Opportunity Information: Apply for AF ARS FY20 02
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of African Affairs, announced a discretionary funding opportunity called "Virtual Civic Engagement to Strengthen Democracy in Africa" (Funding Opportunity Number: AF ARS FY20 02). The agency planned to make one cooperative agreement award, with a maximum award amount (ceiling) of $400,000, to support a 16-month program designed to strengthen democratic participation and civic engagement across Sub-Saharan Africa. The opportunity was posted on July 16, 2020, with an original application deadline of August 15, 2020, and it falls under CFDA 19.040.
At the core of the program is a continent-wide professional development and networking effort aimed at early- and mid-career professionals. Rather than focusing on one country, the initiative is structured around virtual short courses that can be adapted to different national and local contexts. The courses are meant to be delivered in three major languages used widely across the region and in professional settings: English, French, and Portuguese. This multilingual design signals an intent to reach a broad cross-section of participants and reduce language barriers that often limit access to regional training programs.
The content emphasis is on practical civic engagement skills and knowledge areas that commonly shape democratic resilience. The solicitation highlights journalism as a key theme, pointing toward training that could address issues like credible information, responsible reporting, media ethics, and the role of independent media in accountable governance. A second central theme is engaging governments, which suggests a focus on how civil society actors, professionals, and community leaders can communicate with public institutions, advocate for reforms, participate in consultations, and navigate policymaking processes in constructive ways. The third major theme is inclusivity, indicating that the program is expected to address how civic participation can be broadened so that underrepresented groups are meaningfully included in public life and decision-making, not merely present in name.
The program is not limited to one-way instruction. After the virtual courses, participants would continue learning through interactive discussions hosted via chat functions or social media platforms. The explicit goal of these follow-on conversations is to build an active network of people who share a commitment to civic participation and democratic norms, and who are willing to apply the course principles in real settings. In practice, that means the network is expected to encourage participants to develop activities, initiatives, or policy ideas within their own institutions and professional spheres, using the training as a common foundation and the online community as a way to share strategies, troubleshoot obstacles, and sustain momentum beyond the formal instruction.
Although the program is largely virtual, it also includes a selective in-person component: an in-person training and networking event for 60 participants. This gathering is intended to deepen the conversations started in the courses, strengthen relationships among participants, and create space for more intensive collaboration. The in-person element also suggests a capstone-style experience where participants can consolidate learning, compare country experiences, and identify ways to continue working together after the program concludes.
The training materials are described as U.S.-authored and intended to reflect the diversity of opinion found in the United States, while still emphasizing foundational democratic values such as freedom and democracy. The speaker lineup is expected to include U.S. citizens and experts with experience in both Sub-Saharan Africa and the United States, implying a mix of perspectives that connect U.S. civic and democratic practice to African contexts in a way that is relevant and grounded in on-the-ground experience rather than purely theoretical instruction.
Finally, the award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which typically means the funding agency expects to be more actively involved than it would be under a standard grant, often through collaboration on program direction, coordination, and oversight. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional details referenced in the full announcement, indicating that the applicant pool could include various types of organizations depending on the specific eligibility language in the complete solicitation.Apply for AF ARS FY20 02
- The Department of State, Bureau of African Affairs in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Virtual Civic Engagement to Strengthen Democracy in Africa" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 16, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 15, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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