The EMHRF aims at promoting and enhancing a human rights culture and the consolidation of a nascent democratic civil society within the South-Mediterranean region by providing a strategic financial assistance and support to local, national and regional human rights non-governmental organizations and institutes as well as individuals who promote, support, protect and monitor the observance of human rights in the region.

Grants

The EMHRF defined two categories of intervention, an emergency and a standard intervention, in order to effectively support projects or individuals in the region according to their needs.

1. Activities that are supported
The Foundation aims at providing financial support to regional, national and local human rights NGOs and institutes as well as individuals who promote, support, protect and monitor the observance of human rights in the South-Mediterranean region, in particular:

Urgent relief of human rights organisations or members of human rights organisations under pressure or attack
Funds to support initiatives the timing of which is crucial for their success
Funds to cover basic costs and activities of organisations and groups that work in countries where explicit support by foreign donors may endanger these vis-à-vis their own authorities
Funds to support innovative projects
Funds to build capacity of ongoing (often innovative) activities or the setting up of structures by individuals or organisations who:
Have not yet gained mainstream donor recognition,
Do not have the capacity to maintain relations with these
Work with issues that may be perceived too sensitive to receive main donors' support
Fall outside mainstream donor categories, such as South human rights organisations in Diaspora working in support of human rights promotion and protection in their home country.
When evaluating an application, the Foundation will take into account potential financial support that could be obtained from other organizations or institutions involved at the national, regional or international level. In such cases, the Foundation will endeavour to refer the applications to such potential funding partners, especially concerning the following fields:

Physical Protection
Fellowships
Urgent Alert
Legal and political protection and solidarity
Appeals and interventions to intergovernmental mechanisms of the United Nations and regional instances (Europe, the Mediterranean and Africa)
Information and public awareness campaigns on human rights violations and those of its victims

2. Grant Size and Period of Support
Grants are subject to a EUR 40.000 ceiling and typically range from EUR 1.000 to EUR 30.000.

The period of support may not exceed 12-18 months and will include an evaluation based on criteria established before providing the grant to ensure the effective and optimal use of funds from the Foundation.

3. Countries Eligible for Support
The support mechanism is aimed at defenders who pursue human rights activities in the following countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Palestine.

Special attention is devoted to the countries of the region where the needs are especially critical because of the regional context (Syria, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt).

Projects with positive spill-over effects outside the region (for example in Europe and the Persian Gulf) may eventually receive funding if it is shown that they can have a positive impact on the situation of human rights defenders in the region.

4. Human Rights Organisations and Individuals Eligible for Support

Given the lack of a formal, comprehensive definition of human rights defender, the EMHRF applies the following criteria, while remaining flexible in its assessment of the eligibility of the cases that are brought to its attention.
The Foundation aims at supporting human rights defenders, regardless of their gender, in consideration of the following:
Their activities in promoting and protecting the universally recognised rights and freedoms of third parties;
Their activities as individuals or as a group;
Their use of peaceful and non-violent means in their work.

For further information about guidelines and granting procedures please follow this link:

http://www.emhrf.org/26