| Overview : ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND RULE OF LAW PROJECT Call for Proposals for Small Grants Request for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) including NGOs and/or CBOs for application of Small Grants to conduct outreach for transitional justice Deadline for proposal submission: 11 April 2017 Background: On 17 and 26 August 2015, the leadership of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) party and Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) signed the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS) after several months of conflict which erupted on 15 December 2013. The 2013 crisis and subsequent conflict displaced over two million people, including 1.61 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 727,573 refugees. Chapter V of the ARCSS provides for transitional justice, accountability, reconciliation and healing. Chapter V provides for the establishment of a Hybrid Court for South Sudan (HCSS), Commission for Truth Reconciliation and Healing (CTRH) and Compensation and Reparations Authority (CRA). The ARCSS also gives due consideration is given to the use of traditional mechanisms of conflict resolution. On 7 July, 2016, only two months after the inauguration of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU), armed clashes between the South Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the SPLM–IO erupted in Juba. Hundreds of soldiers and civilians are reported to be have been killed over the course of five days of fighting. A cease-fire that was declared on Monday, 11 July 2016, was quickly violated on several occasions and fighting continues in areas surrounding Juba, and has spread throughout the greater Equatoria and Upper Nile regions. The December 2013 crisis put issues of truth, justice, reconciliation and healing on the national, regional and international agenda for South Sudan. Efforts had been made to materialize this agenda through the ARCSS. The recent violence that erupted in Juba in July 2016, shows the urgency and the need to further solidify and operationalize the peace agenda and address the country’s legacy of violence and the factors driving the conflicts. The 2013 and 2016 violent crises, are the latest outbreaks in a long history of conflicts driven by, amongst others, unaddressed grievances; widespread impunity and lack of respect for the rule of law; a culture of revenge; a lack of separation of powers; and untreated mental health problems resulting from decades of impunity against the civilian population. It is clear that South Sudan needs to come to terms with its violent past and resolve the root causes underlying the conflict(s) in order to transition to a peaceful future. UNDP South Sudan’s Access to Justice and Rule of Law (A2J/RoL) Project provides support to transitional justice initiatives in South Sudan, including the implementation of Chapter V of the ARCSS. This support consists of technical assistance to national rule of law institutions; conducting a survey of perceptions of South Sudanese on issues related to truth, justice, reconciliation and healing; development of policy and discussion papers; creating space for dialogue and raising awareness through workshops, lectures and conferences; and support advocacy for transitional justice through civil society initiatives. UNDPs’ A2J/RoL Project hereby invites CSOs/NGOs to submit proposals for initiatives that reach out to the general public and create awareness while collecting perceptions on transitional justice issues and the mechanisms provided by Chapter V mechanisms of the ARCSS. Within this context and framework, UNDP is seeking CSOs to carry out the following engagements: 1) Develop and carry out an national awareness-raising campaign and outreach activities on transitional justice that provides an increased understanding of transitional justice mechanisms and the provisions of the ARCSS and solicits citizens’ preferences and 2) Facilitate a series of dialogues and workshops on transitional justice at national, state and sub-state level involving government stakeholders, civil society organizations and traditional leaders. Preferably, specific emphasis must be placed on women and displaced persons. CSOs are encouraged to develop proposals based on their own expected results based on their analysis of the needs and particularities of the context and problems. | 
