Background
On 22 May 2021, Palestinians will vote to elect their representatives for the Legislative Council. On the 31st of July they will elect the president. Finally, Palestinians will have the opportunity to elect the members of the “National Council” (PLO Parliament) in August.
Media has a vital role to play in democracies especially during election periods. Currently, the media in Palestine are operating under increasing economic hardship. The COVID-19 epidemy has aggravated the economic situation in almost all sectors and the media sector has not been exempted. Many media outlets had to lay off staff members. Some other media outlets had to end their services.
Radio is a key source of information in Palestine, which reaches a wide public. But radio stations were most hit by the economic crisis too. Therefore, this Call for proposals specifically targets radio stations and online platforms in Palestine.
Qarib is a regional project, implemented by CFI, a subsidiary of the France Média Monde group. CFI actively promotes the development of media in Africa, the Arab world and South-East Asia. CFI has a long record of supporting media, especially during crises, to enable them playing their indispensable role in democracies and to provide information and high-quality reporting.
The overall objective of the Qarib Project is “to encourage social cohesion at regional, national and local level and, through better media coverage, to promote the inclusion of people, particularly women, in society and public debate.
Objectives
The objectives of this Call for Proposals are:
- To support Palestinian radio stations (FM + online media platforms) in providing quality thematic coverage of local issues such as health, employment, education, citizens’ rights, gender equality, and other concerns of the different communities.
- To enhance the participation of women and youth in the public debate and to make their voices heard, as well as raise and discuss their issues of interest.
- To produce quality information radio programs and other forms of multi-media content on relevant issues in the Palestinian society, to enable citizens to be informed and proactively involved in public debates. Media outlets are expected to play an indispensable role as a watchdog, creating channels for discussion and debate between citizens and politicians. Inter-active programs/content is highly valued.
Priorities
Issues and Priorities for this call are:
- Promoting an informative and inclusive debate about relevant issues such as health, employment, education, citizens’ rights, gender equality, and other concerns of different communities in Palestine.
- To contribute to social cohesion by creating opportunities and channels for dialogue.
- Creating space in the public discussion for marginalized groups and their issues of concern.
- Contribute to the resilience of local communities in Palestine through constructive dialogue and participation in the democratic process.
- Encourage radio stations and social media accounts to be innovative in addressing issues and presenting their stories.
Budget
This Call for Proposals can cover costs related to the production of media content for Radio Stations and online platforms in Palestine. Costs may include fees for journalists, technicians, audio-visual producers and field visits expenses. Fees for project managers or other administrative staff are not covered under this grant. A flat rate of 7% for management and administration costs is eligible.
Any grant requested under this call for proposals, must not exceed a maximum of 20.000 EUR.
Eligibility Criteria
- The applicant must be a registered Palestinian radio station/online platform, licensed by authorized department(s) in the Palestinian National Authority.
- The applicant must submit the online application form, with a short description of the radio station/online platform, description of the proposed activities (radio program, podcast or any other relevant format) and details of the targeted audience, broadcasting channels and necessary statistics regarding number of listeners/readers/followers.
- Demonstrate how gender equality, women and youth perspectives and issues as well as their representation, will be taken into consideration, through the coverage of election related issues.
- Demonstrate knowledge of local context, priorities and sensitivities.
- The online application form must include estimated costs and a description for each component of the media content to be produced and broadcasted.
- The applicant may be requested to provide additional details, information or documents.
Please send your completed application, with supporting documents by online application form
