US: $500k to NGO that promotes religious freedom in India
US' Department of State has announced that any NGO in India that suggests early warning systems for "reducing religiously-motivated violence and discrimination" will be given a grant of $500k. They also announced a similar grant for Sri Lanka. Grants will be allocated after a thorough screening process. What are the criteria for receiving this grant? Which other countries would receive such grants? Find on!
Why is the US state department giving this grant?
In its International Religious Freedom report, the state department claimed that many Muslim and Christian activists had protested that the Indian government is not doing enough to protect them. Cases of religiously-motivated killings, assaults, riots, discrimination, vandalism and conversions were reported. Further, cow protection-related violent incidents had also increased. Mostly Muslim victims were killed, assaulted and intimidated. Thus, this grant was necessary.
What criteria need to be fulfilled for receiving this grant?
Apart from early warning systems, interested applicants need to find methods to deal with majority and minority religious groups conflicts. They should also come up with campaigns to counter negative "hateful and discriminatory" messages with positive messages. Moreover, they should have proposals for spreading awareness about legal rules regarding religious freedom. They should suggest methods for holding perpetrators of religious discrimination and violence accountable.
Which other countries received this grant?
Meanwhile, the US state department supports over 28 such programmes in South and Central Asia. The current funding for these programmes is over $17mn. Other countries receiving grants are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
