We are looking for individuals, organizations, teams or collectives with interest in leading the creation of a space for cinema and one of literature for promoting new and better conversations about inequalities in our society. Its mission will be to design and structure these spaces from scratch, in an innovative way.
Planned activities will be, but are not limited to:
Design and structure a reading space and a film space that will include at least one meeting per month for three months, addressing issues related to inequalities. This design should define the target audience for both spaces and the reasons for choosing this audience.
Research and select materials (books and films) relevant to addressing inequalities.
Organize and coordinate regular sessions of both spaces.
Facilitate discussions and debates in face-to-face meetings, promoting an environment of open and respectful dialogue. This includes the search and selection of adequate spaces for the development of the activities. The costs associated with the implementation of the spaces should not be included in the economic proposal.
Implement strategies to actively engage participants in reading and film activities.
Design space assessment tools to identify changes in narratives and perspectives on inequalities over time.
Products:
Systematization of methodologies and discussions during the spaces.
Design instruments, pedagogical guides or tools that other organizations or groups can use to create spaces for constructive deliberation on inequalities.
Written report.
How to apply?
Complete the following FORM, no later than May 26, 2024.
Send questions to [email protected] with the Subject: CINEMA AND LITERATURE CONSULTANCY
The classism is the white elephant in our interactions with other people. Often, this form of discrimination is hidden in social structures and manifests itself in everyday life. Recognizing and revealing classism in our environment enables us to questioning our own attitudes and prejudices, as well as understanding how it affects people in a multiplicity of ways.
Want to research classism to understand its scope and work towards a more just society?
Using certain methodologies of the participatory action research, students will inquire about attitudes, perceptions, relationships or practices. related to classism to design participatory and collaborative strategies that strengthen social cohesion and solidarity.
Participants will learn to:
Apply appropriately methodologies of participatory action research.
Usestrategies to cooperate and resolve tensions arising from collective action.
Identify and critically analyze attitudes, perceptions, relationships or practices that promote or mitigate classism.
This challenge is aimed at:
Students of any discipline of master's degree or undergraduate from fifth semester or higher. Each team must be made up of five students of legal age and have a university professor to provide overall leadership throughout the challenge.
The challenge
It is divided into six phases that guide teams in designing and conducting participatory action research in their immediate environment to identify and critically analyze attitudes, perceptions, relationships or practices that promote or mitigate classism. Each team will work collectively and with the people who are part of the environment where the research is conducted. The six phases will work as follows:
In the first, The teams will choose the setting in which they intend to conduct the participatory action research.
In the second, The participants will discuss with the people in their chosen environment whether and to what extent they wish to participate.
In the third, The teams will define, together with the people in the chosen environment, the research question and the methods they will use to solve it.
In the fourth, The teams will do the research.
In the fifth, The learning process will be synthesized and consolidated into three deliverables.
The sixth, The last phase will be a face-to-face meeting with all the teams at the Universidad de los Andes on the following days. October 19 and 20. In this space, the teams will share their experiences during the development of the challenge and will receive feedback from the other participants. On October 20, each team will make a final presentation to a panel of judges and the other teams. All teams that obtain an average final score of more than 80/100 will win.
There will be six virtual master classes on participatory action research methodologies and principles and on concepts and issues related to classism by university professors.
Financing
In this edition of the TREES challenge: revealing classisms, If a team is selected, we will select the best six teams from all those who apply. Each team selected will receive $500,000 COP to cover expenses directly related to conducting the participatory action research. From these six teams, we will select the winning teams who will will receive $2,000,000 COP to cover expenses related to the continuation of the participatory action research process or to implement a concrete action to address classism, depending on its results and conclusions.
We will award two scholarships for teams made up of students from universities in Colombia who reside outside of Bogota. This scholarship covers lodging, food, local transportation and round-trip tickets to attend the face-to-face meeting on October 19 and 20 at the Universidad de los Andes.
Application process
The application process will be open between May 9 and June 5, 2024. The friday, june 21 we will announce the six teams selected to take part in the challenge.
In order to apply for the challenge, teams already formed must pre-register at Obertura.
Then, fill out the Application Form, attach the Mentor commitment letter and attach the Motivation letter. Instructions are available in Overture once pre-registration is completed.
The teams will be evaluated by a panel of jurors of the TREES initiative according to the evaluation criteria of the Motivation Letter, available in Overture.
