The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in Agenda 2030 adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015. This Call for Partnerships (CFP) for Implementation Partners relates to the UNESCO project: Gendered approach to Preventing Violent Extremism through Education in Iraq.

The “Gendered approach to Preventing Violent Extremism in through Education in Iraq” is an eighteen-months project funded by the government of Canada.

The project aims to build resilient communities by engaging with the dynamics of radicalisation leading to violent extremism and addressing its root causes through quality education. Specifically, the project seeks to improve resilience and wellbeing of pupils and students in Ninewa, and Al Anbar to help prevent violent extremism.

The overall objective of this Call for Partnership is to provide, through national and international nongovernmental organizations (I/NGOs), educational support and services aiming at the prevention of violent extremism in the primary and secondary schools, as well as at universities in conflict affected areas of Ninewa and Al Anbar governorates. This will include conducting PVE-E trainings, for at least 8650 school staff, parents and student leaders using the UNESCO developed materials, and running 500 psychosocial support sessions for teachers, as well as supporting the education system in the target schools, which feed into building communities resilient to the radicalizing narratives leading to violent extremism.

Expected Results

The expected results of this Call for Partnership are:

• Developed capacity of teachers, principals and parents to foster among learners a range of supporting cognitive socio-emotional and behavioural skills – such as critical thinking, multiperceptivity, understandings of complexity, moral courage and responsible online behavior.
• Supported PVE systems at schools and universities and promoted PVE and peace principles among the vulnerable communities.

Duration

The duration of the contract will be tentatively between 25 February 2020 and 30 April 2022.

Eligibility Criteria

• This Call for Partnership is open for national and international non-governmental organizations. The selected implementing partner will contribute to the achievement of the aforementioned objective by providing educational support and services to the conflict affected population, including IDPs, returnees and remainees, aiming at the prevention of violent extremism and improving resilience in the primary and secondary schools, universities and the wider community in Ninewa and Al Anbar governorates, in coordination with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Higher Education, of Federal government, and the Directorate of Education (DoE) in Ninewa and Al Anbar. In addition to empowering local actors, the projects aim to also build the capacities of local organisations. Consequently, UNESCO requires that the interested international NGOs propose local partners to co-implement the project. implement the activities and realize the objectives of the project.
• A UNESCO Implementation Partner is an entity with an international and/or national not-for-profit status to which UNESCO has entrusted partially or fully the implementation of programmes or projects specified in a signed document, along with the assumption of full responsibility and accountability for the effective use of resources and the delivery of outputs as set forth in such a document.

Main features of a UNESCO Implementation Partners’ Agreement

• The partner brings added value, including monetary or in-kind contribution, to the project/activity.
• The partner shares in the risks and rewards of the project/activity implementation and is responsible and accountable for delivering expected results.
• The partner is involved at each step of the process, from detailed work plan elaboration to project/activity evaluation.
• The partnership will include aspects beyond the delivery of a service to include capacity-building elements with respect to the partner and/or beneficiary.

For more information, visit Call for Partnership.