Syria Regional Platform (SRP) and Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Office of Press and Public Diplomacy Statement of Interest

Overview

The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Office of Press and Public Diplomacy (NEA/PPD), in cooperation with the Syria Regional Platform Public Diplomacy (SRP PD) office of the U.S. Department of State, is pleased to announce this preliminary round (one of two) for organizations to submit a Statement of Interest (SOI) to carry out a public diplomacy program that advances U.S. foreign policy goals and objectives for Syria.

All programs must be designed to increase understanding of the United States and/or increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and Syria.  This could include an American cultural, educational, or media-related element, or a connection with U.S. expert(s), organization(s), or institution(s) in a specific field.  Additionally, NEA/PPD and SRP PD will prioritize projects that build mutual understanding among affected communities, support tolerant voices, and foster a positive sense of identity, cultural pride, and community empowerment.

Priority Program Areas: NEA/PPD and SRP PD seek proposals that use public diplomacy (i.e. that are designed to increase understanding of the United States, its people, policies, and values) to address the following priority program areas:

•  Youth community engagement:  Strong civic engagement is an essential component in fostering social cohesion, an engaged citizenry, democratic norms and values, and rendering societies more resistant to malign influence.  Projects in this category could, for example, engage a community or communities in a shared endeavor via sports, the fine or performing arts, etc. 
• Peacebuilding and reconciliation:  Projects in this category seek to promote inter-ethnic, inter-religious, inter-linguistic dialogue and/or tailored non-violent conflict mitigation strategies within at-risk and/or marginalized communities, 
• Education:  Syrian children and youth continue to face substantial deficits in their access to education.  Programs should be designed to address these deficits and/or offer educational activities not currently available.  Illustrative examples include programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM); helping educators increase their capacity for effective curricular delivery; sports, recreational, and/or extra-curricular program for girls in particular; or programs to link young adults with rudimentary education with employment or vocational opportunities. 
• Media and Journalism:  Projects that support strengthening of the media sector and/or enhancing journalists’ skills to bolster the critical role of a free press, as well as programs that provide direct access to authoritative U.S. information sources to promote depth, accuracy, and balance in reporting and to deepen understanding of U.S. policy and values.  Projects in this category should also help in combatting disinformation and support practitioners operating in conflict or semi-democratic zones. 
• Inclusive Economic Growth and Socio-Economic Development:   Projects in this category would focus on sharing U.S. expertise and practices for starting and/or growing a small business enterprise.
• Countering Violent Extremism (CVE):  U.S. engagement aims to reduce the ability of terrorist groups, their affiliates, and adherents to radicalize to violence, recruit, and mobilize individuals and communities to terrorism.  CVE attempts to break the life cycle of terrorist radicalization to violence, recruitment, and mobilization by pursuing a comprehensive, rule of law-based, and human rights-based approach involving local authorities, religious leaders, civil society, educators, women, youth, civil society, the private sector, and affected communities.  

Participants and Audiences:  

Proposed programs must engage Syrian citizens in non-regime held areas of Syria, with a particular emphasis on at-risk youth.  NEA/PPD and SRP PD require all programmatic activities to fully address gender considerations, ensuring men, women, boys and girls benefit from support where applicable, negative impacts are addressed or avoided, existing gaps between men and women based on cultural or other norms are minimized or closed, and gender awareness is a built-in component of project activities.

Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. Apply to ASU's internal limited submission competition on InfoReady.

Following the review in round one, successful SOI applicants will be contacted and instructed to submit full applications for round two.