Assisting Communities Together (ACT): Grants to civil society organizations for human rights education activities

The Assisting Communities Together (ACT) Project is a joint initiative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which makes small grants available for civil society organizations carrying out human rights promotional activities in local communities. Since its launch in 1998, it has focused on strengthening local capacities for human rights education, training and public information in the context of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004) and of the World Programme for Human Rights Education (2005-ongoing). OHCHR and UNDP have jointly implemented a pilot (1998-2000), second (2000-2001), third (2001-2003), fourth (2003-2005), fifth (2005-2007) and sixth (2008-2010) phase of the ACT Project. The current, seventh, phase (2011-2012) was launched in April 2011.

Depending on local needs, supported activities have included (non-exhaustive list):

- Organizing human rights workshops and training courses for various groups, including teachers, women, social workers, public officials and indigenous peoples;
- Building human rights awareness through cultural events, such as theater performances, art exhibits and rock concerts;
- Producing/translating human rights materials and disseminate them through the media;
- Creating information centres for the promotion and protection of human rights;
- Developing education programmes for specific vulnerable populations such as prisoners, sex workers, HIV-positive persons, orphans, internally displaced persons;
- Developing activities for human rights education with children and youth, such as school competitions and establishment of human rights youth clubs.

Phase 8 (2012-2013)
Phase 7 (2011-2012)
Phase 6 (2008-2010)
Phase 5 (2005-2007)
Phase 4 (2003-2005)
Phase 3 (2001-2003)
Phase 2 (1999-2000)
Phase 1 (1998-1999)

•  Distribution of grants by country/phase (1998-2005)

•  OHCHR Publication/ACT Project Brochure, Phase 1 and 2

•  Other OHCHR grants programmes

OHCHR Handbook for Civil Society (Chapter IX – Funds and Grants)
United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture
United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations
United Nations Voluntary Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery

For further information, please contact:

ACT Project
OHCHR, Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland  
Fax: +41 22 928 90 10
E-mail: ACTProject@ohchr.org