DRL Labor Program to Combat Slavery in West Africa

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The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects to support the eradication of descent-based slavery in West Africa and assist with the full integration of victims into society. The open and legal institution of slavery that existed in some West African societies for many centuries has largely been legally abolished, but the practice continues in various forms. Proposed projects should focus on efforts to eradicate descent-based slavery as well as efforts to address the economic, legal, and social exclusion faced by those impacted by slavery in no more than two West African countries. Programs should include systematic documentation of identified cases of slavery and the follow-up and monitoring actions taken for each case. Activities may include, but are not limited to: providing legal assistance and accompaniment to victims and/or civil society organizations focused on anti-slavery causes to file and track the progress of civil and/or criminal court cases, including strategic litigation, and improving the capacity of legal and judicial professionals to hold slaveholders to account; engaging with key stakeholders to increase non-discriminatory access to educational, socioeconomic, and other services in order to assist slaves to establish an independent form of income; assisting slaves, former slaves, and slave descendants to exercise their rights under existing laws, including the right to obtain formal identity documents; supporting civil society organizations working to combat slavery to strengthen their collaboration with each other, support the integration of slaves, former slaves, and slave descendants into civil society organizations working to combat slavery, and advocate for a transparent and fair process for CSO authorization and registration; raising consciousness throughout all segments of society about the systemic excl

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