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Democracy Program Description
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Justice as a Right in Southern Africa: Regional Rule of Law and Human Rights Program
Implementer: Freedom House
Counterparts: Regional legal and judicial NGOs
Duration: October 2010-September 2015
Funding to Date: $8 million
Through sub-grants administered by Freedom House (FH), this program seeks to strengthen respect for democratic institutions and ideals and demonstrate that the rule of just law can promote peace, stability, and sustainable development. The program’s approach is routinely adapted in order to take into account particular and emergent conditions in each of the target countries while also maintaining a regional consistency in promoting judicial independence and the rule of just law. In FY 2011, ten sub-grants are being administered by FH to local and regional organizations. Four large sub-grants were made to regional legal and judicial organizations namely: the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), the Southern African Legal Information Institute (SAFLII), and the Legal Resources Centre (LRC). These organizations work on judicial independence issues and train lawyers on HR litigation to improve the rule of law. Six small sub-awards support civil society organizations for small human rights and strategic litigation on human rights issues in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland, and Zambia. Five of these projects are Fixed Obligation Grants (FOG). Since women’s rights are a crucial part of any human rights program, special consideration is taken to prioritize issues of women’s rights in the sub-granting procedures under this activity. Through these sub-grants, FH seeks to build the capacity of civil society organizations to respond to human rights and rule of law challenges in their countries.
Managing Democratic Elections in Africa: Regional election program
Implementer: University of South Africa
SAG Counterparts: National Treasury and South Africa’s Independent Election Commission
Duration: June 2011-September 2016
Funding to Date: $3.1 million
The regional election capacity building programme is based on a Memorandum of Understanding between South Africa’s Independent Election Commission (IEC) and UNISA on their cooperation to provide capacity assistance to EMBs. UNISA achieves the goals of this MOU and corresponding grant with USAID by providing a comprehensive training and mentoring program to EMBs across the continent. UNISA’s program on the Management of Democratic Elections in Africa (MDEA)
involves four weeks of training in South Africa- three in the classroom and one week of experiential learning with South Africa’s IEC. When they return home, participants complete the additional 50% of their coursework through distance learning for a certificate in EMB management. Distance learning is supplemented by field mentors--election experts who will be deployed to assist the participants develop strategies to apply knowledge gained in the program to better manage EMB processes. In FY 2011, a total of 24 EMB officials from 15 countries participated in the program. 35 participants are projected for each subsequent year.
Victims of Torture Program
Implementer: Center for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation
Counterparts: NGOs providing services to victims of torture
Duration: October 2011-September 2014
Funding to Date: $1.5 million
South Africa has become the primary destination on the African continent for undocumented migrants, asylum seekers and refugees; however, there are few NGOs operating in South Africa who provide free or low-cost medical and psychosocial services to VOTs. Activities implemented under this program adhere to the Victims of Torture earmark and support NGOs that help treat and heal the psychological and physical trauma caused by torture, in order to affirm the dignity of the survivor by restoring his or her position as a functioning and contributing member of the family and community. By increasing the number of clinical staff available to treat VOTs and through training and technical assistance, the regionalVOT program will increase access to and improve the quality of services that improve the status and function of survivors. This VOT intervention also seeks to improve the quality of clinical interventions and increase evidence-based practice through the evaluation and dissemination of findings related to long-term improvement in function.