American Palestinian Arts, Culture, and Sports Initiative

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Public Diplomacy Section (PD) of the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs (U.S. OPA) announces an open competition for a grant through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The American Palestinian Arts, Culture, and Sports Initiative is designed to partner with American and/or Palestinian non-profit organizations to implement activities which advance the applicant’s goals and the U.S.OPA mission, including but not limited to building Palestinian institutions, both governmental and non-governmental, that effectively address the needs and aspirations of the Palestinian people and building a prosperous Palestinian economy, led by a thriving private sector, that provides equitable and inclusive economic opportunities and improves daily life for Palestinians. The proposal must include substantive engagement with American people, institutions, ideas and ideals in order to improve American-Palestinian relations and create greater opportunities for mutually beneficial partnership and cooperation.

Priority Region: Jerusalem, West Bank, and Gaza or a combination of two or three of them.

Program Objectives:

All proposed projects must aim to advance the U.S. OPA mission goals stated above, contain a substantive American element, and achieve one or more of the following specific objectives:

·        Increase understanding and collaboration between Americans and Palestinians via direct exchange with American arts, film, music, dance, theatre, cultural, and/or sports professionals or institutions. Activities may include joint performances, productions, exhibits, workshops, tournaments, trainings, and other projects/works among other ideas.

·        Enhance employability, entrepreneurship, and/or careers of artists, creatives, arts, cultural and sports professionals

·        Positively address issues of conflict resolution, mental health, resiliency, or trauma therapy through arts, culture, and/or sports

·        Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, environmental protection, human rights, and/or a strong civil society via arts, culture, and/or sports activities and exchange.

Special consideration will be given to proposals that demonstrate how the program advances diversity, equity, inclusion, and/or accessibility with respect to race, ethnicity, religion, income, geography, gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or disability.

Participants and Audiences:

Participants and audiences must primarily include Palestinian professionals and/or students in the fields of arts, culture, and sports or any other population that will advance the objectives described above.

Nonprofit

• Nonprofits non-higher education without 501(c)(3)
• Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)