press releases
U.S Embassy Promotes Democracy and Human Rights
American CenterSeptember 13, 2005
The United States Embassy has provided $80,000 to seven
organizations to undertake activities aimed at promoting democracy and
human rights in Zambia. This funding will be provided under the U.S.
Embassy’s Democracy and Human Rights Fund (DHRF).
Agreements formalizing these initiatives were signed today during a ceremony held at the American Center in Lusaka.
Speaking
at the function, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’ Affaires Andrew Passen called
for concerted efforts in spreading democracy and human rights.
Mr.
Passen said, “It is not just the United States that recognizes the
central role of human rights in political and public life…. And while
there is no one “universal” way to define human rights, we have faith
that all humankind is born with the right to live in dignity and
justice. We trust that individual conscience will guide each of us to
respect the human rights we should ALL enjoy.”
The Democracy and
Human Rights Fund is intended to support activities that promote
political pluralism, and human and civil rights. It provides grants to
indigenous organizations for small, focused, relatively discrete,
short-term, high-impact activities. In the past, DHRF grants made a
significant local impact and strengthened small groups that otherwise
would not have received financial or organizational support.
Recipients
of this year’s DHRF grants are drawn from Lusaka, Central and Luapula
provinces and will implement wide ranging community activities
including transcribing laws into Braille for the blind, developing
training manuals, empowering women economically, and conducting
awareness workshops on issues such as HIV/AIDS, child rights and
raising citizens’ participation in democracy.
More…
The grant recipients and amounts are as follows:
- 80:20 Educating for a Better World, Lusaka ($13,000.00)
- Concerned Young People Movement, Lusaka ($8,000)
- Forestry Wildlife and Human Development Association, Lusaka ($10,000.00)
- Initiative for Sustainable Rural Livelihood, Central Province ($12,000)
- Kawambwa District Guidance and Counseling Association, Kawambwa ($10,320)
- Organization for the Promotion of Meaningful Development through Active Participation (OPAD), Central Province ($14,000)
- Southern Africa Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD), Lusaka ($12,680)
Small-scale
assistance to Zambian organizations is part of an ongoing commitment by
the U.S. government to support Zambian-driven development activities
and the emergence of a vibrant civil society.
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