The US State Department offers a grant of up to $800,000 to Ukrainian public organizations that will ‘advocate civil society and civic activism’ in Ukraine.
Photo: Reuters / Thomas Peter
The US State Department offers a grant of up to $800,000 to Ukrainian nongovernmental public organizations that will ‘advocate civil society and civic activism’. According to political analysts, it’s a way to promote Kiev’s regime and keep President Petro Poroshenko in power amid his declining popularity.
“[The] goal is to enhance the accountability and responsiveness of the Ukrainian government at the local level through civil society advocacy, monitoring, and civic activism,” a funding announcement of the US State Department, published the grants.gov website this week, reads.
According to the announcement, Washington is looking for “civil society organizations,” either non-profit or for-profit (with some conditions) that will provide proposals “to perform a watchdog function and advocate for democratic governance” in Ukraine.
The program is allegedly aimed at increasing civic activism in Ukraine at a local level by creating a network of civic activists throughout the country, who should keep watch on the activities of local governments and encourage partnerships between civil society and media “to communicate important information about local reforms to the public.”
The organizations, which want to get the grant, must present a financial plan and a program for their activities by January 17, 2017. They also need to have links with “thematic or in-country partners, entities and relevant stakeholders, including private sector partners and NGOs.”
According to the announcement, “projects should have the potential to have an immediate impact leading to long-term sustainable reforms, and should have potential for sustainability beyond DRL (Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor of the State Department) resources.”
Among other criteria for the selection of candidates are “demonstrable experience in administering successful, and preferably similar, projects” and cooperation with minority groups in order to “advance the rights and uphold the dignity of the most vulnerable or at-risk populations.”
At the same time, the US State Department reserves a significant role for itself in the implementation of the program that receives the grant – for example, it is going to demand quarterly reports on the program’s spending and its progress.
According to experts, such a step is an attempt to prevent the fall of the Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, who is the favorite of Washington in the country, as his public approval ratings have plunged recently, and to maintain US-Ukraine relations as they have been since the coup in 2014. Experts also noted that in this way Obama tries to continue the current policy and prevent future president Donald Trump from building a new line of cooperation with Ukraine.
Another example of dim US thinking that money solves a problem.
Not even the limitless printing presses at the FED can print enough to keep Poroshenko popular!
My God. We need another Fidel Castro in America to end this shit.
U.S. money to promote and brainwash the citizens to support a non-democratic government, all under the banner of “democracy”. Has Russia gotten rid of all its U.S.-backed NGOs yet?
NOTHING oblunder can do would prevent President Trump from trumping the entire mess in Ukraine. Once obama is gone – so are any understandings…notice that the deadline is 72 hours BEFORE the inauguration. THAT is no accident but it’s perfectly repairable.
I have just said the same. 17th January Deadline – Trump inaugurated 20th January.
No way will he hand over that amount of US tax payers cash to Ukraine?
…not without getting OUR money’s worth in return, that’s for sure. That mess in Ukraine does not do US any good, so I doubt it will go on for much longer…porky better get ready to roll…
Have you ever tried a ‘Pork Roll’? Haha, now would that be a ‘Hog Roast’ baguette or Bacon Roll? No doubt, Cameron will be there to digest Porkie’s Roll.
It is seriously crazy, but apart from McCain most of the cookie monsters and baking team, will be redundant and out to grass. I seriously hope they go somewhere they can do no damage and take the Ukraine Satanists with them.
Orwellian double speak.
The Ukraine is about to get worse. When fake nato jihadists get booted from Syria, Iraq and elsewhere they will probably take their balaclavas and gloves to Kiev to assist the failing right-wing junta.
Really? Will Trump accept this? Bearing in mind the deadline is January 17th and Trump is inaugurated on the 20th? Can anybody see him handing US tax payers money to Ukraine?