Priorities and funded actions
Objectives
- To strengthen the capacity and voice of Kenyan civil society and human rights organisations as independent actors of accountability, governance and development through deepening their participation in national and sub-national policy and democratic reforms discussions in the main areas of EU-Kenya partnership
- To enable and empower Kenyan civil society actors to engage in a more structured, inclusive, regular and sustainable dialogue with the EU, covering the main priority areas of EU-Kenya cooperation, and involving the EU Member states, national and local authorities
- To contribute to strengthening the voice, capacity and influence of Kenyan human rights organisations to promote and safeguard democratic, safe and inclusive digital space, including by harnessing opportunities and addressing challenges of new technologies, and the promotion of human rights and democracy in the use of digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence
- To contribute to the implementation of electoral reforms, as highlighted in the EU EOM recommendations, though awareness raising, policy dialogue and initiatives in favour of changes of administrative practices and legislation towards more inclusive, transparent and credible elections
- To strengthen the voice, capacity and influence of wider Kenyan civil society to raise awareness of the impact and implications of climate change and promote civic engagement
Priorities
Lot 1: Structured dialogue with Kenyan civil society
- Priority 1 – Enhance dialogue, advocacy and networking capacities for participating civil society actors;
- Priority 2 – Coordinate the policy dialogue between civil society and the EU, with participation from EU Member States, national and local authorities;
- Priority 3 – Organise the logistics and facilitate the events and activities under this dialogue;
- Priority 4 – Establish a youth advisory group
Lot 2: Digital democracy
- Priority 1 – To foster a safe and inclusive digital space
- Priority 2 – To safeguard an open, democratic and rights-based digital space
Lot 3: Electoral reforms
- Priority 1 – To support a multi-actor electoral reforms action focused on the EU EOM Kenya 2022 priorities and – secondarily the constituency delimitation process to be completed by end of 2024
- Priority 2 – To develop initiatives that engage Kenyan CSOs in the full diversity across the country and across sectors in promotion of and consolidation of democratic governance through electoral reform discussions and proposals including CSO and citizens engagement with elected county and national officials
- Priority 3 – To support initiatives to discuss, assess and promote reducing ‘costs of elections’ in Kenya
- Priority 4 – To support advocacy, dialogue and other initiatives to advance and adopt legislation and regulations to implement and enforce the 2/3 gender rule and support elected women politicians, empower and support girls and women to engage in politics and enhance their voice and influence at national and county/local level
- Priority 5 – To support advocacy for and activities to promote more inclusive politics in Kenya, with particular preference for activities led by minority groups to strengthen the voice of and the capacity of their representatives to stand as candidates and in elected and executive body decision- and policy-making
- Priority 6 – To support initiatives to analyse, observe and report to the public on the constituency delimitation and engage Kenyan citizens and CSOs in their full diversity in this process and enhance their understanding of the purpose, impact and political sensitivities of such processes and compromise solutions and evaluate the process from a citizens perspective
- Priority 7 – To support initiatives that promote dialogue on key democratic governance processes and accountability related to elections and the functioning of independent electoral bodies and elected offices as well as respect for the important role of independent media, investigative journalism and civil society activism in this respect
Lot 4: Climate change and environmental protection
- Priority 1 – Promoting public awareness of and participation in discussions at national, county and community level on sustainable and green urbanisation, including but not limited to waste management, recycling and circular economic initiatives in informal settlements or other high-density populated areas;
- Priority 2 – Promoting civil society and affected community participation in policy dialogue at national, county and community level on policies and initiatives related to drought responses and risk management, enhancing resilience and climate change adaptation;
- Priority 3 – Raising public awareness and promote civic engagement on the implementation of Kenya’s global environmental, biodiversity and climate change related commitments, and promote participation of communities, households, public and private sector bodies in their implementation
Among financed actions
Lot 1: Structured dialogue with Kenyan civil society
- Organisation of regular dialogue, debates and consultations among civil society actors, and between civil society actors and the EU around the key priorities of EU-Kenya partnerships, including programmes, agendas and relevant policy frameworks
- Support the agenda of the structure dialogue through required research, analysis and knowledge management on topics relevant to the quality and strategic nature of a structured dialogue
- Development and deployment of online tools for coordination, knowledge and information-sharing between civil society actors active in the dialogue
- Link civil society actors, active both at the national and the county level, with relevant EU and Member States representatives
Lot 2: Digital democracy
- Public awareness-raising and targeted information and education/training initiatives on digital safety, the safe use of social media, especially for youth, children, parents and professionals working with youth and children
- Research and innovations for policy responses to online trends that threaten Kenyan democracy, including online trolls, social bots, micro-targeting, astroturfing, echo chambers, bubble filters, etc
- Advocacy, outreach and awareness-raising notably with internet service providers, technology companies, public authorities and other duty bearers, as well as with rights holders on the above issues
- Support to new or existing multi-stakeholder coalitions committed to developing rights-based and human centered policy responses that address the priorities above
Lot 4: Climate change and environmental protection
- Multi-actor civil society-led environmental protection activities, with a strong focus on child and youth empowerment and enabling these actors to identify, formulate and implement their own initiatives including in informal settlements
- Wider citizens-led and public engagement campaigns and festivals, i.e. film and documentary festivals with wider outreach, other types of festivals as well as cultural, creative or art related activities and events
- Multi-stakeholder approach to dialogues on environmental protection, natural resources utilisation and consumptions, promotion of biodiversity and climate change adaptation including circular economy and more sustainable waste handling
- Initiatives that promote, raise awareness of, pilot and multiply climate-smart community- and household-based agricultural and pastoral practices
Additional information
- This call for proposals is a restricted call for proposals. In first instance, only concept notes will be evaluated.
- Initial duration of the action: Between 30 and 48 months
Eligibility
- Be a legal person
- Be a non-profit-making entity
- Be a civil society organisation and/or their associations
