Country: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, occupied Palestinian territory, Tunisia
Closing date: 31 Jul 2015
Research: How to defend minority cultural rights by using local laws in the Southern Mediterranean region?
Terms of Reference
1. Mission
Minority Rights Group International will fund qualified consultants or researchers to carry out a study of the feasibility of using legal remedies for abuses of cultural and other related human rights particularly affecting minorities.
Each study should result in a practically oriented report detailing key information and findings, including names and contacts details of suitably qualified lawyers interested in taking cases (if possible pro bono) as well as existing precedents and areas of the law which would benefit from clarification or enforcement. The reports should, where possible, also list NGOs already undertaking human rights legal work in that country and their degree of interest in litigating cultural rights/minority rights, as well as organisations interested in starting litigation work that are not already doing so. All reports will be peer-reviewed for quality by 2 experts on that country as well as an MRG minority legal specialist. Once finalised, the reports will be used by MRG and its in-country partners to develop advocacy / new projects.
2. Location
Minority Rights Group intends to investigate and assess the possibility of using legal remedies to tackle cultural rights abuses in Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Israel.
3. Amount
Each project will receive up to 3,000 euros.
4. Deadline and projects duration
We are looking to fund up to 6 projects in 6 different countries. This call will therefore be open until 6 projects are selected for funding. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and, due to the high number of applications received, MRG will only contact successful applicants. Please note that no answer from MRG in the month following your application will mean that it has not been accepted.
Teams should be willing and able to submit draft reports no later than 3 months after contract signing. Final reports in English should be submitted no later three weeks after comments on the draft report are received.
5. Eligibility requirements
We welcome applications from independent consultants, civil society organisations, legal professionals, law firms and universities. The partners undertaking the studies will be expected to have detailed knowledge of legal systems and cultural practices in the country, as well as of international cultural rights and minority rights norms and a basic understanding of international legal remedies. They should also have excellent writing skills and able to demonstrate experience of writing for non-legally qualified audiences in accessible ways. Previous experience in advocacy activities and project management, as well as good connections with local civil society and/or minority rights activists, will be considered positively. Team members should have had practical experience of litigating on social justice or similar issues. Knowledge of English is desirable: if the team does not have strong English, MRG may reserve a small portion of the funding to translate the draft and final reports into English.
6. Methodology
The applicants will be expected to meet and talk with minority community leaders to assess abuses of cultural rights and the extent to which minority organisations are already supporting individuals or groups to seek redress. Remedies investigated could include domestic litigation, reference of cases to Ombudsmen, National Human Rights Institutions, Equality Commissions or similar (as well as the potential prospects of success / limitations of such remedies). Where these do not exist or have not proved effective, the studies may also explore potential advocacy opportunities and international legal remedies.
7. Background
MRG is a nongovernmental organisation working to secure the rights of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples and seeking to improve cooperation and understanding between communities.
In the framework of the European Union-funded regional programme "Media and Culture for Development in the Southern Mediterranean Region Programme", MRG, in partnership with the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development, the Civic Forum Institute Palestine, and Andalus Institute for Tolerance and Anti-Violence Studies, aims to use street theatre to challenge racism against and exclusion of minorities to promote social cohesion. This project is named “Drama, Diversity and Development” (DDD). It is one of three culture projects funded by the EU in the regional programme "Media and Culture for Development in the Southern Mediterranean Region Programme", which aims to support the efforts of the Southern Mediterranean countries’ in building deep-rooted democracy and to contribute to their sustainable economic, social and human development, through regional co-operation in the fields of media and culture. It supports activities fostering cultural policy reform and reinforcing the capacity of cultural policy makers, as well as promoting investment and the development of cultural operators' business capabilities.
To learn more about DDD please visit our website https://actfordiversity.wordpress.com/
For additional information, please write to applicationsddd@mrgmail.org
How to apply:
How to submit an application
All applications should include the following:
- Summary CVs of main personnel (up to 3 CVs – each maximum 3 pages) plus contact information of main applicant.
- Proposed methodology for the research and study, including the objectives, proposed stakeholders and beneficiaries, activities and timeframe (minimum 1 page, maximum 3 pages)
- Detailed project budget.
- One writing sample/example of similar piece of work.
We encourage applicants to submit these documents in English although we will also accept applications in Arabic or French. Please submit all applications to applicationsddd@mrgmail.org .