Commitments and responsibilities
Teams selected to participate in the challenge must sign and complete the Commitment Agreement which is available in Overture. Students should have an average of two hours per week.
Intellectual Property
The people participating in the challenge and participatory action research will be. co-authors or co-owners of the documents, presentations, conclusions and deliverables they produce. TREES team to provide outreach support of some of these and will give visibility to the authors who participated in their creation.
As stated in the Engagement Agreement, individuals participating in the challenge and participatory action research must provide permission for use and dissemination to the Ford Foundation and Universidad de los Andes.
If you have any additional questions, pleaseplease do not hesitate to contact us by mail at[email protected]
The TREES (Teaching and Researching Equitable Economics from the South) initiative, led by the Center for Economic Development Studies (CEDE) of the Universidad de los Andes, invites students enrolled in graduate programs in Economics and related disciplines, as well as those in the last semesters of their undergraduate studies, to apply for the TREES Scholarship for the Bogotá Summer School in Economics. These scholarships are for the course “Understanding Inequality: Theory, Evidence and Methodology”, offered by the Universidad de los Andes as part of the fifth edition of the Bogotá Summer School in Economics.
The course will be led by:
Branko Milanovic - City University of New York, United States.
Mauricio De Rosa - Universidad de la República, Uruguay.
Facundo Alvaredo - London School of Economics, United Kingdom.
The scholarship winners will receive a 50% tuition support, the total amount of which is COP 2,733,000.
Who can apply?
People who are enrolled in the last semesters of an undergraduate program in Economics or related areas and who meet the prerequisites of the course.
Persons who are enrolled in a graduate program in Economics or related areas and who meet the prerequisites of the course.
A significant portion of the scholarships will be allocated to students from institutions in Colombian cities other than Bogota and other developing countries.
Notes:
The location (within Colombia) of the program is not exclusive.
Selected scholarship recipients must submit proof of payment of the supplemental scholarship amount by June 10, 2024. Failure to do so will result in rejection of the scholarship.
Those selected must meet the course requirements.
How to apply?
You must fill out the following FORM formerly May 5, 2024.
For questions and clarifications write to: [email protected] with the subject “Inequalities -Bogotá Summer School”.
Important dates
Opening of the call for proposals
April 23, 2024
Closing of the call for proposals
May 5, 2024
Notification of awards
May 17, 2024
Sending proof of payment of the complementary tuition fee.
What is the Summer Institute: “Inclusive economies for a Just and Sustainable planet”?
Transitioning towards a more just and sustainable planet requires new ways of thinking and doing research on economics and economic development policy. The Summer lnstitute in Inclusive Economies for a Just and Sustainable Planet will provide a space to advance interdisciplinary and policy-relevant research that supports more inclusive, equitable and sustainable economic systems.
The Summer lnstitute is a four-day program that will bring together 42 participants from the Global North and South to discuss new ways of thinking in economics and economic development policy. There will be in-depth presentations and discussions structured around the tour following themes:
Architecture and Inequality: Repurposing Housing, Infrastructure and Cities for Economic Inclusion.
Nurturing the Commons Place-based and Solidarity Approaches for a Just Planet.
Measuring inequality Economic Exclusion as a social determinant of health.
Feminist Approaches to Economics and the Care Economy.
The final day will provide an opportunity for participants to reflect on connections between the tapies discussed and to explore potential of collaborations in the future. By fostering dialogue and collaboration across disciplines and types of participants, we hope to contribute to the advancement of research and policy knowledge towards building more inclusive and sustainable economies worldwide.
The Summer lnstitute is co-organized by the TREES (Teaching and Researching Equitable Economics from the South) initiative at University of the Andes and the lnstitute for Inclusive Economies and Sustainable Livelihoods at the University of Toronto, with the support of the Centre for Global Social Policy's Care Economy in Context Global Partnership research project (University of Toronto) and the Sustainable Development Goals lnstitutional Strategic lnitiative (University of Toronto).
Who should apply?
The program is interdisciplinary, welcoming early career academics (assistant professors, postdocs, advanced Ph.D. students) from across the social sciences, as well as intellectually engaged practitioners from government, civil society, and industry interested in innovative thinking and policies to promote inclusive economies. For practitioners, we define “early career” as encompassing policymakers or professionals within the initial five years of their careers. Additionally, individuals transitioning from different professional backgrounds into the realm of inclusive economies will also be considered for participation in the institute.
