Finance Department Ropes In NGOs to Spread Awareness of Democracy
Dharamshala, 12 July 2005: With the preliminary elections of the members of the Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies and Kalon Tripa expected to be held in the months ahead, in a bid to raise awareness of democracy and encourage people’s participation in the political processes of the democratic exile Tibetan polity, the Department of Finance of the Central Tibetan Administration has announced mini-grants to non-governmental organisations working at grassroots in the field.
Funded by the US National Endowment for Democracy, the grants aim “to provide modest support in the form of seed money or one-time grants to Tibetan grassroots organisations and associations that are working to inform and educate their communities about democracy and human rights and to increase participation in the political process.”
According to Tenzin Chungkyi, executive coordinator of Social and Resource Development Fund unit of the Finance Department, “about 30-50 grants, ranging from Rs. 21,500/- to Rs. 51,600, will be awarded, with priority to those projects which will increase political participation of women and youth.”
To avail this grant, NGOs must submit proposals to the Finance Department before 10 August for projects which should be implemented in between September 2005 to June 2006. Organisations currently receiving grants from the Finance Department are not qualified to apply.