About the Human Rights Innovation Fund
Amnesty International Australia’s Human Rights Innovation Fund allows anyone interested in promoting and defending human rights direct access to funding to support new, innovative, creative initiatives.
What are the fund’s objectives?
These initiatives will have a demonstrable human rights impact in Australia and must have the potential to advance one or more of the fund’s objectives:
- foster grassroots community activism
- engage and empower a diversity of people to build networks and promote the growth of a human rights constituency
- acknowledge the initiatives and endeavours of the human rights movement; and
- develop partnerships with other organisations
Ideas for projects
These are a small sample only – we encourage you to think outside the square:
- speaker tour
- human rights defender tour (for example, a national tour of a defender of human rights, who has an inspiring story to tell)
- a human rights photography project in remote Indigenous communities
- an Amnesty International program broadcast online
- networking with human rights organisations for a particular outcome
- a human rights seminar/event
- activism retreat held for high school students or other community sectors
- an interactive web-based human rights campaign
- human rights awareness raising activity and/or outreach to new audiences
- setting up a virtual action group around a particular human rights issue
- an innovative display or stall design for a local action group to attract new supporters
Who can apply?
Anyone can apply — individuals, local action groups, community groups or networks and organisations from any Australian State or Territory.
What are the funding criteria?
Projects must have a demonstrable human rights impact and the potential to advance one or more the Fund’s objectives outlined above.
How are applications made?
To apply, complete the application form below and submit it via email to hrif@amnesty.org.au by Monday 22 October 2018. We are in the midst of reviewing the dates for the rest of the year so stay tuned for more information.
How are applications assessed?
Proposals will be assessed by the Human Rights Innovation Fund Committee (comprising staff and active Amnesty International supporters) and applicants will be contacted within eight weeks of a proposal being received.
Indigenous rights and the Human Rights Innovation Fund
Through the Human Rights Innovation Fund we will provide at least one grant each year to Indigenous organisations working to end youth incarceration.
Amnesty’s Indigenous Youth Justice campaign, Community is Everything, aims to end the over-representation of Indigenous young people in detention within a generation.
Our latest report on Indigenous youth justice
In June 2015, Amnesty International Australia launched the report A Brighter Tomorrow: Keeping Indigenous kids in the community and out of detention in Australia. Indigenous youth detention in Australia is a national crisis – Indigenous young people are 26 more times more likely to be in detention than non-Indigenous young people. Western Australia detains Indigenous children at 53 times the rate of their non-Indigenous peers.
Amnesty will be working over the coming years to ensure a brighter tomorrow for Indigenous kids. The report makes comprehensive, practical recommendations to government on how to reduce the rate of Indigenous youth incarceration and make communities safer. It also examines the innovative Indigenous-led prevention and diversion programs that are achieving impressive results.
Between 2016 and 2019, in recognition of the importance of this campaign, Amnesty International Australia will provide at least one grant each year, through the Human Rights Innovation Fund, to Indigenous organisations working to:
- end youth incarceration; and/or
- support Indigenous individuals/families/communities experiencing youth detention
Your proposal could involve remote or urban communities, it could complement or be an element of an early intervention, prevention or diversionary program, or it could be an event or activity that supports the campaign. Amnesty encourages Indigenous ‘stakeholders’ to develop creative interesting, positive initiatives that will help keep kids out of detention and in the community where they belong.
Who can apply?
The Human Rights Innovation Fund for Indigenous Youth Justice initiatives is open to Indigenous-led and directed organisations only.
Funding criteria
- Projects must have a demonstrable human rights impact in that it supports the aim of Amnesty’s Indigenous Youth Justice campaign.
- Projects must be an Indigenous-led and designed initiative.
- Projects must be achievable within the funding available (maximum $8,000).
- Smaller projects, even very small, are very welcome.
- Projects must be completed within one year of the project’s start date.
- Amnesty International Australia cannot pay wages. If wages form part of your project budget, you will need to be an employer or the person(s) to be paid will need to have an ABN.
- Successful applicants will be required to submit a short project report/evaluation within two months of the completion of the project.
How do I apply?
Please complete the proposal form and email it to us at hrif@amnesty.org.au by Monday 22 October 2018. We are in the midst of reviewing the dates for the rest of the year so stay tuned for more information.
How are applications assessed?
Submitted proposals will be assessed by the Human Rights Innovation Fund Committee (comprising staff and active Amnesty International supporters) and applicants will be contacted within eight weeks of the funding round closing.
If you would like to discuss your ideas, please contact us at hrif@amnesty.org.au.
Apply now
To apply, complete the application form below and email it to hrif@amnesty.org.au by Monday 22 October 2018.
download the guidelines and application form
More information
Please read the guidelines carefully. If you still have questions or would like to discuss your ideas, please email hrif@amnesty.org.au.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
View the Pintupi-Luritja language translation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) - 'Pana Winkiku Wangka Tiina Ngaranyi'. Amnesty’s Human Rights Innovation Fund assisted the project by sponsoring two visiting translators from Papunya to Canberra.
Article 1
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act toward one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Nganana Anangu tjuta yuyitjirringu Ngaparrtjila Tjukarurrungku.
Palyantjakula Tjunungku kulinytjaku palyangku kurrunpa kutjungka.
All of us humans are born equal [and] straight / honest.
[We] do well together [and] understand the right way with one spirit.
Article 2
Everyone is entitled to the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
(plain English) – everyone is equal despite differences in skin colour, sex, religion, language for example.
Tjutakulampa ngaranyi freedom tjukarurru wangka ngangka tjakultjunutja
Anangu ngurra kutjupa-ngurrara, tjunigurru Anangu ngatjarritjarra,
wati kungka, pangki kutjupa, wangka kutjupa,
Walkunytja kutjupa, mayutju kapmantaku. Kulilaya!
Wiya kuyara-pungkunytjakuya, Anangu ngurra- pana kutjupangurarra tjutanya.
Ngaatja nyuntupa human right.
This straight message is proclaiming that everyone has freedom,
People from other places, maybe strangers,
men [and] women, different skinned people, different languages,
Different religions, different ruling governments. Listen!
Do not harm these different people from many other places.
This is your human right.
~ Lance Macdonald, Shelia Joyce Dixon, Sarah Holcombe