BOSTON, MA – The Disability Rights Fund (DRF)—a grantmaking collaborative between donors and the global disability community which supports the human rights of persons with disabilities—today announced its first 2011 grants round, “Securing Rights.” Grantmaking in this round will be targeted to disabled persons’ organizations (DPOs) in four countries where DRF is currently working, Indonesia, Mexico, Ukraine, & selected states in India, as well as one new country, Lebanon.

The broad objective of the Fund—which was officially launched in March 2008 and is a Project of Tides—is to empower DPOs in the developing world and Eastern Europe/former Soviet Union to participate in ratification, implementation and monitoring of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD).

In the first round of 2011 grantmaking, applicant organizations from Indonesia, Lebanon, Mexico, Ukraine and eligible states in India may apply as single organizations or partnerships for 12-month Small Grants. Grants will range from USD 5,000 to 20,000 and will support efforts to build CRPD skills and to develop rights-based advocacy and monitoring on the CRPD. Twenty-four month grants for national DPO-led coalitions which support advocacy toward ratification of the CRPD, passage of specific legislation to accord with the CRPD, or the production of alternative/parallel reports will be by invitation only.

Interested organizations are urged to review the full eligibility criteria and application details posted at the Fund’s website, http://www.disabilityrightsfund.org/grantmaking.  Any questions on the proposal process should be directed to info@disabilityrightsfund.org. The deadline for applications is March 24, 2011.

As DRF’s Director, Diana Samarasan, said, “In 2011, the CRPD Committee will start the process of dialogue with States parties about their baseline reports on conditions for persons with disabilities at country levels. The disability community must be prepared to follow up. DRF’s grantmaking enables DPOs in the Global South, Middle East and Eastern Europe to participate in human rights advancement.”

In 2010, the Fund made 99 grants to organizations in 15 countries (India, Indonesia, Mexico, Ukraine; Nicaragua, Peru; Ghana, Uganda; Bangladesh; and Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu), totaling USD 2,222,123. Grants ranged from USD 5000 – 100,000 and supported CRPD skills-building, local rights advocacy, and national-level CRPD promotion, implementation and monitoring by DPO-led coalitions.

DRF’s donors include the American Jewish World Service, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), the Leir Foundation, the Open Society Institute, The Sigrid Rausing Trust, and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID).

First Round to Address India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Mexico, and Ukraine

FEBRUARY10, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Diana Samarasan, Director

Telephone: +1-617-261-4593

Email: dsamarasan@disabilityrightsfund.org

For the Spanish document click here

For the Ukrainian document click here

For the Russian document click here