Since 2002, ERI has awarded small financial grants to its EarthRights Schools alumni to run projects with earth rights themes and goals in their communities. The aim of the grants is to encourage alumni to work for their communities, applying the skills acquired during their time at the school. The program distributes grants of approximately US$2000 each to support alumni organizations or their individual projects. Applying for these grants provides alumni useful practice so they can apply for other funding sources more easily in future, and can help them to better focus and plan their projects.
The program began as a result of a generous donation from Daniel C. Clark and has grown to include additional funding sources from different partner organizations. Daniel C. Clark was a close friend and supporter of ERI. He visited the EarthRights School Burma during its inaugural year. He was impressed with the school and the enthusiasm and engagement of the young activists attending the school. A year after his visit, Clark passed away. Clark and his family decided that they wanted to support the work of alumni beyond his death. They created the Daniel C. Clark Memorial Fund and endowed $100,000 USD to ERI with the purpose supporting the work of alumni. This generous donation allowed the program to grant $6,000 per year. Today, the Small Grants Program has increased to $10,000 and includes additional funding by partner organizations.
The main objective of the Small Grants Program is to support and add momentum to alumni work related to human rights and the environment issues, in furtherance of the process started at the EarthRights Schools, evolving a strong and capable network of agents for positive social change. In 2009, the Small Grants Program was expanded to both EarthRights Burma and Mekong Alumni to increase its effectiveness in supporting the alumni throughout the Southeast Asia region.
The Small Grants Program is open to all EarthRights school alumni and awards grants twice a year. The granting process allows them to work closely with ERI through the process of proposal writing; receiving feedback about their applications, and developing their planning and editing so that they may become self-sufficient in these skills. The process also provides alumni with practical and valuable learning experiences in relation to project and financial management, while implementing projects that will benefit their communities.
Proposals received vary in a wide range of projects that include research, trainings, publications, and documentary production, among others. They are selected from a significant number of proposals based on the quality of the project planned, innovation, commitment to meet specific needs in communities, and their alignment to the mission of ERI. ERI has proudly witnessed the impact of the Small Grants Program as knowledge and competences of ERS alumni has grown while maintaining their exceptional dedication to social change. Long-term sustainability of the Small Grants Program is of extreme importance to ERI in order to be able to continue successful alumni support.
Past Small Grants Awards
Ta’ang Student and Youth Organization (TSYO)
Community awareness on the impact of Shwe Gas pipeline
The Burmese Government is currently constructing the Shwe gas pipeline though the Ta’ang area in Northern Shan state. This is causing many problems for the Ta’ang people, devastating their environment and livelihoods. This project aims to raise awareness of the pipeline among the local community through workshops. These workshops will focus on the damage the construction of this pipeline is doing to the environment at large, the exploitation of natural resources and destruction of forests and the endangerment of local livelihoods. The workshops will also focus on human rights violations by the Burmese military, such as forced labor, sexual assaults, forced relocations, loss of livelihood, land confiscation and inadequate compensation.
Burmese Women's Union (BWU)
Myitta Yeik Day Care Center
Many Burmese people flee into Thailand every day due to the economic, political and social crises in their home country. Nearly all those leaving Burma do so without any documentation and live in Thailand illegally. Many without work permits live in the local mountains, working on farms and in factories. Their children can not go to school and do not have access to health care or adequate and healthy food. Parents take their children to their workplace, with children under five years spending their days suffering in the sun, rain and cold. Most families, even the poorest, have between three and four children. The eldest child cares for their younger siblings, even when they themselves are still small children. These are serious problems for many families and they require that a day care center be established to look after children who are not old enough to begin school. The objective of this project is to assist women from Burma working in Thailand by taking care of their children anddeveloping the childrens' mental and physical well-being.
Palaung Women Organization (PWO)
Peace Building Training
The Palaung people have suffered a breakdown of social structures and a destruction of their culture, as many have had to flee dangerous and miserable conditions in their home country. Women face sexual and physical abuse without any protection, preventing peace in Palaung areas. Land and natural resource management practices are ignored and dismantled when the military moves into ethnic areas, leaving the people to struggle for survival. Women are especially affected by these actions, and because of discriminitory cultural beliefs they have even fewer rights than men. The men hold legal titles to all property, and women must work at home to take care of their children and husbands. The women are not expected to play any role in the community. Women are unable to study or participate in the economy. Because they rarely know or are able to assert their rights, violence is common.
In order to reduce the stress and violence experienced by Palaung women, help them understand their rights and build peace in the Palaung community, the applicant plans to organize a five-day peace building training project at the China-Burma border. There will be a total of 20 women participants.
Chakaria School of Informal Education (CSIE)
Human Rights and Environmental Rights Awareness Training
Many of the Arakanese people from Burma fled into Bangladesh due to instability in their homelands. When they arrived in Bangladesh, there were no opportunities for education and daily life became very difficult. Lack of knowledge, skills and education among the Arakanese community in Bangladesh has left little opportunity for improvement. The applicants plan to conduct Human Rights and Environmental Rights awareness training project for 6 days at the Arakan-Bangladesh border. There will be 15 participants and they will come from different townships in Arakan State. The aim of this training is to impart general skills and knowledge to the Arakanese people relating to Human Rights and the Environment, in order to build a strong civil society in the Arakanese community.