While we will give priority to individuals based in the Americas (North, Central, South America and the Caribbean), participants from other parts of the world are encouraged to apply. The Summer Institute will be conducted in English and Spanish (you will need to be fluent in one of those languages to participate)..
Why should you apply?
This summer school offers a unique opportunity for learning at no cost to admitted participants, covering tuition, travel and accommodation in Bogota*. The Summer lnstitute in Inclusive Economies for a Just and Sustainable Planet will provide a space to:
Advance interdisciplinary research and policy initiatives aimed at advancing more inclusive, equitable and sustainable economic systems.
Cultivating and facilitating an international collaborative network that bring together academics from different disciplines as well as fostering a dialogue between senior researchers, early career scholars and practitioners interested in these topics.
Facilitate interdisciplinary exchanges by bringing economists into conversation with scholars from other fields.
Explore novel perspectives to research, measure and intervene in the dynamics of our diverse economies and envision pathways toward a more just and sustainable planet.
*We are offering 10 to 15 bursaries to cover travel and accommodation expenses in Bogotá for early-career scholars and practitioners traveling from other cities or countries to attend the institute.
Organizing committee and invited participants
University of the Andes Faculty
María José Álvarez-Rivadulla (Professor of Sociology, University of the Andes).
Juan Camilo Cárdenas (Director, Center for Sustainable Development Goals (COSD) for Latin America; Professor of Economics, University of the Andes).
Leopoldo Fergusson (Director, Centro de Estudios sobre Desarrollo Económico (CEDE); Professor of Economics, University of the Andes).
Natalia Ramírez Bustamante (Co-Founder, Digna: Trabajo y Género; Associate Professor of Law, University of the Andes).
Olga Lucía Sarmiento (Professor of Public Health, University of the Andes).
University of Toronto Faculty
Elizabeth Dhuey (Associate Professor of Economics, University of Toronto).
Caroline Hossein (Founder, Diverse Solidarity Economies (DISE) Collective; Associate Professor, Global Development Studies, University of Toronto).
Sergio Montero (Director, Institute for Inclusive Economies & Sustainable Livelihoods (IIESL), Associate Professor of Geography & Planning, University of Toronto).
Ito Peng (Director, Centre for Global Social Policy; PI of Care Economies in Context research project, Professor of Sociology, University of Toronto).
Erica di Ruggiero (Associate Professor of Global Health, University of Toronto).
Rob Gillezeau (Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Toronto).
Invited Senior Practitioners
Aline Cardoso (Ex Secretarária Municipal de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Trabalho, São Paulo, Brazil)
Diana Gómez Correal (Vice-minister of Women, Ministry of Equality, Colombia).
Paola Jirón (President, Consejo Nacional de Desarrollo Territorial, Chile).
Camilo Rey (Secretary of Planning of Cartagena, Colombia).
Ana María Tribin (Senior Economist, World Bank - DECWBL; Co-founder, Digna: Labor and Gender).
TREES (Teaching and Researching Equitable Economics from the South), an initiative of the Center for Studies on Economic Development (CEDE) at the Universidad de los Andes, funded by the Ford Foundation, is seeking research proposals to understand the causes and consequences of inequality, broadly defined.
Projects led by Principal Investigators (PI) based in Latin America and the Caribbean will receive support of up to COP 80,000,000 each.
We are open to research contemplating non-economic aspects of inequality. TREES welcomes empirical studies and contributions to the measurement, conceptualization, and historicization of inequality.
Some non-comprehensive topics of reference may be:
Social segregation along income lines.
The economic and cultural implications of segregation.
Women in the economy of the global south.
Cultural, racial, gender diversity.
Environmental justice.
Social interactions: Migration.
Stereotypes and discrimination.
Inequality and segregation in the labor market.
Teaching inequality from different areas of knowledge.
Fiscal issues and inequality.
Formal and informal rules, norms, and inequality.
Citizens and the State.
Teaching to students with diverse characteristics
TREES encourages rigorous and intellectually ambitious research and welcomes proposals from multiple disciplinary and methodological perspectives, both domestically and internationally.
Application Details
Phase 1: Letter of Inquiry.
Fill out the Letter of Inquiry form to express interest in the TREES Research Grant Fund. No later than May 5, 2024, at 11:59 PM Bogotá Time (UTC -5).
Questions may be sent by e-mail no later than April 20, 2024, to the below address:
Invitations to submit full proposals will be sent no later than May 27, 2024
Full proposal submissions (by invitation only). Principal Investigators invited to present full proposals will be notified no later than June 13, 2024.
