The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how CESE functions, but, since social isolation measures began, we have not stopped working for a single day.
Initially, we talked to grassroots organizations in several regions around the country and from different social sectors to understand how they were dealing with the pandemic and to look at possibilities for collaboration. In parallel, we talked to our funding partners about the need to adjust our plans in order to meet the movements’ needs.
So far, this dialogue has resulted in support for 30 proposals, with more than BRL 500 thousand applied to emergency activities involving communities from peripheral neighbourhoods, indigenous people, quilombolas, black women, domestic workers, rural workers, immigrants, the LGBTQI+ community and other sectors.
Our Small Projects Programme is currently receiving proposals and is prioritizing initiatives to confront the pandemic that involve:
- Political advocacy activities to secure the rights of vulnerable sectors of the population.
For example, the proposal of and pressure to approve and access public health and emergency aid policies; access to services for women experiencing domestic violence; initiatives to guarantee community water supply.
- Activities to defend rights in the case of serious violations or threats to communities and human rights defenders.
For example: denouncements, legal aid in cases of the invasion of traditional territories and the imprisonment of leaders.
- Training activities, addressing topics related to the pandemic and its interface with other social issues.
For example: debates and workshops about the impact of the pandemic on the black population and indigenous peoples; the importance of agro-ecology for food sovereignty in times of pandemic; confronting repression and authoritarianism as a response to the pandemic.
- Communication activities for the defence of rights within the pandemic context.
For example: the production of health education materials for specific social groups; the dissemination of government emergency support policies and programmes; fundraising campaigns.
- Production and income-generating initiatives.
For example: the production and sale of agro-ecological food and family farming products; the manufacture of masks.
- Urban interventions in low-income territories to confront the pandemic.
For example: measures to improve access to water in informal urban settlements; the organization of support groups for the elderly and people with disabilities; training health brigades.
IMPORTANT: PROPOSALS MAY INCLUDE EMERGENCY ITEMS – FOOD, ITEMS FOR PROTECTION, HYGIENE OR CLEANING, HOWEVER, THE POSSIBILITIES TO SUPPORT THIS TYPE OF DEMAND ARE CURRENTLY LIMITED.
CESE WILL CONSIDER ITS PRIORITY REGIONS (THE NORTH-EAST, NORTH AND CENTRAL-WEST) WHEN SUPPORTING PROJECTS OF THIS NATURE.
PLEASE NOTE!
- Activities must be compatible with recommended social isolation measures.
- The necessary protection and safety measures must be adopted when carrying out these activities, to observe the specific needs of indigenous peoples and other sectors.
Guidance for project applications may be found at: https://www.cese.org.br/enviar-projeto/ (in Portuguese).
Proposals must be sent to this e-mail address: projetos@cese.org.br