Preserving Afghan Culture, Empowering Women, and Reinforcing Shared Values

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The Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Embassy, Kabul (Doha) is pleased to announce an open competition for eligible organizations to submit applications to carry out a program that implements activities that preserve Afghan culture, empower Afghan women, and/or reinforce U.S. and Afghanistan shared values. Please carefully follow all instructions below. Executive Summary PDS seeks proposals for a project that will address at least one or more of the following areas: • Preserve and promote Afghan cultural heritage • Strengthen Afghan civil society by supporting women’s organizations, including those working to counter and prevent gender-based violence • Increase economic growth by empowering Afghan women with skills to start businesses or to enhance their competitiveness for gainful employment • Reinforce respect for human rights, the rule of law, and freedoms of speech, association, and movement Program approaches could include: • Documenting, digitizing, and virtually displaying Afghan cultural heritage (e.g., arts, crafts, traditions, dances, music, poetry, etc.) and related stories to make them widely available to Afghan audiences both inside and out of Afghanistan in order to reinforce our shared values of respect for cultural diversity and the importance of preserving cultural heritage to strengthen Afghan identity. [NOTE: Heritage-centered projects funded by the U.S. government cannot be religious in nature.] • Providing capacity training and technical support to Afghan civil society women’s organizations so that they may continue operations that assist Afghan women in pursuing, attaining, and maintaining equal rights, ensuring equal access to economic opportunities, and reinforcing our shared values • Conducting virtual programs and awareness campaigns to reduce gender-based violence in Afghanistan and/or within Afghan refugee communities in order to reinforce respect for human rights and the rule of law • Organizing virtual programs for Afghan audiences that reinforce respect for human rights, the rule of law, and freedoms of speech, association, and movement PDS intends to issue an award for a period of 18 months (base period) with options for one additional 18-month period.

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