Deadline: ongoing
Open to: all interested organizations
Grant: negotiable
Description
Despite grave and persistent rights violations in criminal justice systems around the world, effective reform remains a problem in many countries. The Open Society Global Criminal Justice Fund seeks to strengthen civil society engagement in the protection of the rights of criminal defendants and in confronting the overuse of pretrial detention. The fund supports civil society efforts to build networks, share experience, and identify new strategies for criminal justice reform.
The Global Criminal Justice Fund provides support to national campaigns that combine monitoring, legal defense and advocacy to catalyze new policy debates. The fund also supports linkages between national efforts and international and regional partners to develop centers of expertise, exchange best practices, and explore failures. Priority is given to projects in countries where there are deteriorating conditions of detention and evidence of pervasive discrimination within the system.
The Global Criminal Justice Fund supports groups based on the following priorities:
– Understanding the Scope of the Problem
– Ensuring Access to Justice
– Making the Case for Reform
– Building Links to Regional and International Debates
Eligibility
The fund focuses its support on those countries where the need is greatest, and where due process rights intersect with questions of equality and human dignity. The fund works with organizations that can share their experience and build partnerships beyond their own borders in order to contribute to learning and the development of good practice.
Grant
The grant amount is negotiable and depends on the foreseen activities in the project proposal.
Application
To apply for a grant from the Open Society Global Criminal Justice Fund, interested organizations should send a two- to three-page concept paper to criminaljustice@osi-dc.org. The paper should include the following:
- A brief description of the project goals and planned activities;
- Information about the applicant organization and project partners;
- An estimated overall budget and timeframe of the project.
The initiative will aim to respond to concept papers within one month of receipt. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal for consideration.