EEJ Programme

Overview

The Norwegian TV-Campaign (telethon) in 2012 will focus on the issue of Justice! All money that is donated during the campaign will go to Amnesty International (AI). The money that is donated by the Norwegian government will be spent separately and specifically on human rights education projects and administered by the International Human Rights Education Centre (IHREC), Amnesty Norway, on behalf of the AI movement.

The overall aim of the EEJ Programme is to reinforce the basic human rights of people across the world and contribute to greater justice for thousands of human beings through human rights education and empowerment initiatives.

Five priorities are set out in AI’s application, Justice!, for the Norwegian TV-Campaign 2012. The EEJ Programme will follow these five priorities and human rights education projects and initiatives will take place within each of these:

1. The Price of Freedom of Expression
In the Middle East and North Africa, help reinforce local NGO’s by, among other things, offer instruction in human rights. We will support local organisations so that they can carry out essential human rights work at local level.
In Russia, reinforce human rights teaching in the country.

2. Targeted and Exploited
Globally, mobilising women to fight for their own rights through awareness and education about their rights, and by mobilising world society to take action to strengthen women’s rights via campaigns and information about the fate and life-threatening situations of individual women.
In Europe, work closely with national and international NGOs so as to promote the rights of minorities like Roma, Jews, gay men, lesbians, bi-sexuals, transgender peoples and other marginalised groups by raising awareness, and by education.

3. Unscrupulous Greed
In Latin America and Canada, through close cooperation, creating awareness, and education, help those local communities affected (by multinational companies) to participate themselves in the fight to obtain justice.

4. In War’s Backyard
In Africa, run instruction Programmes in human rights for governments, police, and other security personnel.

5. New Spring
In Tunisia and Egypt, take Amnesty International’s expertise and experience in human rights education in the region as a starting point and develop it as a tool to build up societies that respect human rights.

Governance
The EEJ Programme will be governed by an agreement between Amnesty International Ltd and AI Norway. A specific steering group – the Education – Empowerment – Justice Steering Group (EEJ SG) will be responsible for the management and granting of funds to various Amnesty sections/structures or other organisations applying to undertake projects in the framework of the EEJ Programme.

The EEJ SG will be comprised of the members of the already existing IHREC steering group with an additional member appointed by the board of AI Norway. More specific details of the EEJ SG and their role and function can be seen in Appendix 2.

Project Criteria
Applications for project funding can be received at any time; however, decisions on approving applications will only be made every six months during the EEJ SG meetings.

The IHREC will invite AI sections/structures and other non governmental organisations to apply for project funding. The IHREC and the International Secretariat (IS) will be active in identifying potential projects for application. The IHREC will also support relevant sections or structures in developing applications and implementing projects. The following are criteria for identifying and inviting potential projects or initiatives to apply:

Internationally agreed priorities
All projects must fit into one of the five priority areas and corresponding geographical limitations outlined in order to be considered. In the first instance, the EEJ SG will consider HPCs and projects that meet objectives set out in the strategic document “Critical Pathways”.

Organisational status
• In countries where an AI presence exists - the applicant must either be a section or a non-section structure with organisational structure, skills and experience such as soon to reach a level that qualifies for a section status. The legal status of the structure must be clear.
• In countries where AI has little or no presence and priorities have been highlighted, the IS should encourage other non governmental organisations to apply for funding. Organisations will go through the same application procedure as AI sections and structures, however, they must also indicate what relationship they have with the IS The IHREC must validate the relationship and application with the specified contact at the IS for the application to be further considered. The legal status of the organisation must be clear.
• The project holder will sign a contract with the IHREC for the implementation of an approved project.

Organisational capacity
The section/structure or organisation applying must have the organisational and human resource capacity, or human resources available for capacity building, to take on an externally funded project.

Human rights education capacity
The section/structure or organisation applying must have identified human rights education as a priority in their current strategy and either have relevant skills and experience in human rights education in their own country, or relevant and sufficient human resources for capacity building in human rights education.

Human rights education within the projects must be participant centred and focus on the development of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values.

All human rights education projects involved in the EEJ Programme must include the following elements:
• Education about human rights – focusing on human rights content.
• Education through human rights – learning in a way that is respectful of the rights of both educators and learners.
• Education for human rights – inspiring people with the vision of human rights and equipping them with skills to respond to complex human rights challenges concretely and effectively.

Project duration and sustainability
The project duration (the time in which the project will receive funding from the EEJ Programme) must be for a minimum of one year and a maximum of five years length. The application must also show how the project, including all follow up activities, will be sustained after the EEJ Programme funding has ceased.

Active participation and empowerment
All stages of the project from development, implementation through to evaluation and follow up must show clearly how active participation methodologies are integrated. Primary objectives in all projects must include the empowerment of individuals and target groups to take action for and support others in obtaining justice and claiming human rights.

Cooperation
Projects planned and implemented by the project holder in cooperation with other organisations and associations will be given priority, and all aspects of cooperation with others should be highlighted in the application.

Monitoring and evaluation
Project applications must include a comprehensive and realistic monitoring and evaluation plan.

Budget
The estimated total budget of the EEJ Programme will be approximately 35 million NOK (6 million USD). Each priority area will have a separate budget line to ensure that projects are carried out under all five priorities. The budget for each priority will be set by the EEJ SG annually.

Human resource support, local/regional capacity building and exchange, travel, communication and total programme costs will all be included in each of the five priority areas.

Human Resources
The EEJ Programme will be coordinated by the staff of the IHREC. Consultants (casual or with fixed term contracts) will be recruited either at the IHREC or regionally where projects are taking place and when additional human resources are required.

Evaluation and Assessment
Evaluation of the EEJ Programme will be made continuously throughout the five years the programme runs. At every EEJ SG meeting there will be a focus on evaluation in order to respond to identified problems and improve on content and procedures. Half way through the five year programme, a separate mid term evaluation meeting will be held which will bring together the EEJ SG, selected coordinators from funded projects, other relevant Amnesty International staff and members. A similar, post evaluation meeting will take place after the completion of the programme in order to document lessons learnt and discuss the impact and follow up.

An external evaluator will be recruited at the end of the programme in order to conduct an independent evaluation of the five year programme.

Project reporting
All funded projects must complete financial and content reports within three months after the completion of a project, or three months after the end of each year of the project for multi-annual projects. Reports must be sent to the IHREC by the specified due date. Templates and requirements for the financial and content reports will be given to the Amnesty section/structure or other organisation after the approval of a project and before they accept the funding.

Visibility
The EEJ Programme will have separate webpages linked to the IHREC website and the website of the International Secretariat. Details of all projects and evaluations will be placed online unless there is a specific reason to omit something.