U.S. Department of State announces competition for program to promote Internet freedom in Ukraine

“The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for programs that promote Internet freedom in Ukraine,” reads the statement on the website of the U.S. Department of State.

A program aims to empower cross-sector Internet freedom champions to advocate for policies that promote freedom of expression online in Ukraine. The program should bring together technology experts, lawyers, civil society, media, and private sector representatives to discuss and debate Internet freedom trends, challenges, and policies. In addition, the program should build the knowledge and advocacy capacity of these groups in order to support cross-sector engagement on domestic Internet freedom issues and to combat regional and domestic threats to freedom of expression online.

As noted, the program should have a strong focus “on consensus-building among Ukrainian stakeholders on freedom of expression during conflict, specifically addressing the issues of self-censorship and the intersection of national security concerns with freedom of expression online.”

The period of program performance is 1-3 years. The U.S. side is ready to provide funding for the initiative to the tune of $500,000 - $1,180,500.

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