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BUREAU FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH, PARTNERSHIPS, AND INNOVATION
LOCAL, FAITH, AND TRANSFORMATIVE PARTNERSHIPS HUB
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Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships |
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Colleagues,
Happy new year on behalf of USAID’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships! As Administrator Power recently remarked, USAID and our partners in more than 100 countries around the globe worked tirelessly throughout the last year to save lives, respond to the global polycrisis, and promote the dignity of our neighbors near and far. Her message is a reminder that partnerships are at the core of our work at USAID and essential for advancing a more prosperous, just, and sustainable future.
As we look ahead to 2024, our team is more committed than ever to enabling collaboration between USAID and faith-based communities to drive impact at scale. From implementing “Building Bridges in Development: USAID’s Strategic Religious Engagement Policy” and scaling our field-based staff training program, to expanding our internal network of champions and redesigning our monthly newsletter to better suit partners’ needs, we remain dedicated to harnessing the power of partnership with you and your organizations. I look forward to all that we are able to accomplish together.
Amanda Vigneaud Acting Director, Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships USAID
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Partner Resources:
Agency Updates & Funding Opportunities
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ICYMI: On December 14, 2023, USAID announced more than $87 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh, specifically in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char. This funding includes critical food and nutrition assistance, as well as refugee camp infrastructure maintenance and support for disaster risk reduction activities in coordination with the United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP). Combined with contributions from other donors, this funding will enable WFP to increase food rations for the nearly one million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. |
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New Blog: In June 2023, USAID’s Middle East Bureau hosted a capacity strengthening workshop for 14 local partners, including faith-based organizations, from across the Middle East and North Africa. A new blog post highlights the successful co-design process that led to the workshop and includes testimonials from participants. This collaboration offers an important model for how a commitment to local leadership can set the foundation for lasting partnerships. |
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21 Years of PEPFAR: January 28, 2024, marked the 21st anniversary of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). A blog post from the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships is spotlighting the contributions of faith-based organizations to the program’s remarkable achievements - 25 million lives saved and 5.5 million babies born HIV free - and calling attention to the work that must continue, as over 1.5 million children are still living with HIV and only 57 percent are getting the life-saving treatment they need. |
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Translated Resources: USAID recently translated four Automated Directives System (ADS) 303 documents related to the assistance award making process, which can be found in the Resource Library on WorkwithUSAID.gov. The new translations are available in Arabic and Spanish, with French on the way. These documents comprise some of the most important guidelines and regulations that local partners must adhere to when partnering with USAID. |
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Learning Opportunities: Is your organization interested in learning more about the USAID funding process? Development Essentials is hosting two upcoming in-person seminars to help you gain insight and ask burning questions. From Feb 5-6, 2024, Development Essentials will also host a USAID Grant Policies and Procedures seminar that will cover the meaning and practical application of U.S. Government and USAID grant regulations and policies. From Feb 7-9, 2024, Development Essentials will also offer a Winning USAID Grants seminar, a deep dive into every step of the USAID application process including: advanced preparation and research; identifying contract funding opportunities, analyzing solicitations; drafting technical and cost applications; and the negotiation process. |
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Funding Opportunity: The People-to-People Partnership for Peace Fund Grant Activity is accepting concept note applications through Friday, February 9, 2024. The awards fall into two categories: small awards which range from $100,000-$500,000 each, and larger awards, which are up to $5 million each. Under the Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act (MEPPA), the People-to-People Partnership for Peace Activity works to strengthen grassroots linkages between Israelis and Palestinians to address common challenges and enhance peacebuilding momentum to affect institutional and policy change. For more information on this opportunity and how to apply, visit Grants.gov. |
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Follow Us: Interested in learning more about USAID’s engagement with faith-based and community organizations? Follow the Local, Faith, and Transformative Partnerships Hub’s X account, @USAIDConnects, for frequent updates on events, opportunities for partnership, success stories, and more! |
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Focus on the Field:
Christian Aid Engages Haitian and Dominican Border Communities to Promote Mutual Cooperation
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USAID/Dominican Republic colleagues participating in reforestation days. Photo Credit: Christian Aid. (Oscar Lombert, Centro Montalvo)
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On the island of Hispaniola, local communities along the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic face high rates of poverty, more criminal activity and destabilizing spikes in violence. Poor environmental conditions compound these problems and in the past have resulted in increased tensions and border closures.
Through the Communities Living Peacefully project implemented by Christian Aid, USAID is strengthening the capacity of border communities in the provinces of Dajabón, Montecristi, and Santiago Rodríguez to address socioeconomic and environmental challenges. Christian Aid, a USAID partner and relief and development agency representing 41 Christian churches in the United Kingdom and Ireland, is working with Centro Montalvo – a local faith-based organization operating in the Dominican Republic – to build relationships and foster trust between border communities, working towards peaceful conflict resolutions.
As part of the program’s effort to promote productive dialogue, Christian Aid and Centro Montalvo host meetings with communities to foster discussions and brainstorming on how to ease tensions regarding binational issues for both countries. During one discussion, 37 people participated including representatives of trade associations, local authorities, hoteliers' association, government officials, and representatives from civil society. By providing a space for open and honest conversation, the program is helping communities recognize their shared challenges and work together to implement solutions.
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Christian Aid and Centro Montalvo team members work on reforestation efforts. (Photo Credit: Oscar Lombert, Centro Montalvo)
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Christian Aid is also tackling environmental challenges on the border by organizing reforestation days. During seven reforestation days in 2023, Dominican and Haitian participants planted over 4,800 trees which are monitored and maintained by local environmental organizations, helping to restore ecosystems and conserve water resources in the region. The reforestation days also provide an opportunity for Haitian and Dominican border communities to work together around a shared goal, promoting understanding for each other's communities and their shared respect for the environment. |
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Alongside USAID, Christian Aid works to include local communities at every stage of the Communities Living Peacefully project to ensure that results are sustainable and directly address community needs. During the planning of the reforestation days, Christian Aid solicited ideas and feedback from Dominicans and Haitians and made sure their ideas were represented during consultations with various border institutions. Including border communities in these discussions has empowered local organizations to collaborate and continue environmental protection efforts beyond the project and promotes dialogue and understanding between communities on both sides. |
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USAID at the 2024 International Religious Freedom Summit
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USAID remains unwavering in its commitment to promoting and protecting freedom of religion or belief for all people around the world. The ability to worship and practice one’s faith, or no faith at all, in the public square is a fundamental right and matter of human dignity.
On Tuesday, January 30, Robert Jenkins, Assistant to the Administrator for USAID’s Bureau for Conflict Prevent and Stabilization, participated in a plenary panel at the 2024 International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit. During the “IRF in the Context of Human Rights” panel, Jenkins discussed how religious freedom is a necessary foundation for democratic, prosperous, stable, and pluralistic societies and highlighted how USAID is working with religious actors to promote and safeguard human rights.
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The Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships is part of the Local, Faith, and Transformative Partnerships (LFT) Hub.
The LFT Hub focuses on strengthening USAID’s ability to partner with non-traditional and diverse actors including local, faith-based, and community organizations; schools and hospitals; minority-serving institutions; foundations; diaspora communities; cooperatives; and volunteer organizations. Learn more about how LFT is harnessing the power of partnerships through the following:
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