You will be notified that your submission has been received within one week of submission.
Importantnotes:
Due to the high volume of submissions, we regretfully cannot guarantee feedback on all received proposals at any stage of the selection process.
To include all Latin America and the Caribbean, this call, the documents to be delivered, the deliverables, and the associated events will be in English.
Grants are awarded to the Host Institution with the explicit commitment that this institution offers appropriate conditions for the Principal Investigator and their team to direct the research and manage its funding for the project's duration. When the host institution commits to providing the appropriate conditions for the development of research and management of funds, it is expected that the administrative tasks or indirect costs will be a cost-share of the host institution.
The grant cannot be awarded directly to individuals.
Intellectual property shall remain with the PI, but they grant dissemination rights to Uniandes and the Ford Foundation.
Any relevant changes to the proposal or team shall be submitted to [email protected] and will be subject to approval.
Evaluation Criteriaand process
The selection committee comprises the three Principal Investigators of TREES. If the submitted topics warrant it, external evaluators may be invited. At each stage of the selection process, proposals undergo independent evaluations by a minimum of two Principal Investigators. Following this initial assessment by at least two Principal Investigators, proposals are discussed by the selection committee at large, and those that garner greater consensus are funded (fully or partially).
Evaluation Criteria for the Research Proposal:
Clarity and Relevance of the Research Problem (5 Points)
Problem Statement: The proposal must clearly articulate the research problem, ensuring it is directly connected to issues of inequality.
Question, Objectives, and Justification: The proposal should specify the research question, outline the objectives, and justify the significance of the research clearly and concisely.
Contribution's Relevance and Novelty: The proposal must highlight how the research contributes new insights or approaches to the field, emphasizing both relevance and innovation.
Methodological Design (5 Points)
Appropriateness of Methodology: The proposal should demonstrate that the chosen methodology is suitable and robust enough to address the research problem effectively.
Feasibility and Resources
Realistic Proposal: The proposal must assess its feasibility, considering the resources available and the time frame.
Availability of Data and Resources: It should confirm that data and essential resources can be acquired within the proposed budget and time constraints.
Outreach (3 Points)
Outreach Strategy: The proposal should indicate if there is a strategy for disseminating results or engaging with broader communities.
Clarity in Writing (3 Points)
Writing Quality: The proposal must be written with clarity, making it accessible and understandable to reviewers, without sacrificing depth or complexity.
TREES (Teaching and Researching Equitable Economics from the South), an initiative of the Center for Studies on Economic Development (CEDE) at the Universidad de los Andes, funded by the Ford Foundation, is seeking research proposals to understand the causes and consequences of inequality, broadly defined.
Projects led by Principal Investigators based in Latin America and the Caribbean will receive support of up to COP 60,000,000 each.
We are open to research contemplating non-economic aspects of inequality. TREES welcomes empirical studies and contributions to the measurement, conceptualization, and historicization of inequality.
Some topics of reference may be:
Social segregation along income lines.
The economic and cultural implications of segregation.
Women in the economy of the global south.
Cultural, racial, gender diversity.
Environmental justice.
Social interactions: Migration.
Stereotypes and discrimination.
Inequality and segregation in the labor market.
Teaching inequality from different areas of knowledge.
Fiscal issues and inequality.
Formal and informal rules, norms, and inequality.
Citizens and the State.
Teaching to students with diverse characteristics
TREES encourages rigorous and intellectually ambitious research and welcomes proposals from multiple disciplinary and methodological perspectives, both domestically and internationally.
Invitations to submit full proposals will be sent no later than February 2, 2024
Full proposal submissions (by invitation only). PIs invited to present full proposals will be notified no later than March 1, 2024.
You will be notified that your submission has been received within one week of submission.
Notes:
To include all Latin America and the Caribbean, this call, the documents to be delivered, the deliverables, and the associated events will be in English.
Grants are awarded to the Host Institution with the explicit commitment that this institution offers appropriate conditions for the Principal Investigator and their team to direct the research and manage its funding for the project's duration. The grant cannot be awarded directly to individuals.
Intellectual property shall remain with the PIs, but they grant dissemination rights to Uniandes and the Ford Foundation.
Any relevant changes to the proposal or team shall be submitted to [email protected] and will be subject to approval.
