Applications call for CIPESA Africa Digital Rights Fund 2020

The Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF) offers flexible and rapid response grants to select initiatives in Africa to implement activities that advance digital rights, including advocacy, litigation, research, policy analysis, digital literacy and digital security skills building.

Round three of the ADRF is particularly interested in proposals for work related to Covid-19 response measures, how they affect the internet rights landscape, and how to redress any resulting harms to rights and freedoms. This effort is essential because, even in pandemic times, governments must respect rights and not abuse emergency powers. Moreover, many actors need access to credible information and research to inform their own work on awareness-raising and holding authorities to account during and in the aftermath of Covid-19.

Theme Areas

Initiatives not focused on Covid-19 but working in various thematic areas, including but not limited to the following are also welcome to apply:

• Access and affordability
• Access to Information
• Cybercrime
• Data protection and privacy
• Digital economy
• Digital Identity (ID)
• Digital security
• Diversity and inclusion
• eGovernance
• Freedom of expression
• Hate speech
• Innovation for democratic participation, transparency and accountability (civic and social tech)
• Misinformation/Disinformation
• Network disruptions
• Strategic litigation
• Surveillance

Eligible Activities

The activities that are eligible for funding are those that protect and advance digital rights. These may include but are not limited to research, advocacy, policy analysis, litigation, digital literacy, and digital security skills building, and participating in digital rights legal and legislative processes.

Prizes

Grant amounts range between US$ 1,000 and US$ 20,000, depending on the need and scope of the proposed intervention. The grant period will not exceed 6 months. It is anticipated that around 10 grants will be awarded in this round. Grant size in round three shall range from US$1,000 to US$20,000. Cost-sharing is strongly encouraged.

Requirements

• The Fund is open to organizations and coalitions working to advance digital rights in Africa. This includes but is not limited to human rights defenders, media, activists, think tanks, legal aid groups, and tech hubs. Entities working on women’s rights, or with youths, sexual minorities, refugees, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
• The initiatives to be funded will preferably have formal registration in an African country, but in some circumstances, organizations and coalitions that do not have formal registration may be considered. Such organizations need to show evidence that they are operational in a particular African country or countries.
  The activities to be funded must be in/on an African country or countries.

More information available here