NOFO: U.S. Public Diplomacy Palestinian Peacebuilding Program

The Public Diplomacy Section (PD) of the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs (U.S.OPA) announces the U.S. Public Diplomacy Palestinian Peace building Program to implement activities which advance the applicant’s goals and the U.S.OPA-PD mission: to advance a comprehensive and lasting peace through a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the development of a vibrant, representative, and responsive Palestinian civil society, private sector, and governing institutions through substantive engagement with American people, institutions, ideas and ideals in order to improve American-Palestinian relations and create greater opportunities for mutually beneficial partnership and cooperation.

Program Objectives

• All proposed projects must aim to advance the U.S.OPA-PD mission goals contain a substantive American element, and achieve one or more of the following specific objectives:

  • Promote negotiation, non-violence, social change, and civic education.

  • Design and implement a comprehensive program that empowers participants with advanced debate skills and negotiation techniques to effectively communicate their ideas, engage in a constructive dialogue and foster collaboration with one another.

  • Help participants imagine alternatives to occupation, violence, despair, or apathy.

  • Train and empower participants to tell stories from the conflict that highlight human dignity, empathy, and outside-of-the-box thinking for local and international audiences.

  • Build capacity of peacebuilding institutions and organizations led by Palestinians.

  • Create opportunities for Palestinians to engage representatives of the U.S. government – including the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs—on issues of importance to them, including U.S. foreign policy and international affairs as well as local issues and perspectives.

  • Advance equity with respect to race, ethnicity, religion, income, geography, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability.

  • Each proposal must have a substantial monitoring and evaluation component that will contribute to research in the field of peacebuilding to help make data-based decisions that make an impact on the ground.

• They will give special consideration to proposals which incorporate the following elements as techniques or tools for meeting the strategic goals identified above:

  • Cooperation in project implementation between two peacebuilding organizations.

  • Alumni of U.S. government programs and exchanges. This could include building upon previous programs or launching new initiatives with alumni from past projects.

  • Grassroots elements that support underserved communities.

• The project proposal does not need to have an Israeli element or a component of bringing Israelis and Palestinians together, but it must be building the conditions and laying the groundwork for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Please describe your theory of change and how you believe your project serves this goal as part of your proposal.

• The work plan should identify clear problems related to the strategic goals described herein, and propose feasible solutions based on a concrete and coherent methodology to address the problems identified. They encourage proposals that show creative approaches.

Funding Information

• Total available funding: $100,000

• Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $20,000 to a maximum of $100,000.

• Length of performance period: 12 to 18 months

• Number of awards anticipated: 1 or more awards (dependent on amounts)

• Anticipated program start date: September 2023

Priority Region: Jerusalem, West Bank, and Gaza or a combination of two or three of them.