TREES seeks to reimagine economics as a discipline and economics in Latin America from a Global South perspective.By studying inequalities and obstacles to development from multiple disciplines, it will build innovative narratives that improve the understanding of inequality in its multiple dimensions, as well as other challenges specific to the region. To address these challenges, TREES works from three intertwined components: Research, Teaching, and Outreach. In these three areas, TREES will seek to involve a diverse and multidisciplinary group of researchers, students, institutions and countries.
The person selected in the call for the predoc fellowship will work, within the framework of the Research component, with the Principal Investigators (PI) of the Initiative: Juan Camilo Cardenas, Leopold Ferguson y Jimena Hurtado.
Some of the topics of interest are segregation and social inclusion, citizens' relationship with the state, inequalities (gender, ethnicity, region of origin, among others), environmental justice, informality, labor markets, teaching inequality in economics from a global south perspective.
The position is ideal for a person who plans to apply to a PhD program at Universidad de los Andes or other higher education institutions. The selected person will get excellent research experience and mentoring from the PIs of the TREES initiative.
TREES (Teaching and Researching Equitable Economics from the South), an initiative of the Center for Studies on Economic Development (CEDE) at the Universidad de los Andes, funded by the Ford Foundation, is seeking research proposals to understand the causes and consequences of inequality.
Nine projects, led by Principal Investigators based in Latin America and the Caribbean, will receive the support of up to COP 60,000,000 each.
This initiative is particularly interested in research proposals incorporating innovative approaches, encouraging dialogue, and facilitating joint knowledge-building between economics and other disciplines. TREES seeks proposals considering the specificities of inequality in the Global South and whose impact goes beyond this specific support, for instance, through initiating a research agenda or establishing new collaborations of greater scope. Candidates with different skills and training backgrounds willing to work on highly innovative research projects are welcome.
TREES will give special consideration to conceptually and methodologically disruptive proposals and contribute to rethinking how we research, educate, and disseminate the economics of inequality.
The initiative will give priority to research contemplating non-strictly economic aspects of inequality. TREES welcomes empirical studies and contributions to the measurement, conceptualization, and historicization of inequality.
TREES encourages rigorous and intellectually ambitious research on the most pressing inequality questions. TREES seeks research with a lasting impact addressing societal needs or challenges. TREES welcomes proposals from multiple disciplinary and methodological perspectives, both domestically and internationally.
Proposal Guidelines
Interested applicants should fill out and submit the following documents:
1) Research Proposal*: You'll be expected to include:
Project title.
Project summary.
Motivation and objectives: Statement of the research question and description of how it contributes to the objectives of the call.
Methodology.
Expected outputs and how they are expected to impact a wider public or beyond the academy.
Co-funding sources: If co-funding sources still need to be identified or confirmed, evaluate the possibility of accessing these sources.
Capacities that you hope to create and strengthen.
Project Timeline: this should indicate the proposed start and end dates of the project as well as key project events and milestones. The significant activities listed in the project timeline should be reflected in the proposal narrative.
i) References, at most three pages.
*The research proposal (items a-h) may not exceed 7 pages with line spacing equal to or greater than 1.5 and font size equal to or greater than 11p.
2) Budget and Budget Justification: Include each budget item with a brief description and justification. The budget must be proposed in Colombian Pesos (COP). No indirect costs or bonuses for Principal Investigators will be funded. This section may not exceed 1 page with line spacing equal to or greater than 1.5 and font size equal to or greater than 11p.
3) Project Team: Describe the project team and identify the roles, responsibilities, and knowledge base of the Principal Investigator (PI), Co-PI(s), and any supporting researcher(s). If your project includes Co-PIs and other supporting researchers, articulate how the team will work together to complete the research project. Include a current Resume of the PI and Co-PI(s). This section may not exceed 1 page with line spacing equal to or greater than 1.5 and font size equal to or greater than 11p, excluding Resumes.
Eligibility
The PI must be affiliated with a non-profit organization or public/governmental institution willing to serve as the administering organization if the grant is awarded. The host institution must be legally based in Latin America or the Caribbean.
Submission Guidelines
Full proposals for the TREES Research Grant Fund must be submitted by June 18, 2023, at 11:59 PM Bogota time (UTC-5). You will be notified that your submission has been received within one week of submission.
Note:To encourage dialogue between investigators from Latin America and the Caribbean, this call, the documents to be delivered, the deliverables, and the associated events, will be in English.
