CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Agency: UNESCO
Activities: Conduct Seven Community Peace Forums
Submission Deadline: 14 November 2019
Running Date: November 2019- March 2020
Background
In line with UNESCO’s mandate to support media development, UNESCO is implementing a Peacebuilding Fund Project Phase 2 “Strengthening Dialogue for Peace and Reconciliation in South Sudan" with a special focus on strengthening the role of media in prevention and mitigation of incidents of intercommoned conflicts.
Before, during and after a conflict, the media has enormous potential for good and evil. They can be used to stir up hatred, it can serve as a means of transmitting false news, hate speech and transmitting hostility thus playing a role in the escalation of conflict.
However, the media also has the potential to offer platforms for non-violent dialogues and act as an outlet to present different perspectives and initiate discussions on sensitive issues. In this regard, media can be used for spreading peacebuilding messages in order to overcome tensions and build confidence among various parties and communities. Media also has the power to challenge misperceptions and promote tolerance, collaboration between different parties and countering hate speech.
Assistance to local media must be prioritised through capacity building in order to ensure a sustainable transition to peace and democracy. In order to maintain media professional standards, journalists need to acquire adequate knowledge of conflict theory, as well as additional reporting skills and the analytical “know how” to be able to report accurately, impartially and they should be gender sensitive within conflict situations. Understanding the influence of media as it operates within- and how it can contribute to conflict situations is essential if civil society organisations, community leaders/groups, journalism educators, media associations and journalists are to play an important role in the promotion of peace and reconciliation.
In light of all the ongoing peace efforts including the National Dialogue and the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan(R-ARCSS) it is important that the South Sudan media supports peace and reconciliation by providing alternatives for non-violent alternatives and communication channels.
It is on the basis of the above, that UNESCO seeks a competent organisation that will take the lead in facilitating forums between community journalists, CSOs, community leaders, members of youth and women community groups (listener club members) to provide opportunities for inter- communal and intercultural dialogue on reconciliation and peaceful co-existences.
Objective
The objective of the project is;
• To strengthen the capacity of local peace actors and dialogue platforms including community and national media by identifying best practices and proven initiatives and scaling up and building on these processes in order to detect, prevent, mitigate and manage communal conflicts.
Main Activity
• Facilitate peace forums between community journalists, CSOs, community leaders, members of youth and women community groups (listener club members) to provide opportunities for inter-communal dialogues and intercultural dialogues on reconciliation and peaceful co-existences.
Target Groups
• The focus of this project will be aimed at supporting communities and groups to identify and address the drivers and causes of conflicts. Support will be provided to local actors including community media houses, journalists, community leaders, women and youth groups.
• 1 Peace forum will be conducted in each of the seven targeted areas across the country. Namely; Yei, Rumbek, Bor, Pibor, Wau, Torit and Bentui.
Terms of Reference
- In partnership with UNESCO, the selected institution will conduct a series of peace forums across seven targeted areas in South Sudan (stated above). The forums will target community journalists, community youth and women groups and community leaders ensuring at least 35% gender representation.
In this regard the contractor shall;
i) Engage with all the targeted community stakeholders to mobilize support and their involvement in the community peace forums.
ii) Conduct a needs assessment to identify key priority peace and conflict issues to be dealt with at the community level.
(iii) In close consultation with UNESCO and targeted communities, develop training programmes that seek to address community challenges.
(iv) In close consultation with stakeholders on the ground, select and train journalists, youth, women and community leaders on peace issues.
- Further, the contractor will be required to develop a detailed training/peace forum programme, ensuring that it covers the following among others;
• Basic understanding of conflict, conflict analysis, mediation, reconciliation and peace.
• Provide an understanding of triggers of conflict with special focus on hate speech
• Awareness of conflict dynamics especially how violent conflict most commonly begins, and recognize social structures that can channel conflict to violence.
• Understand several different patterns of conflict resolution and recognize elements of the process such as demands, needs and shared interests.
• Provide understanding of the roles of different groups in the communities towards contributing to peace/ peacebuilding and mitigating conflict.
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Ensure that participants fill and return to UNESCO the training assessment forms.
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In carrying out the above activities, ensure UNESCO visibility in all engagements. In this regard, the contractor shall provide articles with high resolution photos of the activities.
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Liaise with UNESCO in planning the required travels to the field. In this regard, provide a calendar of activities indicating the expected travel schedules.
Expected Output
It is expected that by the end of the project, targeted groups/communities will have been equipped with the skills and knowledge as below;
• Strengthened capacity of targeted groups to analyze conflict, processes and identify possible solutions more transparent to society.
• Increased awareness about dangers of hate speech and improved skills in use of imagery, positive cultures and language responding to hate speech.
• Increased professionalism in reporting on conflict by targeted community journalists.
Deliverables;
The Contractor shall be expected to;
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Submit to UNESCO by 30 January 2020 a progress report clearly highlighting progress on peace forums carried out in targeted communities. The progress report shall highlight results noted among the beneficiaries, number of people reached during the peace forums, main challenges and lessons learned.
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At the end of the project, submit to UNESCO by 30 march 2020 a comprehensive narrative report clearly outlining outputs and results achieved with high resolution photos and submit financial report (stamped, signed with receipts and invoices).
How to Submit
Submit detailed proposal with a clear justification as to why you are the best institution to carry-out the task, Also, submit detailed workplan and budget proposal for deliverables 1 and 2 to the below UNESCO address
Submit via; [email protected] by 14 November 2019, 5:00pm (Juba time)