use of any personnel.
  • The cost proposal/line-item budget for this consultancy. The pricing for the cost proposal must be in USD and fully itemized. For personnel costs, please list each person to be involved in this project, the proposed day rate(s) and number of days. All other costs, if any, should be listed and explained. The proposed price should be inclusive of all taxes. ICNL expects to issue one Firm Fixed Price contract.

For more information, visit ICNL.