Note: Grants are awarded to the Host Institution with the explicit commitment that this institution offers appropriate conditions for the Principal Investigator and their team independently to direct the research and manage its funding for the duration of the project. TREES Research Grant Fund cannot be awarded directly to individuals.
Commitments:
The successful candidate is expected to:
1) Comply with the guidelines on lobbying prohibition and the guidelines on prohibition on political campaign intervention detailed in Annex 1.
2) Proof of Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval is not required at the time of proposal submission. If IRB approval is needed for this project and it is chosen for funding, the awarded candidate will be responsible for obtaining IRB review and approval.
3) Complete proposed projects and their financial execution, including the delivery of their final reports and final products, no later than October 15, 2024.
4) Participate in a TREES meeting that will take place during the second quarter of 2024. The logistical and methodological details will be shared later.
5) Comply with deliverables subject to disbursements in accordance with the following schedule:
Deliverables and disbursements
Deliverable
Date
Disbursement rate
- Formalization of grant award.
August 2023
40% of the approved
budget
- Progress Report. A financial accounting report, in COP, which includes a statement by the responsible financial officer of your organization certifying the accuracy of the report. This report must cover the expenses of 40% of the budget.
March 2024
50% of the approved budget
- A financial accounting report, in COP, which includes a statement by the responsible financial officer of your organization certifying the accuracy of the report. This report must cover the expenses of 100% of the budget.
October,2024
10% of the approved budget
ANNEX 1
Direct Lobbying is any attempt to influence legislation through communication that:
Refers to specific legislation;
Reflects a view on the legislation; and
Is to any member or employee of a legislative body or any government official or employee who may participate in the formulation of the legislation.
Grassroots Lobbying is any attempt to influence legislation through communication with the public that:
Refers to specific legislation;
Reflects a view on the legislation; and
Encourages the recipient with a “call to action” regarding the legislation (e.g., to contact a legislator by phone, email, sign a petition, etc.)
What is specific legislation?
Legislation is any action by any legislative body in the U.S. or overseas (e.g., the U.S. Congress, a national parliament, a state legislature, a local city council, etc.), including:
Specific legislative proposals (including those not yet introduced or pending in the body)
Authorizing and budget appropriations legislation
Legislative confirmation of executive appointees
Legislative resolutions, even if they have no binding effect
Treaties subject to legislative approval
A ballot initiative or referendum by the public (where the voters = legislative body)
U.N. resolutions that have binding effect on member states
Model legislation
What is not specific legislation?
The legislation does not include:
administrative rules or regulations enacted by a government agency or ministry
executive orders and other actions solely within executive power
judicial decisions
budget allocation decisions that do not require legislative approval
What does not qualify as lobbying?
There are some exceptions that allow foundation funds to be used for communications that would otherwise be considered lobbying:
1. Technical advice or assistance provided to a governmental body, committee, or subcommittee in response to a written request, if
the request is on behalf of the body (as opposed to an individual legislator); and
the response is made available to all members of the body on a nonpartisan basis, such as at a committee or subcommittee hearing.
2. Nonpartisan analysis, study, or research such as a white paper, report, or panel discussion, if
it contains a sufficiently full and fair exposition of an issue that would allow someone to form an independent opinion or conclusion; and
is distributed broadly (including those on both sides of the issue).
What are some examples?
Some examples of prohibited lobbying include:
drafting, negotiating, or providing comments or other technical assistance on a pending bill
meeting with legislative staff members to ask them to increase funding for a program that requires a legislative budget appropriation
asking the organization's members to write to their legislators to confirm a judicial appointee
asking the public to vote a particular way on a ballot initiative
Some examples of permissible advocacy include:
Monitoring the progress of pending legislation and sharing the results of the organization's
Website
Providing testimony at a congressional hearing in response to a letter from the committee
Expressing a view on a bill in an op-ed article that does not ask the public to take any action
Educating legislators on a particular issue without addressing specific legislation
Meeting with staff of a governmental agency to advocate for specific implementing regulations under an existing law
Filing a lawsuit to overturn a law
What are the key elements of prohibited political campaign intervention?
A candidate: Someone who offers himself or herself, or is proposed by others, as a contestant for elective public office at the national, state, or local level in any country.
Intervention includes:
Endorsing or opposing a candidate, verbally or in writing
Rating a candidate's fitness for office
Contributing to a candidate's campaign
Publicizing a candidate's endorsement of the organization's position
Issuing statements critical or approving of a public official's actions when that public official is also a candidate
Taking any other action that has the effect of promoting or opposing a candidate Intervention in support or opposition of a political party is also considered to be prohibited campaign intervention.
What kind of political activity is permitted?
Nonpartisan voter education is designed to educate the public and does not show a bias for or against a particular candidate or political party.
Speaking engagements where a candidate is invited to speak in a capacity other than as a candidate, as long as:
The invitation and publicity for the event, and the speech itself, do not promote the candidacy; and
There is no fundraising for the candidate.
(This should be used only in very limited circumstances because, as a practical matter, it is very difficult to avoid the appearance of endorsing the speaker's candidacy.)
3. Candidate forums, as long as:
All candidates seeking the same office are offered an equal opportunity to speak;
The organization does not indicate support of or opposition to a candidate;
The questions are unbiased and discuss a broad array of topics of interest to the public;
The candidates are not asked to agree or disagree with positions taken by the organization;
The moderator plays a neutral role and does not suggest approval or disapproval of candidates; and
The moderator expressly states that the forum is not an endorsement of any candidate and all views expressed are those of particular candidates and not the organization.
4. Candidate education, in the form of programs designed to educate candidates about particular issues, as long as they:
Do not include strategy advice;
Are available to all candidates; and
Are nonpartisan (do not favor or disfavor any political party).
5. Political activities of staff and board members in their individual capacities, including when staff and board members themselves run for office, as long as they:
Do not use the organization's financial resources, facilities, equipment, or personnel (e.g., do not use the organization's financial resources, facilities, equipment, or personnel).
not use work email or conduct the activity during work hours);
Make clear that actions taken or statements made are theirs and not the organization's; and
Create separate social media accounts for personal political and lobbying activity instead of using accounts that are also used for their work for the organization.
What about issue advocacy?
It is permissible to advocate on issues in an election year, but care must be taken to avoid linking issue advocacy to an election or a candidate. Here are some guidelines:
Do not promote candidates who agree with the organization's views on a particular issue.
Do not distribute candidate scorecards or seek candidate pledges on specific issues.
Do not provide messaging or polling information to political parties on specific issues.
Be cautious of distributing issue-oriented materials just before an election-make sure the materials are completely nonpartisan and do not preference a candidate or group of candidates.
Avoid urging people to vote based on a particular issue where the issue clearly divides the candidates or parties.
What about voter registration and get-out-the-vote activities?
There are many technical rules that apply to voter registration and get-out-the-vote activities. You may not use Ford Foundation grant funds for such activities unless specifically approved as part of your grant activities in the proposal. Please consult your legal counsel.
Next Thursday, November 9, at the University of Medellin, the Territorial Dialogue will bring together a panel of profiles of academics, community leaders, artists, businessmen and public servants to discuss inequality from the perspective of the Colombian coffee region.
The panelists will be challenged to address the inequalities experienced in the four departments of this region: Antioquia, Risaralda, Quindío and Caldas. The discussion will take advantage of the experiences and knowledge of each one to reflect on three central themes: inequality in access to education, in access to decent work and the inequalities faced by young people in the country.
These are the panelists of this second face-to-face Territorial Dialogue:
Andrés García, economist and researcher at Universidad del Rosario in Bogotá. He is currently the director of the Observatory of Labor Inequality.
Andrea Carmona, activist, social manager, bridge builder and storyteller. She is part of the media outlet Le Cuento. She was present in the social outburst of 2019.
Yoiner Machado, artist and cultural manager. Creator and director of Unión Latina, an art academy that works from the dance in the commune 13 in Medellín.
Daniela Trejo, Secretary of Productivity and Competitiveness of Antioquia.
Elkin Echeverri, entrepreneur and businessman. Former director of Planning Ruta N. Director of the Eledé Foundation. He is currently writing a book on innovation and cities.
Paula Andrea Valencia, professor and researcher at the University of Medellín.
Allison Benson, moderator of the Dialogue. Director Reimaginemos.
In addition to the discussion, those attending the event will have access to the award-winning Colombian documentary film Indivisible, which has not yet been released. Reimaginemos will also give USD 700 in micro-grants to diverse dialogue initiatives on inequality proposed by those attending the event.
The Dialogues are unmissable opportunities, as they broaden the vision about inequalities in the different territories of the country. If you are interested in attending the conversation or watching the live transmission, register at this link: https://bit.ly/3FrAIVL
Find all the information about the 32 Territorial Dialogues at @reimaginemos.colombia
